50 years of American rule was enough to change things up, in part because Americans had a more centralized structure to their regime.

Modern soccer was established in England in 1863. the first Spanish soccer club was established in 1889.

We kicked them out of the country (with the help of the US who then turned around and stabbed us in the back) in 1896.

The game Spain brought to the Philippines was Pelota also known as Jai Alai.

Further research tells me that Spain had nothing to do with popularizing football in South America either, it was spread through British trade networks and their sailors.

On the other hand the US had an enduring presence in the Philippines after they took over in 1898, past the 50s when the Philippines was finally free. Because they established the public school system and built the schools, they dictated what was being studied, including what sports were in phys ed.

They are a US colony more than a Spanish one. It’s shopping malls and US franchises everywhere, plus they learn English in school and not Spanish 

Frankly, i am disappointed too. Get that scholarship 

Always will be disadvantaged in the height department

while sympho1 is right about majority of Filipinos being short by global averages, there’s definitely a significant amount that are 6 footers especially with the future generations getting way better food nutrients.

for what it’s worth in the 2000s, most of the Filipinos in my (nj) high school (all under 6’) could grab the basketball rim in the high school gym. and everyday I’m seeing the younger generation are eclipsing the 6 foot barrier.

i lucked out at 5’8 (but tell people I’m 5’7 to piss off my best friends that are 5’7) cause my Dad’s side are the typical height, but my Mom’s brothers ~5’10. 3 of friends’ fathers are all solid 6 footers, but obviously all married short

only time will tell, but Filipinos love basketball

Filipino hoopers are the biz, but height does play a major role, even for producing 6’1 guards. When your average population is on the taller side, you have a wider pool of 6’1 guys who run the gamut of talent from awful to godlike. Thats why 6’1 NBA players are all phenomenal but 7’0 players can be either super good or just mediocre at actual ball skills, because the pool you’re picking from out of 7-footers is much smaller.

Extrapolate to original point: yes there are plenty of 6’1 Filipino dudes, but if you’re picking from a smaller pool to begin with, you’re naturally gonna have fewer chances to genetically hit on all the other talent tools you need. I have no doubt if the Philippines had as many 6’4+ guys as the U.S. that they’d at least be a reasonable pipeline of solid rotation players.

Climbing coconut palm trees without a harness is very common around the world. They do it in the americas, africa, asia and wherever those trees grow.

southeast asians are built to climb, Indonesians are record breakers when it comes to competitive climbing and they’re more or less similar to filipinos but with islam instead of christianity

At least they’re world class boxers 

The pool GOAT? In my basketball subreddit?

Shout out to Rafael Nepomuceno for bowling too!

LOL He’s not that short! He’s about my height, 5’6”-ish.

I’ll be looking for that “Mano po” at the start of the game and at the end.

Otits Jordan

Manong Jordan

Toto Dylan

Yeah and there’s nothing wrong with that. I don’t like people pretending that he doesn’t have a right to claim his heritage though. He’s always recognized that part of him since he was a kid. There are struggles he doesn’t know of at all for sure which can be disappointing, but he is Filipino. Tas yung mga nagsasabi pa yung lalayas naman rin sa bansa if nagka chance.

My uncle bring up Kai Soto every time i see him. He cheeks bro give it up.

Embiid, Olajuwon, and Ewing weren’t born anywhere near the US.

Hot as in in temperature or as in spicy?

normally I wouldn’t care when someone says they’re whatever nationality despite being born and raised in the US but him specifically saying “where I’m from” even though he’s born and raised in NJ is funny

African-American

Ron always had good game. She is a beauty.

His mother taught him basketball and coached him, I think. And when Maria and Ron separated, the kids lived with her so I guess Dylan is just thankful that his Filipino mother stepped up.

If he considers part of his ancestry, culture and identity etc to be from the philippines, then he can say “I’m from there” because that is all part of who he is. It literally is just up to him. It’s not up to you to say if he is from because if it was that’s how you get mixed race people who feel like they belong nowhere.

Also how is the fact he has an NBA father relevant, it sounds like you’re accusing him of larping as a poor filipino boy who immigrated to the USA to chase his dreams but nobody implied that, he’s just talking about his heritage which he is proud to represent.

Because he was in talks to play for Italy so it could have happened.

One of these days someone is going to man up and say to the world “I am the best player in the world and I want the biggest challenge: I want to beat team USA in the Olympics.”