Nadurata: NBA made basketball worldwide sport

Rhoel Nadurata, the former cage great and assistant coach of the Powerade-Team Pilipinas, attributed the NBA’s popularity to the emergence of other countries as new basketball powers in the world.

“Impluwensiya na rin siguro ng NBA yan. Naging worldwide na kasi ito," he pointed out. “Unlike before nung time namin, hindi kami basta-basta nakakapanood ng NBA."

Besides Nadurata added, “dati kasi tayo lang ang bansa na naka-focus sa basketball. E, ngayon ang dami na," mentioning countries such as Lebanon, Jordan, Qatar, Syria, Kazakhstan and even Iran as among those beginning to embrace James Naismith’s invention.

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To be honest with you, kailangan talaga natin ng at least dalawang seven footer na yung isa naturalized player for us to get back on top.

– Rhoel Nadurata,
RP Team assistant coach

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Nadurata, Yeng Guiao’s long-time assistant, is the only member of the RP squad to have played in the Olympics, FIBA-Asia championship (known then as the Asian Basketball Championship) and was part of the national team that was barred from playing in the 1963 World Basketball Championship in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“Dapat tayo ang host nun (1963) pero `yung gobyerno natin (under President Diosdado Macapagal) refused to issue visas sa mga players and officials coming from the Socialist countries kaya hindi na natuloy dito." Nadurata, 70, recalled.

FIBA transferred the hosting to Brazil, but not after slapping the country’s basketball federation a $2,000 fine and banning the Filipinos from competing in the fourth edition of the tournament.

But Nadurata did suit up for the country in the 1968 Mexico Olympics and was part of two Asian Games teams, including the last RP quintet to win the Asiad title during the 1962 meet in Bangkok.

At 6-foot-4, Nadurata already played center during his time.

“Pero ngayon iba na," he said, noting how basketball has fully evolved into a global sport. “Mas malalakas na ang katawan ng mga players ngayon. Mas malalaki na sila and natuto na ring maglaro ng husto."

With hesitation, the former University of the East great said he still sees the Philippines reclaiming at least a piece of its former place in Asian basketball landscape provided the country does this one major move.

“To be honest with you, kailangan talaga natin ng at least dalawang seven footer na yung isa naturalized player for us to get back on top," he said.