BEYOND THE GAME

By Brian Yalung

The use of naturalized players dates way back to the 1980s. Among the first names that come to mind are Dennis Still, Arthur “Chip” Engelland and Jeff Moore.

Moore recently visited Manila, about the same time when the FIBA World Cup was being held.

Having suited up countless times for the Philippine national squad, the 6-foot-4 cager weighed in on the changes of the game back then and now.

THE GAME HAS CHANGED

During his time with the national squad, Moore went up against the best amateur standouts from other countries. However, that all changed when professionals were officially allowed to represent their country on the world stage.

Moore admits that this has altered the landscape of basketball competitions although it was bound to happen.

“Yes, it’s altered but it’s a natural progression. This what’s going to happen. This is what it is. Dennis (Still), Chip (Engelland) and I were one of the first, if not the first, naturalized citizens that were able to plan on an Olympic or national team that didn’t have to be blood-related. Now, they are everywhere. Once the cat was out of the bag, everybody had the right to do it,” Moore said.

NATURALIZING PLAYERS NEED CAREFUL DELIBERATION

Naturalized players provide big help for countries. However, Moore cautions that the selection process is critical since the wrong choice could hurt the program as a whole.

“I don’t look at it as a bad thing. But at the same time, if you are not careful with how you use naturalized players, it can hurt your program or help your program,” the former NCC player explained.

WHY MOORE, ENGELLAND AND STILL WERE DIFFERENT

Moore went on to stress that he, Engelland and Still lived in the Philippines when they were selected as naturalized players. He believes this was a big reason why that PH national squad rose to the occasion, a cohesive unit he linked to a glove.

“We spent hours, days and years together. We never left. When we went to play outside the Philippines, everyone went and we continued our run,” Moore recalled.

PH TEAM LEFT OTHER FOREIGN TEAMS PUZZLED

A memorable feat that Moore recalls is the 1985 Jones Cup where the Philippines faced and defeated the US team. According to the ex-NCC forward, the team’s discipline and cohesiveness surprised the Americans at the time.

“That’s why it was such a shock to the United States that we were so disciplined and we executed flawlessly. That allowed us to be in the game with talented American players because we knew what we were doing,” he explained.

MOORE’S SUGGESTION FOR PH BASKETBALL

Finally, Moore was asked for his opinion on what he feels is missing in Philippine basketball right now.

“My suggestion is that everybody has got to take a step back, quit blaming everybody, step up and take care of them. Everybody has got a role to play but you got to know and identify what your role is. That’s my suggestion to Philippine basketball,” Moore said.

“Find out what your role is, what you are trying to do and then you go out and do it. What is the time frame? Is it only for each tournament or trying to build something in a year, two years, three years… I don’t know,” he added.