Introducing - Hoops Paradise: the Philippines' Love of the Game

Episode 1 debuts Tuesday Feb. 21st.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Hey, everyone, it's Cassidy Hubbert from ESPN. In my work,
I spent a lot of time at NBA arenas, and
one of the things I've noticed traveling around the country
and covering the league is that just about anywhere I go,
I bump into fellow Filipino Americans and they're all basketball fans,
and they all follow their NBA teams like their lives

(00:21):
depend on it, and they all called me over to
take about seven thousand selfies together. I grew up around Chicago,
but my mother is from the Philippines, and seeing so
many other phil Ams share my passion for basketball got
me thinking, maybe there's a story behind Filipino's love of
the game. You know, there's religion, there's politics, and there's basketball,

(00:43):
and those the three things you talk about in the Philippines.
So yeah, I didn't even know the half of it,
but I do know somebody who does basketball. Were in Arcione,
who's standing sold the Sonica, My boy Nico Ramos from Titan,

(01:03):
one of the world's most passionate basketball brands, and the
guy who helps Lebron and Katie launched their new kicks.
Whenever those NBA legends fly to Manila, Hey, Cassidy, I
heard you're looking for a Kuya, you know, a big
brother type to guy you down the rabbit hole of
basketball in the Philippines. Together, we have a new podcast
we can't wait to share with you, Hoops Paradise, the

(01:24):
Philippines love of the game, and no joke, the rabbit
hole goes deeper than you'd ever imagine. It's a love
affair with the NBA. It's not just simple fundom. The
general population in the Philippines consider themselves and being fans.
That's the largest percentage AMAL in all countries. Impressive, but

(01:45):
even those numbers don't tell the whole story. When it
comes to our passion for the NBA and basketball in general,
you've got to feel it to understand it. We're talking
about fans who would give up whole days to see
their idols. Pregame routines. There probably three hours before the
tip off. There's ten thousand people there for our warm
up school children who were so excited to see Eric

(02:08):
Spoelstra and the Miami Heat coaching staff that the kids
nearly lost their minds. They got to the point where
Biz and my other sistant, Chad camer We're signing kids foreheads.
They didn't even have pieces of paper, there's nothing to sign.
And the story of how being a basketball player just
about saved the life of Clay Thompson's uncle Andy, Once

(02:28):
upon a time, my heart drops, I think I'm gonna
get kidnapped, and health ransom. It's a basketball love affair
like no other, and we want you to explore it
with us. Listen to Hoops Paradise, the Philippines Love of
the Game, starting February one on the I Heart Radio app,
Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Prosa