Spin.ph Editor-in-Chief Dodo Catacutan questions the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas for sticking with coach Chot Reyes for the Fiba Basketball World Cup 2023 despite his past shortcomings.
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00:00 A divisive figure is the last thing that we need as a national team.
00:03 Coach Chott is very polarizing.
00:06 Polarizing with the players, polarizing with the fans.
00:09 From the start, our decision-making flowed when it comes to the US program.
00:14 But my point is, there are a lot of people who are saying, "You can switch to Coach Chott."
00:25 There's Tavagwin, there's Tim Cohn, there's a lot of people.
00:30 All the way to Alvinayo or another foreign coach.
00:34 My question is, why Chott in the first place?
00:37 Why Coach Chott in the first place?
00:39 That's what I don't understand.
00:41 Why did we reach the World Cup and it was still Coach Chott calling the shots for the US?
00:47 We've gone through a lot with Coach Chott.
00:51 From the 2018 OCD Les Brawls in the Philippine Arena.
00:58 And even before that, all the way to the SEA Games when we lost to Cambodia.
01:02 What I don't get is why did Coach Chott reach this point?
01:07 And I think that's a reflection of the kind of thinking that the Lucham SBP officials have now.
01:14 And I regretfully, that was one of the worst decisions that they've made.
01:20 In all their times that they were calling the shots for the Philippine basketball.
01:26 Sad to say, I don't know if they were art-worthy or belligerent.
01:33 Did they feel that they were being told to at least Coach Chott.
01:39 So they stood the ground, they stood the file.
01:43 They reached this point.
01:45 My point is, I'm here, Coach Chott is good, we all know Coach Chott can coach.
01:52 But he reached the point where he was a very, very divisive figure.
01:57 A divisive figure is the last thing that we need as a national team.
02:01 Coach Chott is very polarizing.
02:03 Polarizing with the players, polarizing with the fans, polarizing even with the stakeholders.
02:10 He's very angry.
02:11 So we were going to the World Cup, it was a very important event.
02:16 It was an event we aspired to host for almost a decade.
02:21 And we had all the time in the world to prepare for it.
02:25 And why did we reach the point where Coach Chott was?
02:29 I think that is what terribly went wrong.
02:34 From the start, our decision-making flowed when it comes to the U.S. Draft.
02:39 What does that mean?
02:41 That's a reflection on the leadership of the SBP.
02:45 That goes back to them, sadly.
02:48 I have all the respect for all the officials of the SBP.
02:52 You know that.
02:53 They're not there to make money.
02:57 They're not there for the fame.
02:59 I know the officials there, I respect a lot of them.
03:02 They're there for the love of basketball.
03:06 I'm granted that because I can talk to them.
03:10 I don't understand why the decision-making process came to the U.S.
03:16 It's a very important event and I think they blew it.
03:19 We need a major, major, major shake-up to restore the fans' faith in the U.S.
03:27 At the same time, to get the program back on track.
03:31 You know, I don't think, we all know that the SBP program,
03:37 the U.S. program can proceed with short-lived or with anyone involved in that program.
03:42 Let's seize this opportunity to make changes.
03:47 I think this is a rare chance for us to recalibrate the program,
03:52 go back to the drawing boards.
03:55 It's a cliché, but I think that's what we need to do right now.
03:59 I think we should forget the Asian Games for the meantime.
04:03 The more important part is for the SBP and the U.S. program to recalibrate,
04:08 to go back to the drawing boards, and at the same time, track a new path forward.
04:14 And I think it begins with a good program director and a good coach.
04:20 From there, I think things will follow for the national team.
04:23 I hope it happens, and I believe it should happen,
04:26 for us to get the national team program back on track.
04:30 [Music]
04:36 (upbeat music)