On this day 10 years ago, Gilas broke the Korean curse.
Whenever casual fans talk about the 2013 Gilas Pilipinas team, the overwhelming subtopics are often Jimmy Alapag’s heroics, Jayson Castro’s blinding speed, and Marc Pingris playing through an injured ankle to anchor the team defensively against South Korea in the FIBA Asia Championship semifinals.
It is understandable. The three formed the Gilas core, which also made heads turn in the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain.
But what some tend to forget was Marcus Douthit, the naturalized player who is Filipino in more ways than one. To say that he gave his all for the national team is an understatement. He was a pioneer. He was the program's first naturalized player, and he more than proved that he deserved that spot.
On this day 10 years ago, that Gilas team led by Douthit broke the “Korean curse” with a thrilling 86-79 win over perennial tormentors South Korea in the FIBA Asia Championship at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Douthit averaged team-highs of 11.9 points and 9.4 rebounds in that tournament, where the Philippines sealed a return trip to the World Cup after four decades. To an extent, that win paved the way for a second consecutive trip to the World Cup in 2019 and laid the foundations of the country's hosting this year.
The amiable, soft-spoken big man didn’t play in the gold-medal game against Iran due to an injury, though.
On social media X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, the man Filipino basketball fans fondly call "Kuya Marcus" reposted a throwback photo of him standing outside the MOA Arena after that pulsating game against the Koreans.
In a comment, @nikorasu_san expressed his gratitude to the 6-foot-11 center.
“The real ones will never forget you, dude. Thanks for repping [the Philippines],” he said.
X user @_gb84 even suggested that Douthit train Gilas' young bigs like Kai Sotto and AJ Edu.
“I think you can train Kai,” the user said.
But @franciscarreon9 may have said it best: "Never forget."
Indeed, Douthit played a big role in Philippine basketball’s resurgence. And it is only right to pay homage.
(MDB)