Since 2018, the Toronto-based Filipino Basketball League of Canada has helped Filipino Canadian players develop their skillsets and seek exposure from college and professional league scouts abroad.
"The Filipino basketball league is a non-profit organization, and acts as an avenue for Filipino Canadians to be able to show their talent and hopefully be discovered," said Michael Cruz, a co-founder and coach of the league.
Cruz, known as "Coach Mike," said he and the co-founders noticed first-hand the rising talent in the junior circuits and saw a need to help players excel at the higher levels. The league's efforts have led to multiple athletic college scholarships and contracts with the Filipino Basketball League (PBA), the Philippines' professional league.
Coach Mike describes basketball as an inseparable quality of Filipino culture, and its passion has been further strengthened by multiple generations of Filipino migrants settling in Canada.
Despite hockey's dominance among young Canadians, cultural differences and the sport's high costs makes it less desirable than basketball for Filipinos, according to coach Mike.
"Between basketball and hockey, basketball is much cheaper," he said. "You don't have to buy so much gear, and ice time is so expensive. Especially for Filipinos, we come here as immigrants, and in our culture we still support our family and relatives back home."
Also, basketball's deep roots within Filipino culture means there's more support and enthusiasm from parents, who immigrate to Canada and "leave their dreams on their children," coach Mike said.
Along with the influence of the Toronto Raptors and the team winning the 2019 NBA Championship, are the play of Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson and upcoming 2021 eligible top-five draft pick Jalen Green. Both players have openly embraced their Filipino heritage, and continue to make names for themselves at each level. Clarkson won the 2021 NBA Sixth Man of the Year award, and Green made history as one of the first high school players to bypass the NCAA completely and sign a professional contract with the NBA's G-League.
Green, particularly, is well-acquainted with coach Mike and the Filipino league. The coaching staff witnessed first-hand the 19-year-old forward in international junior competitions over the years.
"Most of our kids [league players] who went back home [the Philippines] was able to play with Jalen Green, so this would be a good motivation story to tell the Filipino community," said coach Mike.
Coach Mike believes July will be an important month for Filipinos and basketball, with Green about to be selected as the highest Asian-American player ever in the NBA draft and COVID-19 restrictions loosening that would allow league players to return to indoor courts.
Listen to Coach's Mike's interview here: