Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes expressed regret as the home team’s campaign in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 did not unfold as planned.
Both Reyes and Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas President Al Panlilio had expressed their hope that the national team could secure at least two wins in this World Cup, giving the country a chance to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics in France as the highest-ranked Asian team in the competition.
However, that aspiration gradually faded away with each passing game. Gilas suffered an 87-81 loss to the Dominican Republic on August 25, starting their campaign on a sour note. They faced another setback, losing 80-70 to Angola just two days later, and concluded the group stage with a 90-83 defeat against Italy.
Gilas’ dreams of Olympic qualification through the World Cup were officially extinguished with a wire-to-wire 87-68 defeat to South Sudan in Group M of the classification stage. Earlier in the evening, Japan secured an 86-77 victory over Venezuela, maintaining their grip on the top spot in the Asian nations’ rankings.
Reyes expressed his disappointment, stating, “Again, unfortunate. We knew that this was the game we absolutely had to win because somebody would get the wins. That’s why I’m very, very disappointed. I’m not surprised Japan won.
“That’s why I knew this was the game we really absolutely had to get so there goes our Olympic dreams for now for this World Cup.”
Since replacing Tab Baldwin in early 2022, the term “learning experience” has been associated with Reyes. He used it to explain Gilas’ losses while he was implementing his own program with new players. However, this term has turned into a running joke among fans.
When asked by a journalist if this World Cup was essentially a significant learning experience for his team, Reyes firmly stated that it was not the case.
“No. This was a time for us to win, to execute. The learning was supposed to happen way back. This was a time for us to win and execute. Like I said, we didn’t get the job done,” he said.
“I’ve had (apologized) numerous times. I’ve already said I’m really sorry that we were not able to deliver. I take full accountability. I take full responsibility.”
Doubts have arisen about whether Reyes will continue as the coach of Gilas after this competition. The Asian Games are next on the team’s schedule, and the identity of the individual who will lead the national team in China remains uncertain.
Whoever assumes the role in the future will have the opportunity to work with the nation’s most promising young players.
“For the guys like AJ (Edu), we have a lot of young guys. AJ, Kai (Sotto), Dwight (Ramos) — they definitely grew from this experience and learned a lot. There’s a lot to look forward for those young guys,” said Reyes.
