Over a month has passed since Phenom Bluefire captured the imagination of fans with their unforgettable run at the 2025 Smart National Basketball Training Center National Finals.
What began as a longshot journey from the wild card tournament ended with the Pasay-based squad standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the nation’s best young teams on the grand stage of the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
Led by UAAP MVP Kieffer Alas, Phenom Bluefire had to claw their way through the final wild card tourney just to earn a spot in the national competition. But once in, they didn’t just belong — they dominated.
They stunned higher-seeded teams one by one: AGCCI (79-66), Chrisveil Sports (69-66), USPF (91-81), and UST (89-72).
That remarkable string of wins made Phenom the first-ever wildcard team to advance to the NBTC gold medal match.
“It was a very good experience for our program — just to show that we can hang in there with everyone, both overseas and locally. We’re the first wildcard to make it all the way to the national finals,” said Phenom Championship Clinic founder Anton Brodett.
“Twelve games in 14 days is no joke. Phenom is a brand now, and we take pride in having that underdog mentality.”
That magical run, however, ended in heartbreak, as Phenom fell just short in the championship game against defending titleholders Fil-Am Nation, 64-59.
It was a bitter pill to swallow, but for Brodett, it was also a learning moment.
“We need more preparation. We only had a week to prepare and just three full days of practice due to the players’ schedules. We had to adjust — our players came from different teams and programs,” he shared.
“But our preparation for 2026 has already begun. I’ve been on the phone non-stop.”
Experience proved to be both a blessing and a challenge for Phenom. While their talent was undeniable, the lack of preparation time became a critical factor in the tightly contested championship match.
Now, with the lessons of 2025 etched in their memory, Phenom is wasting no time in reloading for 2026.
In the ever-evolving landscape of youth basketball, having access to talent at all levels is crucial.
This has become even more important with the introduction of the NBTC’s Manila Live tournament, which caters to multiple age groups.
With that in mind, Brodett has teamed up with Got Skills founder Allen Ricardo to expand Phenom’s scouting and development network — both locally and internationally.
“We’re more excited to take this as a challenge — preparing this early and identifying who will make up the next batch,” Brodett said. “Half of the team will stay, and we need to figure out if the other half will still fit. The coaches and management are intact, and we’re looking forward to 2026.
“We’re also filling all age brackets for Manila Live next year, so you could say we’re going all out.”
That all-out approach is driven not just by the hunger to win, but by the mission to build something sustainable.
The magic of 2025 may be in the rearview mirror, but for Phenom Bluefire, the fire can only burn brighter.
