If Tim Cone threw PBA players under the bus after Gilas Pilipinas’ shocking and embarrassing exit from the 20th Asian Games, Commissioner Willie Marcial chose a different tactic: He played victim instead.
Willie Marcial on What Went Wrong
In a statement, the soft‑spoken Marcial said the players were all downtrodden after their unceremonious exit as defending champions—which is to be expected. After all, the national team did go down in humiliating fashion. He then played the victim card, noting how there was nothing the players could’ve done against the tall, talented, extremely well‑prepared Chinese squad, especially without a naturalized player.
“Masakit para sa akin to see that happen. Sobrang sakit at ganun din sa mga players,” Marcial said in the statement. “Pero ano magagawa ng mga players natin, ang tatangkad ng mga Chinese players ngayon, mga shooters pa.”
“There was no crying, pero lahat nakatungo. Halos ayaw ko rin silang tignan, masakit eh. Nakakaawa kasi sila and I salute them for the sacrifices they made and their willingness to serve the country,” he added. “So, nagpapasalamat pa rin ako sa kanila ng husto. Talagang pinaghandaan tayo ng husto ng China. Sayang nga dapat mas nauna yung window ng FIBA World Cup qualifiers kaysa sa Asian Games. Sana hindi ganito. Iba talaga kapag walang naturalized players.”
Well, newsflash, Mr. Marcial: Had you done your homework, you’d know Chinese players really are tall, quick, and good shooters. They’ve been for the longest time, actually.
Like Tim Cone, Willie Marcial Didn’t Man Up
Curiously, like Tim Cone before him, Willie Marcial refused to man up and admit that the PBA was equally at fault for the debacle in Aichi‑Nagoya. There was no “We could’ve done better” or “We should’ve prepared earlier.” There was no “We dropped the ball but we’ll do better next time” or “We should’ve done this and that.”
In short, Willie Marcial didn’t take any responsibility for the national embarrassment that was Gilas Pilipinas in the 20th Asian Games. And, to a man, he and the PBA brass were part of the problem—a big part, in fact. They could’ve formed a team much earlier, knowing fully well that the quadrennial games would be held in 2026. They could’ve recruited Malick Diouf and Ange Kouame as naturalized players. They could’ve reached out to free agent Kai Sotto or tried to find Fil‑Foreigners to reinforce the national team.
Willie Marcial and the PBA could’ve done so much more so much earlier after that miracle in Hangzhou three years ago. They could’ve improved the league itself, switched to the FIBA whistle earlier, and developed real relations with the KBL, Japan B.League, and other leagues in Asia.
They didn’t. And now Willie Marcial has chosen to just play the victim card.
