New Zealand veteran head coach Tab Baldwin who mentored the Philippine national basketball team gives a stern warning for Tony Parker, one of Europe’s most popular international player four months before his formidable France team set foot in Manila for the Olympic Qualifying tournament.
According to Tab Baldwin, the warm welcome of the Filipinos will be hellacious. Despite the fact that Tony Parker is one of the most well-loved basketball star all over the world, the four-time NBA champion could face a hostile crowd in the basketball-crazy country, the Philippines.
In an interview with the media, the Gilas head coach was quoted as saying “We will welcome him to Manila and I hope the kababayans welcome him in a way that only the Filipino fans can welcome an opposing player. And a player who will be — in that situation when we play them — very much disliked in this country,” Baldwin told reporters.
France is considered as the team to beat in the Philippine edition of the Olympics Qualifiers which will feature some of the most popular international players in the NBA.
The two-time FIBA Europe Player of the Year, Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs will be Gilas Pilipinas’ top priority on the defensive end and the way Baldwin sees it, to the sport’s most passionate fans, he could very well be the Filipinos’ public enemy No. 1 during game time.
The Gilas head coach added further that “The day after we can love Tony for the all the wonderful things that he is and has given to the game of basketball and he represents. But on that day he could possibly be public enemy No. 1. And if a hundred million fans denote him as public enemy no. 1 then he should have a relatively uncomfortable day.”
