Nearly twenty years after he first got acquainted with Philippine basketball, American writer and Pacific Rims author Rafe Bartholomew returns to reflect on how the game—and the culture around it—has evolved. In this episode of Teka Teka hosted by Jaemark Tordecilla, Rafe talks about the Ateneo–La Salle rivalry that first drew him into the country’s hoops scene, the debate over foreign student-athletes, and how the Philippines has long blurred the line between amateur and professional play. He also weighs in on the rise of influencer basketball and the global opportunities now open to Filipino players. More than a conversation about sports, it’s a deep dive into why basketball remains the Philippines’ enduring national love affair.

This episode was engineered by Anthony Tobias.

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Hear more from Rafe in The Global Bounce podcast, which he hosted for PumaPodcast in 2023.

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