Gilas, Boomers to revisit infamous brawl

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Gilas, Boomers to revisit infamous brawl image

Photo by PET SALVADOR / AFP via Getty Images

By Art Ramirez

The date July 2, 2018 was a dark day for not just Philippine basketball but also for Australia.

It was in this day where Gilas Pilipinas and the Boomers got involved in a nasty brawl during their FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers at the Philippine Arena, scenes of which still reverberates eight years after.

Here are the eight unforgettable moments from that infamous date in basketball history

Daniel Kickert striking RR Pogoy

Photo by George Calvelo/NurPhoto via Getty Images

The brawl began with 4:01 left in the third quarter with Gilas Pilipinas down, 79-48, when action on the court became too physical when Chris Goulding and Pogoy were pushing each other twice. Goulding fell down to the ground, prompting Kickert to retaliate by shoving Pogoy, and triggering the free-for-all.

‘The Blur’ retaliating with a punch

Photo by George Calvelo/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Perhaps the most shocking thing about the incident was Jayson Castro getting involved in the fight by jumping into Kickert and throwing a punch in obvious retaliation to what the Australian did to Pogoy, who is also his teammate at TNT. Usually mild-mannered, Castro’s action is a reflection of the gravity of the incident.

Thon Maker flying kick

Photo by George Calvelo/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Moments after the Kickert hit, other Boomers and Gilas players joined the fracas, pushing, shoving, and throwing punches at each other. One memorable moment in the brawl was also the one that didn’t connect. Thon Maker, who at that time was an NBA player for the Milwaukee Bucks, was seen delivering a flying kick at Terrence Romeo during the skirmish at the court, missing Romeo by a few inches.

The selfie

As referees sorted things out after the brawl, one moment that also caught the attention of many was the selfie that former Gilas Pilipinas player Marc Pingris did on the floor with a couple of members of the team. He drew flak from posting the photo on his social media account, and later apologized for his action.

Court decals being removed

A storm has been brewing prior to the match when Australia players were caught removing advertisement decals at the Philippine Arena court during practice, citing safety issues. The move caused a stir that even Manny V. Pangilinan posted a video of the incident, which he obviously didn’t take lightly.

Gilas left with three players

Following the review of the incident, nine Gilas Pilipinas players were ejected from the game due to their participation in the brawl, and leaving the bench in Terrence Romeo, Jayson Castro, Calvin Abueva, Andray Blatche, Roger Pogoy, Troy Rosario, Japeth Aguilar, and Carl Bryan Cruz. That left Gilas with only three players in June Mar Fajardo, Gabe Norwood, and Baser Amer. Play continued afterwards but it was apparent that Gilas Pilipinas wanted the game to be done. Fajardo and Norwood later fouled out intentionally, and the match was abandoned.

Jong Uichico throwing punches

A surprising party to the brawl was Gilas Pilipinas assistant coach Jong Uichico. Usually calm like Castro, Uichico was also spotted throwing a chair and punching Goulding under the basket in footages of the incident. Uichico apologized but didn’t escape the wrath of FIBA as he was suspended for three games.

Jio Jalalon suckerpunch

It was the punch heard around the world when Jio Jalalon, a reserve player from that Gilas Pilipinas team, was caught in a photo by SPIN.ph’s Jerome Ascano doing such against an unsuspecting Nate Sobey, who was only there to break up the fight. Sobey was visibly staggered as he returned to the bench. The photo also became reached the front page of Australia newspapers, the image of which becoming the representation of the unfortunate incident.

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