FIL AM SPORTS HEADED TO DETROIT, MICHIGAN PIBNA 2001  Labor day is just around the corner and here are some updates i'd like to pass along. Basketball is slowly fading away here in our city of Jacksonville.Organizers use to operate three leagues a season. It's been three months and no signs of tournmaent being assembled. This is sad beacause of the fact that the Filipino community in Jacksonville is growing in a rapid pace. I would like to see future basketballers have the same success like Arigo(now with Alaska, PBA), and Brown(now w/ Manila Metrostars MBA). As with Fil Am Sports competing in PIBNA 2001, there's a slight chance were not going. We probably have the same reasons w/ other teams and thats lack of money. Anyone who participated in the game will tell you, it's unforgetable experience. Especially when your team does great like we did last year. We advanced in the championship game against Montreal, Canada. Only to see our twelve point lead disappear because of Montreal's swarming tough defense. That's competion for you. That's the reason why we need to lace up those sneaks and head to Michigan and claim what's righfully ours...THE PIBNA TROPHY...

OUR VERY OWN CESAR BROWN AND TORONTO'S DEAN L...IN MBA!! As I wrote earlier, Filipino American players are rising among Philippines Basketball Association, Philippine Basketball League and MBA. When we arrived in ,Virginia Beach, Virginia for the PIBNA last September 1997, I really had no idea of how the competion was gonna be. At that time, I played on the 5'9" team. This event was held in Old Dominion Unversity. We played our first game, against team Chicago. After that game, we had time to watch our other team play and that's when I had my first glance of Toronto's star player Dean Labayen. He was the first one I noticed for this reason: the guy is hmmm maybe about 6'0" the most but his vertical leap is amazing. As he warmed up, he'd do like a playful reverse dunk, and I was impressed. If you are 6'0" and Fil Am and can jam, you have my attention. Toronto went on to win the Championship that year, but they had to get past Fil Am Sports and our very own Cesar Brown. Mr. Brown left a very good impression for things to come because of what he showed the people of Virginia and the Eastcoast, in short "HE GOT GAME"! Brown had one play last one minute against Chicago. It was a two on one w/ Rich C.(From Maryland)handling the ball. It ended w/ Cesar slamming on the opponents face, and that's when Fil Am Sports was recognized, That this team is out here to represent Florida and we are for real period! September 1 is fast approaching and this means pack your bags coz it's show time in the windy city of CHICAGO. I have a feeling this wont be the same as last year w/ the absence of the two stars a I mentioned above. Brown is playing for Manila Metro Stars and Dean Labayen is playing for Negros Slashers. Yes, they are now PROs just like I predicted! I am almost sure though that the level of competition will remain the same no matter what because there are so many young Fil Ams besides Brown and Toronto's Labayen to take over..