NBA.com - Pick One Challenge

Just to get into the NBA mood, I am joining NBA.com's PICK ONE CHALLENGE. It is a simplified version of a fantasy league.

Basic Rule:
1. Pick one player per game day based on the teams who will for that day.
2. You get to pick only a particular player once for the whole season.
3. Points = Points + Rebounds + Assists (Double Points for Rookie of the Week)
Rules in Detail

My Team Name is of course HoopsTV-Blogspot. I joined the "my philippines" league consisted of 12 teams including HoopsTV-Blogspot.

My Picks for the Week:

10/31 - Raja Bell
11/01 - Smush Parker
11/02 - Andre Miller
11/03 - Delonte West
11/04 - Stephon Marbury
11/05 - Jordan Farmar

Game Time

After all the countdown videos and anticipation, game day is finally here and we finish off our NBA lookout with a series of videos to get you excited for the season.

Filipino Sets Guinness Dribbling Record

New Record: 45 hours and 22 minutes by Erwin Evangelista of the Philippines

Old Record: 26-hours, 40-minutes by Joseph Odhiambo of Kenya

from the Philippine Star:
Erwin Evangelista outdribbled Cebu’s Rey Gubaton in a marathon duel, bouncing a basketball for 45 hours and 22 minutes and eclipsing the 26-hour, 40-minute feat set by former Kenyan national cager Joseph Odhiambo in the Guinness World Records during the NBA All-Star Weekend in Houston last February. MORE...

Its Tomorrow!!!!! Important NBA Questions

The NBA opens tomorrow and our last funny clip is a collection of short interviews by Ali G. You will get a kick out of this one.

2 Days To Go! English to Spanish

How do you translate "most dominant center ever" in Spanish?

3 Days To Go! Musical Chairs

What if the whole stadium plays this funny kid's game?

4 Days To Go! The Principal's Office

There is something wrong here...

THE ULTIMATE COACH

Article from Christ Commission Fellowship

Who in your opinion is the greatest coach ever and why? Red Auerbach, legendary coach of the fabled Boston Celtics was untouchable with 9 NBA rings. It was only in the past years that Phil Jackson who has coached both the Bulls and Lakers, has managed to tie his record and was on the verge of breaking it until he was derailed by the upstart Detroit Pistons. Larry Brown who eventually won the title, ranks as one of coaches who owns the best winning percentage of a coach who has never won an NBA title, until this year.

What are some of the qualities of a great coach? (Brings out the best in his players, is able to unite his team, can be respected by his players, disciplines his players well, relates well to players and understands them, good motivator).

What do you think would happen if a player suddenly decides that he knows better than his coach and does his own thing on the court? For example, the coach designs his offense in a way where he wants to minimize dribbling and wants sharp and crisp passes to elude the defense and hit the person with the open shot. What if a player decides that he wants to put on a dribbling display to impress the audience and takes the shot in the last 2 seconds of the shot clock without even letting his teammates touch the ball?

Or have you heard of Latrell Sprewell who decided his coach was expendable and started choking him?! Of course, all earthly coaches are fallible and imperfect and we can sometimes struggle to obey them.

However, the Bible talks about a different kind of Coach… More than a coach, He is called the Counselor, the One whom Jesus sent after He ascended into heaven. The Lord said that He, the Holy Spirit was the One who would grant us supernatural power from on high, and would lead us into all Truth.

But there is a big difference-- unlike earthly coaches who are imperfect, and simply formulates strategies and give instructions from the sidelines, the Spirit's presence is WITH US and EMPOWERS US as we step into our earthly hardcourt and play our part in the game of life.

How many of you wished you had more POWER in your life? All of us, I'm sure, but more often than not, it's sad to say, our lives are characterized by this (show a deflated basketball). What can you say about this basketball? What was this basketball meant to do? Would any of you want to practice with this ball? What would happen if you used this ball to practice, or in a game? Notice that no matter how expensive the material you use to produce this basketball, WITHOUT air, it will be of no use at all. So it is with our lives. Jesus Christ himself says, "I am the Vine, you are the branches. Apart from Me, you can do nothing."(John 15:5).

The Bible further commands us not to be drunk with wine but to "be filled with the Spirit."(Ephesians 5:18). Do you sometimes feel frustrated when you want to do something that you know is right, but oftentimes, end up doing the opposite? Do you lose your temper, abandon self-control, or sometimes are overcome by your own lustful desires? Do you sometimes feel enslaved by habitual sins or struggle with bitterness? As the saying goes, "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak."

It has been said that "The Christian life is not difficult to live-- it is impossible." But frustration and defeat need not characterize our lives. We can actually draw upon the infinite resources that God has for us to live the Christian life.

A few years ago, a hurricane hit a certain part of the United States, which left the town devastated. Homes were destroyed, cars flew away from the force of the winds, trees were uprooted and telephone poles went down. After the calamity had left, investigators searched the rubble and wreckage, and they were surprised to find a very curious sight. A strand of hay was found to have pierced and was lodged inside a rugged and seemingly impenetrable telephone pole. Investigators were clueless and awe-struck as they sought to figure out this mystery. It was only later when they realized what had truly happened-- the incredible force of the hurricane's howling winds propelled the small, insignificant piece of limp hay right into the solid trunk of the telephone pole.

This is a picture of what our lives can be, if fully submitted to the strength and influence of the Holy Spirit. Though we may sometimes feel weak and insignificant, when controlled by the power of God's Holy Spirit, we can "do even greater things" than what Jesus said He Himself has done.

If you want to learn to live the abundant and fruitful life that God designed you to live, it's as simple as breathing: What are the two components of spiritual breathing? Exhale and Inhale.

When we EXHALE, we let out the impure. What we are actually doing is confessing our sins-- remember our last lesson? Deal with sin in your life because God cannot fill a dirty vessel. If the cup of your life is filled with mud, God won't be able to fill it with sparkling clean and refreshing water.

What does INHALING involve? When we inhale, we are asking the Holy Spirit to fill our lives. Being filled with the Holy Spirit does not mean that you have "this much" of the Holy Spirit. In reality, it means how much of the Holy Spirit has of YOU!!!

Right now, if you are tired of living this kind of a powerless life (show deflated basketball), and wish to live this kind of a life (bounce an inflated basketball), and you want to be useful for the Lord and His kingdom, I want to invite you to surrender the control of your life to the Holy Spirit. You can do that by expressing something like this:

Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that I have been in control of my own life, and as a result, I have sinned against you. But I am tired of my powerless and aimless life. I realize that apart from You, I can do nothing, and I am nothing. I want to surrender the control of my life to you, and ask you to be my Head Coach. I trust that you have the best plans for me, and that only you can enable me to live the life that you have designed for me to live. I ask your Holy Spirit to fill and empower me, just as you commanded me to be filled, and promised to fill me if I asked in faith. I pray all these things in the Name of Jesus, Amen.

If you asked the Holy Spirit to fill your life today, you will experience more and more of His presence and power in your life. The Bible says that "God has given us a Spirit of love, of power and of a sound mind"(2 Tim 1:7), and "the fruit of the Holy Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."(Galatians 5:22-23). This kind of genuine power will manifest itself in your life more and more as you learn to walk with God daily in your life!

5 Days To Go! C'mon Knicks

Here is a funny Knicks commercial, showing Tennis legend, John McEnroe, pumping up New York's Quentin Richardson to play harder. The commercial was done last year during the brief stay of Larry Brown.

6 Days To Go! Teaching Nutrition to Cartoons

In this video segment, Steve Francis teaches about healthy eating on the Cartoon Network!

7 Days To Go! It's Back To NBA School Everyone

This commercial was obviously made before Lebron James has actually made the playoffs. Lebron makes fun of himself and the dilemma of the Cavaliers at that time.

8 Days To Go! Garnett vs Everybody

This is a video showing Kevin Garnett against the whole town! And yes something a little bit more...

9 Days To Go! How You Say That

Before the season starts, you may want to know how to pronounce some of the names certain NBA players. Here is a game cooked up between Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith to teach you some hard to pronounce names of certain players.

10 Days to go: Pick Your Team Mates

A backyard basketball game usually starts with picking your team mates for the game. He might have been picked number 3 in the NBA draft but it's a whole new ball game when it comes to your friendly neighborhood rivals!

Announcement: 10 Day NBA FUNNY Countdown

Starting tomorrow we will countdown the days to the opening of the NBA's regular season games. Unlike other countdowns, we will show funny videos of the NBA so stay tune tommorrow for the start of this feature! (Image from of mommytoo at Stock.XCHNG)

CONFESSION

Article from Christ Commission Fellowship

In the movie Troy, one of the main characters in the movie is Achilles, reputed to be the greatest warrior in the world. Achilles, played by Brad Pitt was a legend in his time. He defeated ominous giants with a single blow and could single-handedly slay an army of Trojan soldiers with impunity. Just the mere mention of his name struck fear in the hearts of his enemies. He seemed invincible, but Achilles had one weakness. Legend has it that when his mother dipped him in the River of Immortality as an infant, she held him by the heel, which left it vulnerable. And as you saw in the movie, the arrow that pierced his heel was what eventually caused his unlikely death. Hence we have the term, "Achilles' heel."

What about you? How many of you have weaknesses in your life? Well, welcome to the club! Obviously, none of us have achieved perfection, and we fall flat in our face many times, and for most of us, we fail over and over again. Weakness is not an option, it's a given.

So the more important question we need to ask is not if we have a weakness, but how do we deal with it? What do you suppose would happen to a good player if after his coach corrects him and shows him areas he needs to improve, still refuses to work on his game. He will start becoming less and less effective as a player for the team. The opponents will take advantage of his weaknesses. His coach will give him less and less playing time, because he has become a liability to the team, until someone takes his place on the court, and he starts riding the bench. Eventually, he may be cut from the team completely.

How many of us want to be either benchwarmers of losers? Obviously no one, and in the game we call life, we must also deal with weaknesses or imperfections in our life. The bible calls it a 3-letter word-- SIN. Sin literally means, "missing the mark."

Remember what we discussed last week, about how we can have CONFIDENCE because of what Christ has done for us on the cross? That our security and permanent relationship depends on the victory He won for us when we accepted His payment for our sins? But sometimes, even though we are sincerely seeking to walk with the Lord and please Him, we can be tempted and end up sinning. When this happens, our relationship with God is unaffected, but our fellowship with God is broken.

For example, a son decides one day to disobey his father, to leaves the safety of their home. Would he still be his father's son? (Yes, of course). The relationship of the father and son remains, no matter what happens. But what would happen to their fellowship? (It would be strained, broken, hindered). What would be the consequences for the son? (Even though the father still loves him, the son won't be able to experience the benefits of the father's love. He can't live in the father's home nor enjoy his provision and protection, even though the father may want to make it available to him.)

So it is with our relationship with God! The moment we received Jesus Christ into our hearts, we are adopted into God's family, not because of any good thing we have done but because of the Name of Jesus.

But we need to deal with sin in our lives, or we may become like the player who becomes ineffective and unproductive for his team and coach, or like Achilles who met his downfall because of his vulnerability.

The Bible says: " He who conceals his sin will not prosper."
Its also says, "If we confess our sins, He is just and faithful to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."(1 John 1:9)

Confession involves 3 things:
1) Agree 2) Thank 3) Repent

Agree with God that what He has revealed to you as sin IS SIN. Don' rationalize or justify but acknowledge. (The Greek translation of the word confess means "to say the same thing.")

Thank God that He has forgiven all your sins, past, present and future because of what Jesus Christ has done on the cross-- His blood is the only currency God accepts as payment for your sin.

Repent- A change of attitude about the sin, which results in a change of action. It's a 180-degree turn and a sincere desire to turn away from that sin because it displeases God.

Right now, I'd like to give a chance to all of you who want to take some time to confess and acknowledge sin in your life to God. Maybe the Holy Spirit has spoken to your heart and you want to surrender areas of your life or secret sins that you may be harboring. Now is the time to make it right. Humble yourself and ask for the Lord's cleansing in your life. Experience the depth of His love by asking for His forgiveness.

----------------
Psalm 103:1-5
Praise the LORD, O my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

Praise the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits-

who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,

who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,

who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

-----------------
Psalm 103:8-13
The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.

He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;

he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;

as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

Video Links of Japeth Winning the WKU Dunk Contest

Japeth Aguilar has recently won the WKU Dunk Contests and here are links to the videos of his performance. Videos are from condray of Hilltopper Haven Message Board (You get to see more dunks by clicking the link).

Dunk 1

Dunk 2

Dunk 3

Dirty Tricks on the Court

I have no problem with tough physical defense since basketball is a physical game after all. It is a game of endurance and physical conditioning and not only of skill. Yes such tough physical defense at times do result in heated moments among players but those things are unintentional. This is highly different from a team that wants to hurt their opponents to destroy their game. Playing tough physical defense is different from being downright dirty! READ MORE

Adam Morrison Commercials

I have here two commercials of colorful rookie Adam Morrison of Gonzaga. The first one is an unused ad for EA Sports while the other is about him crying in the NCAA tournament.





Here is Adam Morrison's inspiring story.

Writer for Hire

I adore the game of basketball and I love writing about it as well. I have written for different websites about the game and in case you need a writer for your own site. magazine or newspaper, send me an email with your requirements. If you want to see some of my sample writings, click on the links below.

HoopsTV Articles:
From the Clutches of Defeat
The Coach’s Playbook
The Impossible
The Man with the Whistle
The Law of Respect
Glenn McDonald: The Greatest Common Factor

Philippine Basketball Blog Articles:
The Hunting Game
UAAP-NCAA Merger: Deal or No Deal
To PBL or not to PBL? That is the Question!
College Flavored PBA
Are upsets good for the CCL?
PBA Weekly Astig Rankings - Week 1
Best and Worst Basketball Rules

Game Face Articles

Net Dunks The Ball

This is such an amazing shot with the player doing a back shot and then the net seemingly slamming the ball!

PBA Goes Back to School and More Ts to Come

In my new articles at Hoops-Blink, I talk about the school affilations of different ball clubs in the PBA these days. Missing the UAAP or the NCAA, maybe you want to check out the PBA and look for your school there. Read More...

The NBA is also in the news. The league is now trying to fix things that are not broke. First they tinkered with the ball and now they are setting their sights on pampering referees. Click Here

CONFIDENCE ON THE COURT

Article from Christ Commission Fellowship

Who is the most confident player you know? Many of us know about Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, but in the 80’s, an incredible player named Larry Bird from a small town in Indiana overcame the odds to become one of the greatest players in the NBA ever. Magic Johnson called him “the only player I really fear.” He was a white player who dominated the game with his confident and almost even cocky attitude. During down the wire games, he always wanted the ball in his hands for the game winning shot, and he would even describe to the player guarding him how he would score over him and actually do it! He also won the first three All-star 3 point shoot out and was known to have commented about his opponents; “I don’t know why they bother showing up, I’m going to win this contest anyway.”

How important do you think confidence is for a player?

What are the consequences of not having confidence when you are playing the game? (Is it enjoyable? Are you able to perform to your fullest potential?)

How do you develop confidence as a player?

Confidence plays a key role in basketball and sports in general. It is an element that is important in every facet of the game. For example, can your teammates have confidence in you? If they lose their man in a pick and roll, can they have confidence that you will switch for them? Can they trust you that you will pass the ball if they are open and in better scoring position? How about your coach, can they have confidence that you will do your best with what is expected of you when he puts you in the game?

Just as confidence plays a major role in your excellence as a player and team, it is also vital in your relationship with God. If you don’t have confidence in your relationship with God and know that He fully loves and accepts you as you are, you wont be able to live the abundant Christian life. Last week, we talked about the 4 Quarters of Life.

Have you made that decision to sign the contract and be part of God’s winning team? If you’ve done that, then you can be confident that when your time is up and final buzzer of your life sounds, you will spend eternity with God in heaven!

Let me ask you, what should be the basis of our confidence? Is it our good works? Most of us think that at the end of our life, if our good works outweigh our bad works, then God will let us into heaven. If the opposite is true then we will go to Hell. right? The Bible never says anything like this! Because our good works do not deserve a reward, they are our OBLIGATION! If a player attends practice for his team, does the coach pay him every time he attends practice? Does he pay for his dinner because he dives for the loose ball? No, that’s his job!

In the same way, confidence of our eternal destiny should not depend on our good works, because that is not the basis of our security. In fact, the bible says that “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags.”(Isaiah 64:6). It further declares what should be the basis of our forgiveness. Ephesians 2:8-9 declares, “For it is by GRACE you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves. It is a gift of God, not as a result of works so that no one can boast.” Grace literally means undeserved gift or unmerited favor. It is because of God’s mercy and love that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ to die on the cross in our place.

CCF Sports - Badminton

Two Improbable Finishes

Reggie Miller did it in the 90s and T-Mac did it for this generation. Finishes that should have signaled defeat for their teams and yet still making an improbable comeback.

Reggie Miller's 8 point outburst - It was the Eastern conference playoffs and the Knicks were leading by 6 points with only 18.7 ticks left. Miraculously, Miller will score eight successive points in that stretch to get a win for the Pacers. Here is a short video of the his two successive threes to tie the game.




McGrady 13 points in 35 seconds - Now this is a feat I couldn't do even if I am all alone in a gym.



Please read the following articles as it reflects upon how incredible finishes in sports are life lessons for us.

The Impossible
From the Clutches of Defeat

CCL Upsets and PBA Rankings

The Hoops-Blink Philippine Basketball blog is going full steam ahead and this time, I have two posts for the day.

Last night, Basketball TV showed two upsets in the Collegiate Champion's League when Adamson lost to University of Visayas and UAAP champion UST bowed to the JRU Heavy Bombers. My article talks about the possible implications of upsets in a league like the CCL. Is it good or bad for the league? Read More Here

In my weekly PBA Astig Rankings, I had Ginebra at number 1 which is a no brainer after blasting off their first two opponents. The surprise though is having Sta. Lucia at the top four and then defending champs, Purefoods, near the bottom of the powers that be. Go to the list now.

Announcement

I would just like to announce that I now also post at the Hoops.Blink.ph blog. This blog is also about basketball and has great discussions about the serious and not so serious side of the sport we all love.

My first two posts are already online and you can view them.

The first post talks about two basketball rules that I think have a great effect on the game. The best rule for me that was done in recent memory is the 8-second violation rule. A rule that necessitated an offensive player to hurry-up down court. It is a great rule to speed up the game. The worst rule meanwhile is the possession arrow rule now used in the amateurs and I hope would not be implemented in the pros. Read more here...

My next post is the recent innovation being mulled by the Cleveland Cavaliers that will do away with paper tickets. Again go here to read some of my thoughts.

Vince Carter at Rucker Park

It was the day Vince Carter visited Rucker Park. Little did he know that a small challenge awaits him.

PBA Champions Through The Years

1975
All-Filipino - Toyota
Open - Toyota
Reinforced - Crispa

1976
All-Filipino - Crispa
Open - Crispa
Reinforced - Crispa

1977
All-Filipino - Crispa
Open - Crispa
Reinforced - Toyota

1978
All-Filipino - Toyota
Open - U-Tex
Invitationals - Toyota

1979
All-Filipino - Crispa
Open - Royal
Invitationals - Toyota

1980
Open - U-Tex
Invitationals - Nicholas Stoodley (USA)
All-Filipino - Crispa

1981
Open - Toyota
Reinforced - Crispa

1982
Reinforced Filipino - Toyota
Invitationals - San Miguel
Open - Toyota

1983
All-Filipino - Crispa
Reinforced Filipino - Crispa
Open - Crispa

1984
All-Filipino (1) Crispa
All-Filipino (2) Great Taste
Invitationals - Great Taste

1985
Open - Great Taste
All-Filipino - Great Taste
Reinforced - Northern Cement Consolidated

1986
Reinforced - Tanduay
All-Filipino - Tanduay
Open - Ginebra

1987
Open - Tanduay
All-Filipino - Great Taste
Reinforced - San Miguel

1990
First Conference - Shell
All-Filipino - Presto
Third Conference - Purefoods

1991
First Conference - Ginebra
All-Filipino - Purefoods
Third Conference - Alaska

1992
First Conference - Shell
All-Filipino - San Miguel
Third Conference - Swift

1993
All-Filipino - Coney Island
Commissioner's Cup - Swift
Governor’s Cup - San Miguel

1994
All-Filipino - San Miguel
Commissioner's Cup - Purefoods
Governor’s Cup - Alaska

1995
All-Filipino - Sunkist
Commissioner's Cup - Sunkist
Governor’s Cup - Alaska

1996
All-Filipino - Alaska
Commissioner's Cup - Alaska
Governor’s Cup - Alaska

1997
All-Filipino - Purefoods
Commissioner's Cup - Gordon's Gin
Governor’s Cup - Alaska

1998
All-Filipino - Alaska
Commissioner's Cup - Alaska
Centennial Cup - Mobiline

1999
All-Filipino - Shell
Commissioner's Cup - San Miguel
Governor’s Cup - San Miguel

2000
All-Filipino - Alaska
Commissioner's Cup - San Miguel
Governor’s Cup - San Miguel

2001
All-Filipino - San Miguel
Commissioner's Cup - Red Bull
Governor’s Cup - Sta. Lucia

2002
Governor’s Cup - Purefoods
Commissioner's Cup - Red Bull
All-Filipino - Coca-Cola

2003
All-Filipino - Talk N' Text
Invitationals - Alaska
Reinforced - Coca-Cola

2003
All-Filipino - Talk N' Text
Invitationals - Alaska
Reinforced - Coca-Cola
Fiesta Cup - Barangay Ginebra

2004-05
Philippine Cup - Barangay Ginebra
Fiesta Cup - San Miguel

2005-06
Fiesta Cup - Red Bull
Philippine Cup - Purefoods

2006 - 07
Philippine Cup - Barangay Ginebra
Fiesta Cup - Alaska Milk

Source: Wikipedia

Note: If you see inaccuracies in this post please point it out to us by using the comments section. Thank You.

PBA Great Moments: the 1989 All-Star Game

PBA legends Sonny Jaworski and Mon Fernandez had a great feud during the 1980s when they parted ways from the powerhouse team Toyota Tamaraws. In 1989 , the PBA showcased an All-Star Game that will showcase the new era of Patrimonio, Lastimosa, etc., against the veterans like Fernandez and Jaworski. The two enemies played together again after several years. What followed suit was a classic PBA Moment.

Another Backboard Breaker

Here is another backboard breaking dunk. We have featured similar dunks from Shaq and Darvin Ham in the past.



See More Here:

Shaq Destroys the Basket
Darvin Ham Breaks the Glass

THE FOUR QUARTERS OF LIFE

Note: The following is an article from Christ Commission Fellowship.

Every head coach plans to win games and championships with his team. He wants to bring out the best in his players, both individually and as a single unit. In life, God is our Great Head Coach and He wants you to be the best that you can be and win in the Game of Life!

Today, I want to share with you 4 very simple principles that will enable you to make the most out of life and be a winner on and off the court. This is the Four Quarters of Life.

The First Quarter talks about GOD’S GAME PLAN. The Bible says that His plan for you is not to perish but have eternal life. In fact, the Bible says that He made the ultimate sacrifice by sending His Son, Jesus Christ so you could have this everlasting life. Jesus Himself echoed the Father’s game plan when He said, “ I came that you might have life, and might have it more abundantly (that it might be full and meaningful). John 10:10. But the Bible also says, “The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy…”. Just like your opponent wants to steal the ball from you to prevent you from scoring, the devil wants to stop you from experiencing God’s wonderful game plan—and to some extent, he has already succeeded.

The Second Quarter tells us that YOU AND I HAVE FOULED OUT IN THE GAME OF LIFE. How many of you have fouled out even before halftime? Coaches will tell us that the best way to play defense is by moving your feet and constantly staying in front of your man. But inexperienced players will almost always be unable to resist the temptation to go for the ball with their hands and end up hacking their opponents arm and be called for one foul after another.

You and I have fouled out in the Game of Life because of SIN—the Bible tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of God’s standards…(Rom. 3:23).Do you know where the word sin originally comes from? It was a term coined through the sport of archery. Every time the archer fails to hit the bulls-eye, that is considered SIN. Now, how many of us have hit the bulls-eye every time with every single thing we have done in life? Welcome to the club! All of us have sinned and fouled out of the game of life, and the Bible further states that “the wages of sin is death.(or separation from God)”(Rom. 6:23). Not only have we fouled out from the game, we have been ejected from the playing court, just like Adam and Eve were sent out of the Garden of Eden after they had sinned against God.

What usually happens at the halftime dugout of the coach who has fallen behind in the game? The head coach uses this time to regroup. And one of the signs of a great coach is one who can regroup in the middle of a game and work out a surprise strategy that will catch the other team off guard so as to pull of the unlikely victory.

The Third Quarter says that God has sent in JESUS CHRIST AS OUR PERFECT SUBSTITUTE in the game of Life, and through Him, we can again experience God’s Game plan for our lives. Whenever a player is called by his coach to enter the game and replace a teammate, what sign does he use to communicate it to the table officials? He crosses his arms and says he wants to take the place of his teammate, right? This symbol is done by all athletes everywhere in the world, but we often don’t realize that when we do this, it is the real SIGN OF THE CROSS. This is to remind us that Jesus Christ is our PERFECT SUBSITUTE because He died on the cross for our sins—in our place! Just like in basketball where we receive a penalty for 5 fouls—disqualification, Jesus Christ came into the game for us in a most unexpected move by the wisest Head Coach-- and went to the cross to pay the penalty of our sin as OUR SUBSTITUTE.

Jesus Himself said, “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through Me.”(John 14:6). And Jesus further emphasizes that He is our SOLE or ONLY SUBSTITUTE.

Any team that wants to win knows that they cannot play well for 3 quarters and stop playing in the fourth quarter. That is why they call it “the payoff period,” because this is where one wins or loses the game. In the same way, it would be useless for us to know about the first 3 quarters of life and ignore the 4th quarter, which is probably the most important quarter of all.

The Fourth Quarter says that we must make the decision to ACCEPT GOD’S TERMS AND SIGN THE CONTRACT to be part of God’s winning team. Unless we do this, we will never be able to experience God’s game plan for our lives.

All of us have heard about young athletes of today, many of them untested, and yet, are offered multi-million dollar contracts and endorsement deals even before they get to play a single game in the NBA! We are all witness to how families celebrate and shed tears of joy, because once their child signs the contract, they are set for life! More money that you can spend, dream cars, houses, vacations, clothes and everything their heart may desire. If an NBA scout were to visit our league and saw you playing and thought you’d be good enough to play in the NBA and offered you a fat multi-million dollar contract with perks and bonuses you never dreamed of, would you take it? Or would you say, “let me think about it first,” or “I’m busy, why don’t you come back next year?”

I can imagine you would be willing to use even your own blood to sign that contract if you had to! In the same way, God is offering you a contract of accepting Jesus Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross as final payment for your sins, and through this, you will receive every spiritual blessing imaginable that will far outweigh any earthly contract can offer you. He is offering to sign you up for His Winning Team, but the decision is yours. Will you do it? Even the best passer in the world like Jason Kidd will not be credited for an assist if his teammates refuse to catch the ball and shoot it. In other words, the ball is in YOUR COURT. Unless you make that move and sign the contract, everything that He offers you will be useless—you won’t be able to experience its benefits.

At this point, some of you are saying, hey, this really makes sense to me. I’m not sure if I have already made that personal decision to sign that contract and acknowledge Jesus as the Perfect Substitute for my sins. For those of you who want to do that, I will say a short and simple prayer right now and you can follow with me, talking to God from your heart. Let’s pray…

Lord Jesus, I need you. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I acknowledge that you are my perfect Substitute who died on the cross and paid the penalty for my sins. I ask you to come into my life. I want you to be my Head coach, and turn over the control of my life to you. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Thank you for making me part of Your Winning Team. Grant me the strength to live the kind of life you want me to live. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

If you prayed that prayer, then I have good news for you! Not only have you been drafted into God’s Victorious team, but you are also the MVP! Something is worth only as much as somebody is willing to pay for it, right? How much did it cost God to pay for your sins and redeem your soul from Satan? It cost Him the life of His Son. It cost Him the Blood of Jesus! That is what YOU are worth to God, His MOST VALUED POSSESSION. You are worth to God the very life of His Son, Jesus Christ, and this should be your main motivation to live for Him, whether it is on or off the court. Do everything for God’s honor and glory! LET’S PLAY BASKETBALL!!!!!!

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Congratulations UST Growling Tigers!!!!!!

The UST Growling Tigers won the UAAP Season 69 Senior's Basketball crown 76-74 in overtime. Here is our congratulatory graphic and please stay tune to this post as we will add here any videos that we can find about the UST victory.

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Videos

Regulation:


Overtime:

UAAP Champion's Database Update!