The Heart of Winning.

THE SAN BEDA SUPER SIX

Winning is everything. We hear players throw this around all the time. But whether they mean it or not, winning does feel good. Really, really good.

This leads us to a common question: what does it take to win in basketball? It’s a fair query. All players (at least, I’d like to assume) have pondered upon what they have to do to win games. That’s the first step – knowing what it takes. However, I think the better question is: what does it take to not lose?

I believe winning basketball starts from a disgust for losing. This feeling creates a drive to overcome defeat. It generates an urgency to win. And that’s what we saw from San Beda against Arellano.

After the infamous brawl between the San Sebastian Volleyball Team and the San Beda Basketball Team, more than half of the Red Lions were given suspensions. They ended up having only six players for their season 88 debut against the Chiefs. Thus, this group was labeled the “Super Six”.

It was a crazy game. Arellano came off a hot start. But in basketball, the start alone does not define the outcome. As hard as it is to say, the best example would probably be the Lakers. In fact, they deserve recognition. Perhaps the NBA record for ‘most games led by halftime then lost’.

Neither talent nor skill won San Beda the game. Heart did. That’s the only thing that could’ve.

When you play with six players, you’re not supposed to win. You’re expected to be crushed, demolished. But the Super Six found a way. They just would not accept defeat.

Three of the Super Six are fresh from high school. Two are tranferees. The other just got called up again from Team B. None of the veterans were on this squad of six. None of the Red Lions' usual go-to guys were there.

During the game, one of the six Red Lions even fouled out.

The Chiefs did play hard. It was obvious that they wanted to win. However, those six Red Lions simply refused to lose. And that made all the difference.

Coach Ronnie Magsanoc said it himself, “It was all heart.”

It all starts in the gym. That’s what they usually say about winning – that it starts in practice. But heart isn’t something you can practice. It’s innate.

It’s usually hard to differentiate ‘wanting to win’ from ‘refusing to lose’. It’s can also be difficult to determine which team is playing with more heart. But when a team of six players overcomes the odds and comes out victorious, it becomes a little easier to tell.