MANILA -- 2019 was an exceptionally eventful year for Philippine sports. The major sports leagues – the PBA, the UAAP, and the NCAA – all proceeded as usual, but the country also sent its basketball team to the FIBA World Cup in China. And then, to end the year, the Philippines hosted the 30th edition of the Southeast Asian Games.
Still, the lasting image at the end of the year was that of a triumphant Team Philippines, celebrating its record-breaking haul in the SEA Games. Filipino athletes returned to the top of the podium, with a combined 387 medals including 149 golds.On May 10, 2019, "Spiderman" hogged the local headlines when he stormed onto the PBA court, disrupting Game 5 of the Philippine Cup finals between San Miguel Beer and Magnolia Hotshots.
The pint-sized Filipino topped the men's floor exercise in the 2019 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in October, assuring himself a berth in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. It was a historical feat for Yulo, who nearly quit the sport due to his brutal training regimen in Japan. Ateneo de Manila University completed one of the most dominant campaigns in college basketball history in late November, after the Blue Eagles barreled through the UAAP Season 82 tournament without a single defeat. They won their elimination round games by an average margin of 17.36 points per game, including a pair of routs over last season's losing finalist, University of the Philippines .
Determined to end the year on a right note, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas tapped Tim Cone to put together an all-pro team for the SEA Games. Bannered by the core of Barangay Ginebra, the Philippines stamped their class on their Southeast Asian neighbors to earn an 18th gold medal in basketball. It became a double celebration, as the Gilas Pilipinas Women's team won the gold for the first time ever.
Injuries were a major storyline in the championship series. Kevin Durant, the Finals MVP in each of the Warriors' last two runs to the title, missed the first four games as he continued to struggle with an injury to his right calf. He returned in Game 5 with the Warriors facing elimination, but ruptured his Achilles in the second quarter and had to leave for good. It would be his last game with Golden State before signing with Brooklyn as a free agent in the summer.
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