Germany’s Finest Basketball Diary Part 1

[Streetball’s Finest  –  5.24.12] – Germany’s Finest Basketball Diary Part 1
Inks: FLASH aka g_sk1lls 
Images: Germany’s Finest / Paul Gudde / Alex Biernat / Flash

Last May 14, I posted an article (click HERE) about the arrival of Germany’s Finest (Germany’s only true streetball movement – website: www.germanysfinest.de), and their Philippine tour (Manila, Bacolod, and Boracay).  This blog diary will be released in three parts, and Part 1 will be about the group’s activities since they arrived and some images of their 1^st 5-on-5 game against local talent in Magallanes Village gym in Makati (covering May 21-23).  Part 2 will be released on Monday (May 28) and Part 3 will be sometime between June 2-4.

The Philippine Experience – Part 1

Upon the group’s arrival last Monday, the group has settled comfortably in the Luxor residences in Manila and have already played some 3-on-3 games with the people around their area last Tuesday, May 22.  The team was very amazed with the Filipino’s passion and love for the game of basketball and has openly marveled at our local brand of streetball.  Playing against bystanders in flip-flops (tsinelas), the team were also amazed that in almost every streetcorner, there is a basketball hoop/half court, something of which is not common in Germany.  Posted below are pictures from Paul Gudde’s and Alex Biernat's Facebook page.

 

Paul, as I’ve mentioned in my previous blog, is hailed by most German basketball fans as the one of the godfathers of German streetball (and one of the three founders of Germany’s Finest along with German Graham and Simon Zeitz).

Yesterday, May 23, I was able to finally meet the team courtesy of Third/Trainman Stocker, a Pinoy who is also the group’s liaison for all of their activities while in the country.  The team who made the trip were 8 players, but only 7 suited up with Fabian Greiser nursing a knee injury.  Nonetheless, the rest of the squad included Enrico Kufuor, Sebastian Köhnert, Marian Schick, Lars Meyer, Anday Ergen, Emre Ergen, and Paul.  Accompanying the tour is Alex, Paul’s girlfriend.

Posted below are images from the team’s friendly match in Makati.  More pictures are uploaded in the And1 Ph Facebook page.  The jerseys and game shorts were provided by AND1 Germany (shoutouts to Laurent Burkart and Max).

 

Here are some additional images of the team, with And1 Ph’s very own Flash.

Getting goofy!

Paul Gudde, Flash, and high flyin' Lars Meyer aka "Larry Lawless"

With Trainman/Third Stocker.  Proudly Pinoy (check out his shorts).

After the game, the team headed off to watch a couple of PBA games at the Smart Araneta Coliseum aka the Smart Dome.  The two matches were Ginebra vs Air21 and Meralco vs TNT.  Paul’s girlfriend, Alex, was even named Face of the Day.

As of this writing, the team will be playing against the PBA D-League squad Cebuana Lhuillier by tomorrow, May 25.  Pocket matches (3-on-3 and 5-on-5 games) will happen over the weekend and up until Wednesday next week.  Details (date/time/venue) to be provided in the And1 Ph Facebook page and/or Twitter profile for faster viewing.

For now, their upcoming provincial tour schedule is as follows:

• Bacolod (May 31 arrival):

June 1 - exhibition game against Brgy Cansilayan and Murcia Selection Players.

June 2 or June 3 - Game against West Negros College in West Negros Gym.

• Boracay:

June 5 - game against Boracay Selection Team

Venue (to be announced)

Watch out for more And1 Ph news in the local and international scene by following us on Twitter (@and1ph) and LIKE us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/and1ph).  And that’s the 411, And Juan!