Fil-Am Nation Select won the NBTC Division 1 championship in the 2025 Smart-NBTC National Finals for the second time in a row under the leadership of former NBA coach Byron Scott.
The Finals saw FilAm Nation defeat Phenom Blue Fire-Pasay 64-59, playing as if they had known each other, despite being a selection team.
With 32 points, Angelino Mark led FilAm Nation to victory and was named the tournament's Ato Balodato Most Outstanding Player.
Team’s struggles
The former NBA coach acknowledged that it was difficult to create a cohesive team that was prepared to contend for the 19-and-under basketball championship.
Scott also credited the players for carrying the cudgels on the floor for the entire tournament.
“I give the guys credit because 90% of the time they carried things out. It’s more fulfilling for us because of the fact that you put these guys together and you expect them to gel, but sometimes it doesn’t happen that way,” Scott said.
Praise to Filipino ballers
Scott had to commend not only Pasay but all of the teams and high school players his team faced during the one-week competition.
“[There was] a lot of talent. The thing that I love about Filipino basketball is how hard they play. They compete. They come at you for 40 minutes,” he said.
“They don’t give up. They don’t back down.”
