While ball is life, recent developments have shown us the impact of a long basketball calendar. 

The Achilles tears that Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum suffered may have been the result of playing basketball non-stop, with Haliburton having had no summers off due to his Team USA exploits since the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Manila. 

This type of dedication is something we’re quite familiar with, as members of Gilas Pilipinas have spent their offseasons on international duty. The likes of June Mar Fajardo, Calvin Oftana, CJ Perez, Japeth Aguilar, and Chris Newsome have represented the Philippines without hesitation, while the likes of Kevin Quiambao, Dwight Ramos, and Carl Tamayo have made sure to return to national team duties even if they’ve made the jump overseas. Kai Sotto and AJ Edu have also made themselves available, health be willing. 

That’s the thing, though, health has been fickle to say the least. Sotto is currently recovering from surgery on his left ACL, while Edu has worked his way back from knee injuries of his own. They’re not the only ones with injury woes, as Fajardo is dealing with a small tear in his calf. Perez and Oftana are likely not at 100 percent either, as they’ve been logging heavy minutes and been on the receiving end of physical defense during the 2025 Honda PBA Philippine Cup Finals. 

Thus, there is a case to be made to rest Fajardo, Oftana, and Perez. Pride and a trophy are pretty much what are at stake in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup given FIBA’s shift to a qualifying window system for the FIBA World Cup. 

The FIBA Asia Cup is a big tournament in and of itself, but we all know that when national pride is at stake, it’s traditional tournaments like the SEA Games and the Asian Games, both of which Gilas just won recently, that the Philippines really puts a priority on. 

Fajardo, Oftana, and Perez will certainly be eager to play for Gilas Pilipinas in the upcoming SEA Games in Thailand, should their mother teams allow and tensions between Thailand and Cambodia cool off. 

Fajardo will be 37 by the time the 2027 FIBA World Cup begins and a year older once it’s time for the 2028 Summer Olympics, but he has always found ways to be effective with the national team even in spurts, whether that’s by design or Chot Reyes’ classic Gilas Pilipinas mismanagement. 

Fajardo will always be a shoo-in perhaps until he calls it a career, and that’s because of how he was able to maximize his size and skill. His body of work speaks for itself because not only is he considered the most accomplished PBA player of all time, but he’s pretty much the greatest PBA player of all time. 

Oftana’s best years are still ahead of him and he’ll likely have five more years with Gilas, especially with the height and scoring ability he has to offer. We’ve seen some bouts of inconsistency during the 2025 PBA Philippine Cup Finals, but a proper offseason should allow him to return to the flashes of greatness that were evident during the early parts of the 2025 All-Filipino Conference. 

The same can be said for Perez, who has been a dynamic perimeter threat despite some cold shooting nights. A solid Game 6 performance should inspire him to achieve more with the San Miguel Beermen and Gilas Pilipinas. 

The Philippines can afford to let the three sit out as they can get a longer look at the development of their younger players. The likes of Quiambao, Tamayo, RJ Abarrientos, Rhenz Abando, and Zavier Lucero could get more exposure, but Edu will have his work cut out for him being the main man in the paint. Thankfully, Aguilar and Troy Rosario will be there to provide support.  

But knowing Fajardo, Oftana, and Perez, they would rather sacrifice part of the offseason for the flag and country. It’s an admirable gesture, but perhaps they have to look at the bigger picture. 

After all, the vision for Gilas Pilipinas has always been long-term. Head coach Tim Cone has always had the 2028 Summer Olympics on his mind and each tournament between now and then is a milestone to tick off. He can focus on the Gilas youth movement while giving his veterans some time to rest, all in the hope that he can have a healthier, formidable, and most importantly complete squad once the big international tournaments come in.