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Key Points
- Eric Miraflores has played basketball for several universities and leagues in the Philippines, as well as for Australian country basketball and the NBL.
- Miraflores led a basketball clinic for Aboriginal youth in Yuendumu in Alice Springs last January.
- He said his Indigenous students reminded him about how his own love for basketball had begun.
“Basketball means growth for me. It taught me how to live my life, how to be a better father. It taught me how to make better decisions,” he told SBS Filipino.
For pro basketball player and coach Eric Miraflores (right), basketball helped him grow and taught him how to make better decisions. Credit: Supplied / Eric Miraflores
Bouncing back
“I was one of those kids who wanted to try everything — not drugs, but I drank a lot,” he said.
There was one time that my friends and I were on a bridge in Pasay City and a rival gang just started shooting at us. I got away, but from that point on, I was like, ‘This isn’t worth it.’
Eric Miraflores, pro basketball player and coach
“My family was struggling with money, so my parents couldn’t really afford to send me to school … so I went back to playing basketball and tried out for the high school varsity team in Olivarez College in Parañaque to get a scholarship.”
Rebounding
Because of his skills on the court, Miraflores became the talk of the team at Olivarez; but he admitted that his popularity went to his head and he developed an “attitude problem”.
I was in the wrong. I forgot where I came from. I became arrogant and always argued with my coach. My teammates saw me as cocky. I got cut from the team.
Eric Miraflores, pro basketball player and coach
Miraflores (bottom, third from the right) admitted that he had an “attitude problem” on the court when he was younger. Credit: Supplied / Eric Miraflores
He persisted and eventually landed a spot on a commercial team. This then led him to being scouted to play for the University of the East and the practice team of the Philippine Basketball League (PBL).
“Mum decided to move to Australia. She met an Australian man and my brother and I moved with her to make sure she would be okay here. Dad and her left things unfinished and he died in the Philippines with a broken heart,” he said.
Australian teams
Miraflores joined several Filipino leagues in Australia, went back to the Philippines and tried out for a PBA draft in 2015 and played for another professional league, the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL), for two years.
Miraflores tried out for the PBA draft un 2015. Credit: Supplied / Eric Miraflores
I joined the MPBL when I was 38. That was pretty late, but I got to go pro. That was a tick off my list. I was getting older and going pro made me realise my desire to go into coaching.
Eric Miraflores, pro basketball player and coach
He played for the NBL Division 2 for Melton, country basketball for the Benalla Breakers and, the Albury Wodonga Bandits for NBL One.
Miraflores played for the NBL Division 2 for Melton, country basketball for the Benalla Breakers and, the Albury Wodonga Bandits for NBL One. Credit: Eric Miraflores
“Opportunities just opened up for me,” he said.
The Yuendumu community
“Parents also started reaching out to me to train their kids and run group sessions. I became the head of junior development in Benalla and I was the head coach of under 18s last year.”
Miraflores discovered a love for coaching kids in basketball. Credit: Supplied / Eric Miraflores
While playing as a pro 3X3 player, another opportunity to mentor young players came up for Miraflores.
While Miraflores wasn’t able to join the first year he was asked, he joined last January after being encouraged by his partner Erin.
Eric and his partner Erin and their two children. Credit: Supplied / Eric Miraflores
We were brought to the Yuendumu community in Alice Springs to teach (young men) between the ages of 11 and 15. It was a way to mentor them through basketball to set goals for themselves, to use the sport as a bridge towards connection and success.
Eric Miraflores, pro basketball player and coach
“I just clicked with them straight away. It was easy because they felt like I was one of them.”
‘Why basketball?’
“I learned so much from them. The coaches and students developed mutual respect for each other, because we wanted them to see us as their big brothers as well as mentors,” he said.
Miraflores led a basketball clinic in the Yuendumu community in Alice Springs last January. Credit: 3X3 Ready
Mick Loban, the coordinator of Indigenous Australia Basketball (IBA) in the Torres Strait, said he was aware of the basketball clinic held at Yuendumu.
IBA is an organisation that designs programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait youth which are meant to inspire players to take pride in their culture while supporting them to achieve their goals on and off the court.
I heard the kids had a good time and it was a success.
Mick Loban, Indigenous Australia Basketball (IBA) coordinator in the Torres Strait
Miraflores shared that he too believed the young men he taught had what it took to succeed in the sport.
They’re very skilled and athletic, but they don’t play basketball every day. I think what the clinic made them realise is what it takes to go the next level if they want to turn the sport into a career.
Eric Miraflores, pro basketball player and coach
On the last day of the clinic, he shared that mentors and students gathered in a circle to share their thoughts and feelings.
They said they want to continue on playing even after we go, and I said that that was wonderful. They’re eventually going to be the leaders of their community and the ones who will mentor future players. It made me feel so proud.
Eric Miraflores, pro basketball player and coach
“I asked them, ‘Why do you play basketball?’ One said because basketball helps him make friends. Another one said, ‘It makes me happy!’“
Basketball clinic students said the sport made them happy and able to make more friends. Credit: 3X3 Ready
Miraflores admitted that he was taken aback by their answers which had transported him back to his younger days when he first started learning the sport.
“I focused so much on going pro and coaching that I would at times forget why I started playing in the first place. They (helped) me (to) remember,” he said.
