The Final Score: To PBA fans, the NBA Euro Step looks really familiar

I'm fascinated with the fascination. NBA cognoscenti have proclaimed the NBA's famed "Euro Step" a revolution in basketball footwork. The Euro Step is a cross between a legal change in direction and a borderline travelling call. Manu Ginobili uses it to solidify his legacy. Rajon Rondo uses it to start cementing his. It's going from right to left or left to right, evading the defender, making minimal contact, all in just two sure steps, in the slickest way allowed by science. It departs from brutish tradition. It's a product of hardwood artistry. To PBA fans, however, one of the NBA's hottest trends also looks really, really familiar. After reading a recent article about the Euro Step in the New York Times and watching instructional videos on how to correctly perform the Euro Step on YouTube, I said to myself, "I've seen this before." Holy kamote, it’s the "Side Step"! And my memory backs it up with PBA scenes from the past. You might be thinking about Alex Cabagnot's Side-Step to win the game over B-Meg last October 30. I'm thinking of someone else’s Side Step from a more distant past. Not just three weeks ago. Try over 20 years ago. While some made their names shooting threes and others built careers cramming dunks, Elmer Reyes earned his PBA paycheck freezing defenders and bewildering referees. Since Reyes played for the mighty San Miguel Beermen in the 80's, and as a result, always played against teams ready to defend one of the most fearsome lineups in history, he rarely saw driving lanes. Instead, he often saw zigzag roads. No problem. Expected to neither shoot like Ricky Brown nor soar like Samboy Lim, Reyes's best chance was to score near the basket. The Side Step allowed him to slip past taller or faster defenders. The key was getting the right angle for his finger-roll lay-up. He would drive past the free-throw line and stamp the low-cut Adidas Promodel of his right foot on the floor with authority. Knowing every fan inside the ULTRA (now Philsports Arena), as well as his defender, expected him to go right, he would suddenly kick his left foot out to bring him to the other side, safely away from the defense, triumphantly into open space. Every time Reyes zigged and zagged, a debate always erupted. One always swore it was travelling while another believed it was breathtaking. So while I remember always shaking my head after Reyes escape acts in the past, I'm reminded of how modern fans raise their eyebrows after Euro Stepping moves by Ginobili and Rondo. Look, I'm not saying the NBA or European leagues got it from us, especially in this age of plagiarism paranoia. The Euro Step/Side Step belongs to everyone since creativity in basketball is as universal as breathing (even though Luis Scola's crafty up-and-under move reminds me of the late Arnie Tuadles). But..but…the minute Dwight Howard starts making "Kili-Kili Shots" ala Marlou Aquino is the moment I start to really wonder. - GMANews.TV