Most Americans would be absolutely shocked to learn that the country where basketball is probably most popular isn’t the US and it’s not Lithuania, Spain or Argentina.
It’s most likely the Philippines. Those people adore the game like nowhere else.
So when former Wake walk-on Troy Rike says that an atmosphere matches the intensity of Duke vs. UNC, it might sound hard to believe, but it’s probably true. If the NBA was really smart it would schedule an exhibition game there every season just to honor the incredible passion that country has for the game.