WHAT STARTED OFF as a “passion project” between two Bedan basketball fans has slowly become the next hot thing as the Upperbox Podcast delivers the latest scoops for all things San Beda Basketball.
As such, sports pundits and fellow basketball enthusiasts alike have established their immense following by religiously talking about any facet of this fascinating sport: from players to coaches, and even the insider scoops on player transfer rumors.
In light of San Beda’s “winning culture” in the nation’s grand old league, other alumni akin to football ultras have since maintained a close following on the updates regarding the team in recent times.
Perhaps one of the clearest examples of this would be the creation of The Upperbox Podcast: a hub for casual discussions of anything concerning the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).
As we delve more about the Upperbox Podcast, let us look into the stories behind these Bedan alumni who turned their basketball craze into a compelling source of uncanny narratives.
Humble beginnings
Justin Daniel and Paolo Perez are working together to manage the podcast’s affairs. While both are fond of collegiate basketball, they have their fair share of contrasting roles in the production of the podcast.
“He’s the insider. Very basically in our roles, Paolo is the brains of basketball. I’m the guy who storifies it and makes it—you know, make it ‘smell better,’” Justin explained humorously.
Both getting their degrees in marketing from the University, Justin and Paolo have been best friends since their college days, drawing from their shared appreciation of the Red Lions and basketball in general.
“And noong naging mag-best friends kami, one of the things that we would do is watch the games and then after the games, kakain kami tas magkukwentuhan kami about what happened and our thoughts about them,” Paolo shared.
How “Upperbox” came to be
So, what is the Upperbox Podcast? For Justin and Paolo, it is a “cultivation” of the unending passion for basketball as “normal” fans.
Paolo also shared a story behind the show’s name, which pays homage to the upper box seats in the arenas where the Red Lions’ basketball fixtures are usually held. “Parehas kami ni Danny. We agree, [na] mas masaya manood sa upper box. It’s way more fun sa [general admission], way more fun sa upper box, kasi mawawalan ka ng inhibition.”
Delving into how the Upperbox Podcast has helped the duo, for Justin, it became a means for him to further enhance his skills in terms of media relationships—choosing basketball, especially the Red Lions, as his go-to subject considering how they are, in his words, “enjoyable.”
The role of the Red Lions
While it’s no secret that Justin and Paolo of the Upperbox Podcast remain staunch supporters of the Mendiola-based squad, both believed that these guest interviewees hold more importance, especially in illuminating the development of the characteristics of these players.
“I’ve been following the Red Lions for so many years, and all teams, and all of the players that I’ve ever watched or ever followed, ang gaganda ng mga istorya nila,” Paolo claimed. He then proceeded to say that “despite their interesting stories, people only see them for what they are, mere players, mere jerseys.”
Accordingly, Justin vowed to put more emphasis on sharing the stories of the players behind the Red Lions. “We cannot talk about the story of San Beda without mentioning basketball. We want to humanize [the Red Lions], to tell them their story,” he further shared.
However, from time to time, the Upperbox podcasts also face their own array of issues—such as “slumps” especially when updates in collegiate basketball are scarce.
While there is still room for improvement, Justin and Paolo reassured that the Upperbox podcast is still in its “passion project” stage.
“We’re not rushing into [the podcast’s] development kasi, so far, masaya naman kami. So, tuloy lang kami,” said Paolo.
Amid all the plans for further ventures in the world of podcasts and social media content, Justine and Paolo remain true to their intents of this project—a concept born out of the pair’s profound love for San Beda and basketball, and a canvas for humanizing these players’ interesting experiences.
This podcast continues to deliver fresh and exciting content for the diehard Bedan and collegiate basketball aficionados out there. Hence, audiences can tune in to The Upperbox Podcast through their YouTube channel and Facebook page of the same name, where new episodes are published every Sunday at 12 noon.
(with Thirdy Pabilico)