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.
For 42-year-old pro basketball player and coach Eric "Bizzy" Miraflores, basketball is more than just a career, it's the sport that he credits with saving his life.
Miraflores got the nickname "Bizzy" because he was a fan of the 90s rapper of the same name and because of his "busy" movements on the court.
"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
After discovering Michael Jordan from the 1991 NBA finals, a young Miraflores began having dreams of becoming a professional basketball player.
"I really got into basketball when I was 14 years old. I wanted to play for the PBA (Philippine Basketball Association) ... but then, I got with the wrong crowd. I let go of the sport and the dream," he said.
Miraflores joined a gang and became a heavy drinker.
"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
"I wanted to make things right. I left the gang and stopped drinking.
"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
While things with his basketball career seemed to be back on track, a change in his family dynamics would see him start anew in Australia.
"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
Despite the loss of his dad and a burgeoning basketball career in the Philippines, Miraflores persisted in his dream to play pro ball.
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
After the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Miraflores moved back to Australia in 2021.
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
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
"3X3 Ready, the company organising our three-on-three games, asked me to help run a basketball clinic with other coaches for an Indigenous community in the Northern Territory in 2024," he said.
"They knew I loved kids and they wanted to bring in different cultural backgrounds to the program."
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
"It's funny — during our first session, they were just looking at us. The team leader of the community encouraged us to just play with them," he said.
"One of the (students) asked me to play one-on-one with him. After our game, he said, 'Oh my God! You're really good! I really want to learn this ... can you teach me?'
"I just clicked with them straight away. It was easy because they felt like I was one of them."
'Why basketball?'
Miraflores shared that after getting along so well with his young students during the first session, he was tasked with leading the five-day clinic.
He plans on joining future clinics to mentor Indigenous athletes in rural areas.
"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
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
"Basketball is becoming big in our communities. Kids look forward to playing. I believe there's a future there. Hopefully we get some of the kids in the Olympics," Loban told SBS Filipino.
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
"One of my students actually came up to me and said that he dreams of becoming an NBA player. I told him that was my dream as well when I was his age. I said, 'Dream big!'," he said.
The end of the clinic was bittersweet for Miraflores and his colleagues, with their students asking them if they could stay longer.
"I nearly cried. Oh my God!" Miraflores shared.
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
"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.
