Haka STUNS Gilas! New Zealand’s War Cry Shakes FIBA Asia Cup Tip-Off

It started like any other basketball game—but within seconds, it became clear that this was no ordinary tip-off.

The arena lights in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, dimmed just before the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup group stage showdown between Gilas Pilipinas and the New Zealand Tall Blacks.

Fans expected a coin toss.

Maybe a warm-up.

What they got instead was a war cry so intense it shook the soul of the tournament itself.

The Tall Blacks stormed mid-court in formation—eyes blazing, fists clenched—and before anyone could fully process what was happening, they launched into a full-blown Haka, the ceremonial Māori war dance that’s part tradition, part declaration of psychological warfare.

And make no mistake: this wasn’t for entertainment.

This was a spiritual punch to the face.

The entire Gilas squad froze.

Literally froze.

Cameras caught players with wide eyes, slack jaws, and the unmistakable look of “What the hell is happening right now?”.

One Filipino player reportedly stumbled backward mid-stretch, while another nervously crossed himself.

And can you blame them? Picture it: a line of 6’6″ behemoths stomping and snarling, chanting ancestral lines that might as well have been curses.

The crowd went from cheering to gasping in record time.

Let’s be clear: this wasn’t just a dance.

This was a challenge to the basketball gods.

This was ancestral fury dressed in black jerseys and basketball sneakers.

“The moment they did that first chest slap, I felt it in my kidneys,” said one fan from Manila, who was watching the game at 3 a. m.

local time and spilled his coffee in pure shock.

“I thought this was basketball, not Mortal Kombat. ”

The cameras panned to Gilas head coach Tim Cone, who stared back in what some fans described as a mix of fear, awe, and ‘I did not prepare my boys for this. ’

His clipboard hung limp at his side.

His assistant whispered something into his ear, and he allegedly replied, “We’re already down 10, and the game hasn’t started. ”

And it wasn’t just Gilas who were caught off guard—the crowd went unhinged.

Some cheered.

Some cried.

One Saudi security guard dropped his water bottle and clapped involuntarily, possibly under spiritual possession.

Social media, meanwhile, erupted into a frenzy.

#HakaMadness, #TallBlacksTerror, and #GilasShook all trended within minutes.

Back home in the Philippines, viewers were divided.

Some called the Haka “disrespectful” and “intimidation theatrics. ”

Others praised it as “the most badass thing ever seen on hardwood. ”

A particularly viral tweet read: “This isn’t a basketball game.

This is psychological warfare with a scoreboard. ”

But here’s where things got even more bizarre.

As the Haka reached its climax—feet stomping, tongues out, eyes bulging—the arena’s sound system briefly glitched, amplifying the Tall Blacks’ guttural chants into a thunderous echo across the stadium.

Fans described the sound as “God growling” and “a demonic subwoofer from the underworld. ”

Some swear the lights flickered.

Others insist they felt the floor rumble.

A New Zealand official denied any supernatural interference, but conspiracy theorists are having a field day.

“I don’t care what anyone says, that was a power surge from the ancestors,” one fan posted.

“I think they summoned something. ”

Even the FIBA broadcast team didn’t know what to say.

Color commentator Rico Trinidad stammered, “Well, that’s… that’s the Haka, folks,” before going dead silent for a full eight seconds—a broadcast record.

His co-host, meanwhile, muttered “Jesus take the wheel” under his breath, clearly unaware his mic was still on.

The Gilas players eventually regrouped, but the damage was done.

The first quarter saw New Zealand blitz out to a 20–5 lead, while Gilas committed five turnovers, two airballs, and what can only be described as a phantom foul committed by pure fear.

One Gilas forward reportedly asked to be subbed out, citing “spiritual dizziness. ”

To their credit, Gilas fought back later in the game.

But the emotional and psychological impact of that opening moment lingered like a ghost.

Every time a Tall Black player dunked, it felt like the final beat of a war drum.

Every blocked shot was a continuation of that ceremonial challenge.

The Haka had rewired the narrative, and there was no going back.

Post-game, reporters asked Paul Henare, head coach of the Tall Blacks, whether the Haka was meant to intimidate.

He smiled slyly and said, “It’s not about intimidation.

It’s about respect.

But if it shakes a few souls in the process, that’s not our fault. ”

Mic drop.

Elijah Taki, one of the players who led the chant, later posted on Instagram: “We carry our ancestors with us.

When we dance, they dance.

When we battle, they battle.

Tonight, they helped us speak.

” That post racked up over 2 million likes in just 6 hours.

Meanwhile, Filipino fans took to social media to both mourn and meme the experience.

A parody video titled “Gilas Vs.

The Avengers”—edited to make the Haka look like a Marvel villain entrance—was shared over 12,000 times.

Another user uploaded a slow-motion clip of the Haka with the caption: “This is why I never skip history class. ”

Of course, there were critics.

One sports analyst accused the Tall Blacks of “psychological gamesmanship,” saying the Haka gave them an unfair mental edge.

Others demanded FIBA impose a pre-game time limit on cultural rituals.

But most fans and experts alike agreed on one thing: that moment was unforgettable.

Because really, how often do you see a sporting event where the national dance becomes the headline, the tip-off feels like an exorcism, and the losing team walks away not just defeated, but existentially re-evaluating their lives?

In the end, New Zealand won the game—technically.

But the real victory wasn’t on the scoreboard.

It was in the energy.

In the power.

In the way a centuries-old war cry silenced a stadium and shook a nation.

As one Filipino fan put it bluntly: “They hit us with culture.

And we weren’t ready. ”

One thing’s for sure: the next time Gilas faces New Zealand, they’ll come with more than just game plans.

They’ll bring courage.

Maybe even holy water.

Until then, the image of those massive men stomping and screaming beneath the hot Jeddah lights will remain burned into basketball history—and possibly, into the nightmares of point guards everywhere.

Final score: Tall Blacks 83 – Gilas Pilipinas 67.

Final verdict: New Zealand brought a war dance to a basketball game.

And left the world wondering if they’d just witnessed a sporting event—or a ritual summoning.