2010 NBA Challenge will bring the Heat
by rick olivares
The NBA Asia Challenge, an exhibition game featuring NBA legends, NBA Development League players, current PBA players and legends from the local pro loops storied past will return to the Philippines for a second consecutive year, said the NBA and the Solar Television network in a joint announcement at the Gazebo of the Araneta Coliseum last Wednesday evening.
The participating NBA legends include Gary Payton, who once starred for the Seattle Supersonics, Glen Rice, a former key player for the Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets, Chris Webber, who was already a superstar at the University of Michigan before making a name for himself with the Golden State Warriors, Washington Wizards, and Sacramento Kings, and Mitch Richmond, who was one-third of the Run-TMC triumvirate of Golden State that took the NBA by storm for their high-scoring ways in the late 1980’s.
“We know the talk of the NBA right now is the Miami Heat with all their recent additions like LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Eddie House, and a few others,” said Ed Winkle, Senior Director, Business Development and Marketing Partnerships at NBA Asia. “And this year’s 2010 NBA Asia Challenge has a distinct Miami Heat flavor.”
Winkle was referring to Payton who was a part of the Heat’s 2006 NBA title team that included Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal. Rice was the fourth overall draft selection of Miami in 1989 and the franchise’s first ever bonafide star.
Lending entertainment to the day’s festivities are the Miami Heat Dancers and team mascot Burnie.
The team’s head coach, Fil-American Erik Spoelstra, arrived yesterday although for the NBA Fit, a weeklong project of the NBA on wellness and fitness.
Payton isn’t the only NBA legend with a championship ring. Both Richmond and Rice all have NBA championship rings as members of the Los Angeles Lakers. Rice played on the LA’s 2000 team that beat the Indiana Pacers for the championship while Richmond was a part of the team that completed that team’s three-peat squad in 2002.
“The feedback that we got from last year’s NBA Asia Challenge was overwhelmingly positive so if things fall into place, we can do this again and again.” added Winkle. The NBA executive gushed about former PBA all-pro Allan Caidic who in a five-minute span hit five triples to give the home team a fleeting lead. “That was the most memorable part of the game.” he pointed out while saying that he loved Caidic’s moniker of “The Triggerman.”
Caidic finished with 15 points although the NBA Generations beat the PBA All-Stars 109-86.
Unlike last year’s NBA Asia Challenge that was billed as the NBA Generations team versus the PBA All-Stars, this year’s format will be markedly different, as the two teams will be mixed. “Now we can say that we truly played alongside these NBA players,” said an excited Ronnie Magsanoc who will be playing in the NBA Asia Challenge for the second consecutive year.
Aside from Magsanoc, this year’s PBA contingent includes legends Benjie Paras, Alvin Patrimonio, and former Crispa Redmanizer Atoy Co. Also tapped to participate are current players LA Tenorio, James Yap, Dondon Hontiveros, Arwind Santos, Rico Maierhofer, and Asi Taulava.
From the D-League, Richie Frahm of the Reno Bighorns, Darnell Lazare of the Maine Red Claws, Mark Tyndale of the Iowa Energy, and Chris McCray of the Sioux Falls Sky Force will be reinforcing the two squads. Frahm was a former Talk ‘N Text import in 2002.
In last year’s inaugural NBA Asia Challenge, the event that featured NBA greats Dominique Wilkins, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Robert Horry, Tim Hardaway, and Vlade Divac drew over 10,000 fans to the Araneta Coliseum.
This year’s exhibition game tips off at 7:30p.m.
Thoughts: These prices are similar to last year's. If you ask me, they are way too pricey. I don't think we will see a larger crowd than last year's. Not unless you have an NBA Legend like Michael Jordan or Scottie Pippen.
No comments:
Post a Comment