NBA legends plan to put a smile on Filipinos faces for 2010 Asia Challenge

This appears in the Wednesday August 25, 2010 edition of the Business Mirror.

NBA legends plan to put a smile on Filipinos faces for 2010 Asia Challenge

by rick olivares

If the press conference for the 2010 NBA Asia Challenge at the Fiesta San Miguel room of the Dusit Thani Hotel is any indication, Filipinos are going to get a taste of what Barcelona fans felt during the 1992 Summer Olympics where the one and only Dream Team captured the gold medal and hearts of sports fans everywhere.

Of course, four players – Gary Payton, Chris Webber, Mitch Richmond, and Glen Rice aren’t the Dream Team – but it isn’t every day that a stellar cast of NBA legends come over to these hoops crazy shores to entertain fans.

Even PBA legend Ronnie Magasanoc couldn’t contain his enthusiasm. “Whatever Gary Payton does is okay with me,” quipped Magsanoc when asked about a match-up with Payton who was known by his unique moniker “the Glove.”

“It will be better though,” said Magsanoc to a highly appreciative crowd of media, corporate sponsors, and select guests that applauded and hooted with every quip and crack by the basketball players, “if he were on my team.”

The 2010 NBA Asia Challenge is the second staging of this event; the largest in Southeast Asia. The exhibition game will feature two teams each with a mixed roster of NBA legends, NBA Development League players and some of the best Filipino players and legends of the Philippine Basketball Association that is scheduled for Friday, August 27, 2010 at the Araneta Coliseum.

Also joining the American basketball players are the Miami Heat Dancers and Miami Heat mascot Burnie.

Said Glen Rice when asked if they did their research on Filipino players, “Well, I heard a lot of the man they call ‘Trigger.’ It would be great to match skills with him.”

In last year’s match Allan Caidic drilled five triples in an incandescent shooting display in the first quarter.

Rounding out the Filipinos’ roster aside from Magsanoc and Caidic are Benjie Paras, Vergel Meneses, Atoy Co, Alvin Patrimonio, LA Tenorio, Arwind Santos, Rico Maierhofer, Dondon Hontiveros, Asi Taulava, and Ronald Tubid.

A side interest would be the return of one-time Talk ‘N Text import Richie Frahm who suited up for the local club in 2002. It is in fact, Frahm’s last professional game. “It’s interesting because my professional career first got its start in the Philippines and I am playing my last game here as well.”

Frahm will be getting into coaching after this trip. Also joining Frahm who just hung up his sneakers with the Reno Bighorns are the Iowa Energy’s Mark Tyndale, the Sioux Falls Skyforce’s Chris McCray, and the Maine Red Claws’ Darnell Lazare.

“Now’s the time to give back to the game,” said Richmond who in his heyday was a part of the Golden State Warriors’ “Run-TMC” with Tim Hardaway (who was a part of the first ever NBA Asia Challenge) and Chris Mullin. “I’m going to speak for all four of us – before we knew it our time was done.”

“We hear good things about the Philippines,” added Webber who after winning the 1994 NBA Rookie of the Year with Golden State went on to have a stellar career with the neighboring Sacramento Kings. “I’m looking forward to soaking in all that craziness and love.”

Of the four NBA legends on this trip, it is only Webber who did not win an NBA championship. Payton won in 2006 with the Miami Heat, Rice with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000, and Richmond also with the Lakers in 2002. “I didn’t win the big one, but my number four hangs in the rafters in Sacramento. That was the sum of my career from Michigan all the way to Golden State and the other cities I played for. And ultimately in Sacramento where we played some great basketball but unfortunately were not able to bring a championship to the city. My jersey being retired there says a lot about the class of the organization and the community. I’m still going to say I’m blessed.”

The NBA players who made the trip to the Philippines have some ties. Payton, Rice, and Richmond played with the Lakers although not together on one team. Webber and Rice are both alumni of the University of Michigan of which the latter led to the 1989 NCAA title. Richmond and Webber both have their numbers retired by the Kings and each replaced each other as the team’s star as they became a lower tier team to one of the elite in the NBA during the early 2000’s.

“Basketball has been good to me,” summed up Rice. “I got to live out my basketball dream. And now I’m still involved with it with my son (Glen Jr. who is going to begin his first year with the Georgia Tech Yellowjackets this coming US college season) and getting an opportunity to play here. Now that’s a good way to close a career, don’t you think?”

The 2010 NBA Asia Challenge was organized by the NBA and Solar Sports in cooperation with the PBA. Presenting partners are KFC and Petron Turbo Diesel. The official partners are Asia Miles and Toshiba while the supporting partners are Coors Light, Dusit Thani Manila, Gatorade, Mitsubishi Motors, Smart Communications, and Spalding.