NBA-PBA Ultimate All-Star Weekend Diary

Where the heck should I start this one?

Oh, the tix. Let’s start with that. As soon as I read Talk n Text coach Chot Reyes’ (@coachot) tweet that it's set and the tix are already out, I immediately rang up Ticketnet. (Speaking of Coach Chot, I tweeted him, offering my services as water boy just to get close to Kobe and James Harden’s beard. He didn’t respond!)

Anyway, after 853 redials, was able to connect to a human Ticketnet CSR and reserved two tickets. Because I have to get it over and done with, whatever section is available, shoot, I’ll get it. Two Upper Box B tickets. That's where the pro hecklers are in anyway. I belong there.

Since I want it to be a stress-free day/night for me, I chose to ride a cab. Don't want to face off with EDSA bus drivers and circle the Dome, er, Smart Dome five times in search for a parking slot. The EDSA traffic made easier because the taxi radio has a nice Freddie Webb sports show on. Too bad, an hour into the sports show, they never mentioned the NBA-PBA event. If the players are in the gym already, traffic around Smart Dome, etc.  But of course, they're into Azkals. Network wars suck sometimes.

We lined up for a solid two hours before we're allowed to get in. And we're seated! And we're far! It's so far, upon securing the tickets, I jokingly said that I’ll need to buy binoculars. Well, we did buy one. Paper-binos for P60 bucks!

I tweeted some questions before the event that were answered. Like who’ll be introduced first? The PBA All-Star team or the SMART NBA stars? And, if the barker has the guts to introduce James Yap as "KING JAMES" in front of the NBA players?

Answers are: (1) PBA players first and (2) the barker didn’t call Yap “King James.”

Expected, Kobe drew the loudest cheers from the fans. Kobe is not only a great basketball player, he's now a master at marketing his brand. He is always game and knows how to put on a show. Thundering cheers of “Ko-Be! Ko-Be!” were heard. So too was “M-V-P! M-V-P!” (referring to D-Rose and later to Manny Pangilinan). Others pop cheers were “Ke-Vin! Ke-Vin!” “C-P-3! C-P-3!” and “ERAP! ERAP! ERAP!”

Warm-ups. Non-stop oohhs and aahhs! Even the PBA players stopped warming up and started watching the NBA stars’ (Javale McGee, Derrick Williams, Kobe, Kevin Durant) spectacular "warm-up" dunks.

Again, fittingly, Master Showman (copyright German Moreno BTW) Kobe Bryant killed it. He beat the warm-up-clock with an off-the-bounce-then-catch-and-windmill dunk! We’re just watching warm-ups and we were already jumping off our seats!

About the game: as mentioned in the recaps, the game was close in the early parts. Some 1,000 dunks later by Javale McGee and with KD heating up, the visitors blew the game wide open. Kobe had two great dunks. Rose had a special one, a thunderous dunk from a Kobe alley-oop pass. Derrick Williams, the newly drafted Timberwolf, looks like he got game. Tyreke Evans was deadly in and out. 

Arwind Santos led the PBA All-Stars with 25 points. Special mention to these Philippine bravehearts… Sol Mercado for not being afraid to showcase his stuff; Jason Castro for standing his ground against CP3; Ryan Reyes for courageously guarding Derrick Rose; Gary David for attacking and challenging Pierre McGee, and Rabeh Al Husseini for bravely bringing an illustration board for all NBA stars to sign on!

Some things...

• Russel Westbrook was originally mentioned as part of the tour. Turned out his teammate James “The Bearded One” Harden was better fit for last weekend’s event. He is quite a character and a player. He complements Kevin Durant well (They're teammates at OKC. Check the proof that they have chemistry.)
• For the record: This year, Kobe's record as a coach is 2-0. Mike Brown’s record is 0-0. BTW, this is not first time Kobe coached a team, he previously coached the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2004-2005 season!
• Kobe pushed James Yap two times early in the game. Kinda threw James off his game. Mr. Current PBA James Yap scored blank.
• Speaking of Yap, James Yap’s speech was kinda funny. He said “I know they're our idols but cheer for us too!” Funny eh? He is playing in his homeland, playing in front of his fellow Filipinos, playing against foreign stars, and he needed to ask for support.
• I'm thinking, what if Manny Pangilinan makes a run at 2016 presidency, dunno how he'll handle government-owned and controlled corporations, but he would be awesome for Philippine sports! NBA-PBA games on weekends!  
• Speaking of MVP, his group pulled a great marketing trick on the NBA stars. They were able to have them wear SMART uniforms. Easily, that's worth half million dollars! Now that's smart!

Great players, great event, great time.

You know how great this SMART weekend was?

“Thrilla in Manila” is a sacred term in Philippine sports history. They’re calling this "Thrilla in Manila II," and I am not complaining.