MANILA, Philippines - Basketball superstar and Nike endorser Kobe Bryant returned to Manila for the third time to reach out to even more young Filipino athletes to ignite the passion within and inspire all of them.
The five-time NBA champion, two-time Finals MVP and Olympic gold medalist kicked off his five-city tour with an exciting line-up of activities at The Peninsula Manila, a Gawad Kalinga village in Taguig City, Nike Park at The Fort and a jampacked Araneta Coliseum.
Known to be a strong supporter of charitable organizations, Kobe makes it a point to connect with kids in all his tours. He always goes the extra mile to encourage young athletes and inspire them to reach for their own sports dream.
“We all come from the same place, which is loving the game. I want to instill in them that there is no secret formula,” Kobe said. “I did the same drills that they are doing now when I was a kid. Same thing. I just did it more. It’s as simple as that. The more you do it, the better you become.”
To ensure that his presence will have a lasting effect on the kids at Brgy. Pinagsama in Taguig City, Nike and Kobe refurbished the Gawad Kalinga basketball court to give these young ballers a better venue where they can hone their skills with the hope of one day grooming the next basketball superstars. Kobe also facilitated a basketball clinic for these kids.
“(Meeting him) is a dream come true for them. Poverty shouldn’t stop these kids (from dreaming). We thank Kobe for bringing that message,” said Jose Luis Oquinana of Gawad Kalinga.
Hundreds of fans also trooped to Nike Park in The Fort to get the chance to be up close and personal with the basketball star. Kobe was joined by kids who had previously joined the player’s camp in Los Angeles for a short Q&A session where he left his fans some inspiring words. Autographed basketballs were also given away to lucky fans.
“Individually, we all know what greatness is because we have goals we want to achieve,” said Kobe.
The highlight of the day, however, was the main event where the Araneta Coliseum was filled by roaring Kobe fans who wanted to see him in action. After an exhibition game between the UAAP All-Stars and the Smart Gilas Pilipinas, Kobe surprised everyone when he joined the UAAP team for another eight minutes on the clock. Needless to say, the Araneta crowd became wilder and wilder as the basketball superstar proved why he is a legend on the court.
It was just a day and fans couldn’t get enough of Kobe Bryant. Nike Philippines, who made all these events possible, has not wavered in its commitment to Philippine basketball. “It’s all about supporting young Filipino athletes. We have developed the best products to help our athletes perform better,” said country marketing manager Mae Dichupa. “We develop campaigns to inspire the youth to push their limits, take every advantage and reach for their sports dream. And today, we cement that commitment by bringing Kobe Bryant.”