Put on your dancin’ sneakers - SPORTING CHANCE By Joaquin M. Henson

It’s not too late to join the first-ever National Basketball Association (NBA) "Dribble N’ Dance" contest. Today’s your last chance to sign up. Just make sure you’ve got a team of at least two dancers and a max of five to do a two-minute routine for the 2 p.m. auditions at the Olympic World Store in the Alabang Town Center.

Creasia – the project organizer – is making it easy for you to dance and dribble your way to a three-day, two-night stay at a five-star hotel in Cebu and loads of NBA merchandise, including 2001 Finals apparel. For students, it’s your last fling before classes start so make the most of the last few days of your summer vacation.

Look for Creasia’s Jay Adlao or Jennifer Calinap when you go to Olympic World this afternoon. Creasia’s staff will be there to supervise the auditions.

So far, seven teams are confirmed as entries – West (four dancers), Aftershock (five), Blackout (three), Beatboyz (five), Wild Child (three), Street Jam (two), and Titanicals (five).

Depending on this afternoon’s turnout, Creasia will send no more than 10 teams to the "Dribble N’ Dance" Finals on June 2 during the NBA Madness Tour at the SM Southmall.

There is no age limit for dancers but you’ve got to be at least 15. So you can be in your 60s and still make the cut. For the routine, you’ve got to wear brandless shirts or NBA apparel. The routine must combine dance and basketball moves (like dribbling, ballhandling, or passing). Contestants will be judged on creativity, originality, skill, and teamwork.

The contest is a prelude to the NBA Finals starting June 6. The defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, undefeated so far in the playoffs, go up against the Eastern Conference titlist either Milwaukee or Philadelphia in the best of 7 championship series.

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June will also mark the staging of the NBA Madness Tour – the league’s reachout promo. The tour is a mini-version of the NBA Jam Session, a regular feature of the annual All-Star extravaganza. It’s the NBA’s way of giving back to fans and making them enjoy the game as active participants.

Among the tour’s features are the NBA Dunk Court where you can shoot threes like Allen Iverson or go two-on-two or post up like Shaquille O’Neal or slam like Vince Carter, the Vertical Leap where you can measure your elevation and find out if your jump is as high as Kevin Garnett’s, the Bungee Shootout where you try to score with a cord tied to your back, and the Yardstick where you compare your height, wingspan, and shoe size with an array of NBA stars.

The tour is scheduled on June 1-3 at SM Southmall (the "Dance N’ Dribble" Finals will be on the 2nd), June 8-10 at SM Iloilo, June 15-17 at SM Cebu (where the "Dance N’ Dribble" champion team will guest), and June 22-24 at SM Megamall.

NBA stuff – like basketballs, shirts, and other merchandise – will be available as prizes during the tour. To join the tour’s interactive games, just present your PLDT Fonkard with at least a P2 credit and register your name.

So there’s a lot on your plate this June if you’re an NBA fan. There’s the "Dance N’ Dribble" contest. There’s the NBA Finals. There’s the NBA Madness Tour. And there’s a truckload of NBA merchandise to win.

But first things first. Show up at the "Dance N’ Dribble" auditions this afternoon. Who knows? It could lead to the big break you’ve been praying for. For sure, it’ll be lots of fun. Dribbling to the beat is like playing the game and dancing at your favorite disco – you can’t go wrong with that.