Big NBA deal in offing

With the National Basketball Association (NBA) season only two weeks away from opening, a reliable source yesterday whispered that a blockbuster deal is now being worked out to air about 100 games a month on local TV.

Solar Sports cable network is putting on one live game a day. IBC-TV is showing two games a week. The kicker is a pay-per-view package–called the NBA League Pass–that will air two live games daily on a special channel accessible via a cable box. The two games on pay-per-view will be different from the schedule on Solar Sports and IBC-TV. If you add up the games available for viewing, you’ll get close to 100 games a month. In Asia, only Japan has a more comprehensive coverage.

The source said the cable box is easily installed on your set. The cost is P50 a month to rent the box. To buy a box will set you back P1,000. Hoop addicts will consider the investment of a purchase worth it. The pay-per-view rate is P200 a month.

An announcement on how to hook up will be made as soon as the kinks of the pay-per-view package are ironed out, the source added.

To kick off the season, Solar is unraveling a "premier week" where two live games will be aired for five straight days on its cable channel. The first day, Oct. 29, will feature the defending champion San Antonio Spurs versus the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers versus the Dallas Mavericks.

The IBC-TV games will be on Mondays and Thursdays with Cleveland, starring celebrated rookie Lebron James, facing Sacramento in the initial offering.

The word is more pay-per-view packages are being readied by Solar. A golf channel, for instance, will be launched in January with Solar obtaining exclusive Asian rights to pro circuit tournaments, meaning a total blackout on Star Sports and ESPN. Solar has also acquired the rights to the last five World Pool Championships in Cardiff and will beam the matches in an exclusive retrospective on pay-per-view soon.

The coming NBA campaign promises to be the most exciting in years. League authority Roland Lazenby picked the Lakers to regain the title. He predicted the Lakers will trounce the New Jersey Nets in the Finals. "The max (New Jersey) will win in the Finals is two games," wrote Lazenby in Lindy’s Pro Basketball 2003-04 Magazine.

Lazenby chose Denver’s Carmelo Anthony over James as Rookie of the Year, Orlando’s Tracy McGrady as MVP, Chicago’s Bill Cartwright as Coach of the Year and Chicago’s Eddy Curry as the Most Improved Player.

The influx of rookies, massive veteran transfers and the resurgence of free agents make for an unpredictable season. Parity is evident, more than ever before.

Contrary to Lazenby’s forecast, I don’t think it’ll be a stroll in the park for the Lakers. Coach Phil Jackson is weighed down by an aging cast. Karl Malone is 40, Horace Grant, 38, Gary Payton, 35, Rick Fox, 34, Bryon Russell, 33 and Shaquille O’Neal, 31. Kobe Bryant’s status is uncertain. Derek Fisher, Devean George, Stanislav Medvedenko, Jannero Pargo and Kareem Rush are back but nobody seems to care. Rookies in contention for slots are 6-9 Brian Cook, 6-8 Luke Walton, 6-6 Ime Udoka, 6-9 Koko Archibong, 6-5 Maurice Carter, 7-1 Eric Chenowith and 6-8 Stephane Pelle. Gone are Mark Madsen, Robert Horry, Brian Shaw, Tracy Murray and Samaki Walker.

The Spurs lost Speedy Claxton, Steve Smith, Steve Kerr, Danny Ferry, Stephen Jackson and David Robinson but brought in Horry, Radoslav Nesterovic, Hedo Turkoglu, Ron Mercer, Dan Langhi, and New Zealander Sean Marks among others. Rookies hoping to break into the lineup are Puerto Rican sharpshooter Larry Ayuso and Brazilian Alex Garcia. Back to boost the Spurs are Tim Duncan, Bruce Bowen, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, Malik Rose and Kevin Willis.

Veterans playing for new teams include Latrell Sprewell, Sam Cassell and Michael Olowokandi of Minnesota, Keith Van Horn and Dikembe Mutombo of New York, Raja Bell and Keon Clark of Utah, Brad Miller of Sacramento, Nick Van Exel, Calbert Cheaney, Claxton, Avery Johnson and Clifford Robinson of Golden State, Darrell Armstrong of New Orleans, Danny Fortson of Dallas, Michael Curry of Toronto, Lamar Odom of Miami, Juwan Howard of Orlando, Earl Boykins of Denver, Scottie Pippen and Kendall Gill of Chicago, Murray of Portland, Gilbert Arenas of Washington, Glenn Robinson of Philadelphia, Stephen Jackson of Atlanta and Glen Rice of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Among the former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) imports in pre-season rosters are Richie Frahm and Ansu Sesay of Seattle, Jerald Honeycutt of Portland, Rick Brunson of Toronto, Tremaine Fowlkes of the Clippers, Sean Lampley of Miami, Torraye Braggs, Gabe Muoneke and Ben Davis of Houston and Juaquin Hawkins of Golden State.

Frahm, a Gonzaga University star like John Stockton, was impressive in a Sonics 90-89 exhibition loss to Utah last Saturday. He shot 15 points, including 3-of-5 treys, in 28 minutes off the bench. Frahm’s Talk ‘N’ Text teammate Honeycutt was one of five Trail Blazers to score in double figures in Portland’s 88-85 win over the Clippers last Friday. Honeycutt, trying to make a comeback in the majors, netted 11 points and grabbed four rebounds in 23 minutes as a sixth man.

Another ex-PBA import making waves in the pre-season is Muoneke, a Nigerian national cager who saw action for Purefoods last year. He knocked in 3-of-4 field goals, including a triple, and 5-of-8 free throws to tally 12 points in 21 minutes of Houston’s 104-80 setback to Portland last Tuesday.

Local aficionados will be looking out for the ex-imports in the new season. But traditional favorites like Allen Iverson, McGrady, Yao Ming, Paul Pierce, Shaq, Kobe and Grant Hill (is he finally suiting up?) remain the focus of every grizzled fan’s attention.