Pinoy kids see NBA idols in the flesh

BEIJING – After dominating the 3x3 and 5x5 scrimmages, Filipino Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBAers, along with the rest of the all-stars group from Southeast Asia, got a front-row view of the NBA Global Games which pitted the Brooklyn Nets and the Sacramento Kings at the Mastercard Center here yesterday.

It didn’t matter that Brooklyn coach Lionel Hollins kept future Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett on the bench and ignored the young fans’ screams of “KG, KG, KG” in every time-out or dead-ball situation.

“It’s a dream come true for me just seeing my idol (Garnett) although it would have been better had he played,” said 14-year-old Jan Cyril Narvasa, member of the 14-man team that represented the Phl in this annual event for the best campers of various Jr. NBA/WNBA All-Star programs in the Southeast Asian region.

DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento’s franchise player, was in uniform but also did not see action in the match won by the Nets, 129-117, in overtime.

Outside of the Mastercard Center, Garnett and teammates Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and Andrei Kirilenko and the Kings’ Rudy Gay drew cheers from the 70 wide-eyed NBA campers, including those from Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand.

The young group also mingled with Chinese legend Yao Ming and Vlade Divac, who paid the Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA players a visit during their scrimmages alongside select players from the NBA Yao School.

Shaquille O’Neal, who was the 7-6 Yao’s chief rival in the NBA, Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin, a member of the US original Dream Team, also graced the event.

“I never thought I would see Shaq (O’Neal) in my life,” said Jr. NBA Phl boys coach Cliff Andy Tecocan in Filipino.

Just like the initial scrimmage the day before, the Filipinos, whose five-day trip was bankrolled by Alaska Milk and sanctioned by the NBA, stamped their class in the boys’ 3x3 and 5x5 games conducted by NBA Asia vice president for basketball operations Chris Sumner at the NBA Yao School.