Tenement to celebrate ‘Bring Your Game’

MANILA, Philippines – The seven-story building block called the Tenement in West Bicutan, Taguig, will be the site for Nike to celebrate the new “Bring Your Game” campaign in inspiring Filipino youth to excel in the game they love.

Nike Philippines country marketing manager Patrick Reyes said the kick-off will be in January to align with a six-month basketball training course that started last month for 75 kids in the 6-19 age group from the 1,000 families living in the Tenement, a local version of the American inner-city projects.

The Tenement was where Nike stars LeBron James and Paul George visited during their summer Manila tours. It was the perfect setting to deliver Nike’s message of enabling kids, regardless of social status, to live their dream through a platform of opportunity. Nike got the ball rolling with a six-week “Rise” program supervised by PBA five-time Coach of the Year Chot Reyes last June. “Rise” involved training 24 kids who survived tryouts with 1,000 participants in the 12 to 21 age group in Dagupan, Manila, Davao and Cebu. The next step was “We Rise,” the training course in the Tenement. Now, Nike is moving a step further with “Bring Your Game.”

A “Bring Your Game” video was introduced on nike.com in the US yesterday (this morning, Manila) to launch the campaign. It’s a 5:11 film featuring four bright teenagers in a debate on who their favorite basketball player is. They set out, with pen and notebook in hand, to interview Kevin Durant, George, Anthony Davis, Kobe Bryant, Elena Delle Donne, Kyrie Irving and James, in that order, to resolve the issue. Hip-hop artist Future and tennis star Serena Williams appear in cameo roles. The film was directed by Rick Famuyiwa and a trailer was shown in 3,000 US theaters last week.

In the film, the youngsters knock on the door of Durant’s home and announce to the Oklahoma City star that they’re in a quest to determine their favorite player. “That’s a little weird but come on in,” says Durant. The visitors are later shown by Future a poster with the words “KD Dunks On Me Because He Cares.” They interview George while he’s fishing – his other passion – and reading a book in a hot tub in a yacht. Davis takes them around New Orleans where he plays for the Pelicans. Bryant talks about meditation, his inner strength, his “shark tank” and his attitude towards hard work (“nothing compared to a second of losing”). Donne, this year’s WNBA MVP from the Chicago Sky, invites them to watch her play on a public court in a girls’ night out. Irving shows his dribbling ability while cooking in the kitchen, watching a movie and eating at the dinner table. Finally, James hosts them in his house and cancels invitations to listen to music in a studio and hang out with Williams to be with the kids. The four teenagers are also treated to front row seats while James unravels his repertoire during a Cleveland game. “Too Many Great Players” is the conclusion in a message that each star has his or her own recipe for success to inspire anyone and everyone to achieve.

“’Bring Your Game’ is really about inspiring the youth to push themselves to be the best athlete and to keep being the best,” said Nike Southeast Asia communications director Raena Aihara Cheong. “The campaign uses our most inspirational global basketball athletes to share that message through their own stories of self-awareness, understanding and conscientious and consistent hard work. The plan for us to celebrate ‘Bring Your Game’ in the Philippines will happen in January at the Tenement. That location has become somewhat of an iconic location that represents the unique Filipino basketball culture. It’s not the birthing grounds for the culture but it’s certainly a celebrated location.”

Cheong said the “Rise” program is almost a prequel to “Bring Your Game.” “We pushed the youth who never had the chance to train in a formal setting to play and train on a hardwood court,” she said. “With ‘Rise,’ we gave the youth the opportunity to show they want success and we gave them that preparation for the success and those who cried in pain and continued to work very hard and push their limits, finally cried in joy when they were identified as the final 12 ‘Rise’ players.”

Cheong said it’s not always about delivering the most innovative shoes or apparel. “It’s about inspiring the youth around the world, that one’s passion needs to be continuously fuelled, it needs to be fed with training and hard work and it needs to be given a chance at surviving life in order to get closer to the point of success,” she said. “And that one should never give up even after attaining their goal because there is a need to continue to be the best and keeping aiming higher. Being proud of who you are, keeping the flame of passion alive and working hard to just keep on being a better athlete that your yesterday.”

Irving, 23, is a case in point. He fractured his left kneecap in Game 1 of the NBA Finals last June and labored in the gym to fast-track his recovery with isolated, weight-bearing dynamic exercises to complement on-court workouts. The recovery included daily training starting at 6:30 a.m. for 2 1/2 hours before team practice at 10 a.m. Last Dec. 20, Irving was back on the floor to play against the Philadelphia 76ers. “It sucks being hurt,” said the FIBA World Cup 2014 MVP. “But when you have guys in your corner, you have teammates and you have coaches who are continuously supporting you and helping you get to your goal, it makes life a lot easier.”