The week NBA fans had a ball
The NBA finally had its very first pre-season game in the country dubbed the Global Games Philippines, which featured the Houston Rockets and the Indiana Pacers, and it was really a basketball extravaganza!
It was actually a week-long celebration of all things NBA since aside from the two full teams visiting, the league brought over several legends like Clyde Drexler, Robert Horry, Jalen Rose, and Ron Harper to not just help hype the game proper, but also to conduct various other activities which the fans enjoyed immensely.
The side events began with Harper conducting an NBA Cares event at the Boystown Marikina, followed by his interacting with the locals at the NBA Fan Fiesta at SM Megamall to open the week.
Horry and Drexler met the local media the following day and then also had some fan events after.
The next day, Rose, Horry, and Harper appeared at the open court of the San Andres Gym where the kids in the area had a blast playing ball with their idols.
Jalen then led a small group at the Manila Zoo on day three.
On the final day before the pre-season match, the Rockets and the Pacers joined in another NBA Cares program at the Aurora Quezon Elementary School and the MOA Arena, respectively.
The presence of Larry Bird, one of the true heroes of the game, and NBA Commissioner David Stern, the visionary who spearheaded the phenomenal rise of the league here on Philippine soil, was icing on the cake!
The game was very well attended and the fans screamed and cheered with every shot and pass, which capped off an exciting week that had Filipino sports aficionados craving for more!
