FIBA trophy coming to town

MANILA, Philippines - The 20-pound, 1-1/2 foot sterling silver Naismith Trophy will be on display in Manila on July 4-6 as the ultimate prize of the FIBA World Cup is brought around the globe to herald the international significance of the 24-nation championships to be held in Spain on Aug. 30 to Sept. 14.

The trophy, named in honor of Dr. James Naismith who invented basketball in 1891, was exhibited during the NBA All-Star Weekend in New Orleans last February and has been on a world-wide tour since April with Puerto Rico the first stop.

A tentative itinerary has been prepared by Solar Sports for the Trophy Tour in Manila. On the first day, it will be brought to different tourist spots as a way to promote the Philippines as a tourist destination for the FIBA World Cup audience. The stops are the Luneta Park, Intramuros, Plaza Roma in front of the Manila Cathedral and the Gat Andres Bonifacio shrine. The trophy will then be taken to the SM Megamall Atrium where the plan is to mount a basketball shootout, photo booth and product display with the participation of Molten. At the same venue later that day, the Naismith Trophy will be unveiled before the Gilas national team and SBP officials. The unveiling will be the highlight of a program to include a cultural dance presentation and the performance of Banda Kawayan.

On the second day, the trophy will be brought to more sites in the morning. The stops are the CCP Complex on Roxas Boulevard, the Ayala Center in Makati, the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig and the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City. That afternoon, the trophy will make its way back to the SM Megamall Atrium where a raffle draw will cap a program of activities to include a basketball shootout, product display and photo-op and autograph signing with the Gilas team.

The third day will bring the trophy to the Mall of Asia Music Hall for more photo opportunities and autograph signing with the Gilas squad. The display at the Mall of Asia Music Hall is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. The three-day schedule, however, is still subject to change.

Arriving with the Naismith Trophy is FIBA director for TV/News Media Rights and English basketball legend Paul Stimpson. The trophy tour will be documented to promote the coming FIBA World Cup. Stimpson, based in Geneva, is in charge of FIBA’s TV production all over the world.

The trophy tour started last April with the idea of FIBA and its event partners in World Cup countries using the presence of the Naismith Trophy to promote the tournament in Spain and the participation of the host country with activities aimed at celebrating basketball. FIBA said at each stop, the trophy will be displayed in landmark locations and shown in media with past and present national players appearing to share their memories and expectations of the World Cup.

Puerto Rico was the first stop and NBA veteran Jose (Piculin) Ortiz welcomed the arrival with other national legends like Mario Morales and Bobby Joe Hatton. Next was a visit to Mexico City where another NBA veteran Horacio Llamas came to pay tribute. The third stop in the Americas was Rio de Janeiro. The European leg began last May in Milan and proceeded to Ljubljana in Slovenia, Belgrade in Serbia, Athens in Greece, Istanbul in Turkey and Zagreb in Croatia. Stops are also scheduled in Helsinki in Finland, Palanga in Lithuania and Paris in France.

The trophy was introduced at the fifth FIBA World Cup in Uruguay in 1967 with the Soviet Union claiming the grand prize. A new trophy was created by Goldsmith master Gunter Schoebel of Germany and awarded to Yugoslavia for winning the 1998 championship in Athens. The original trophy was retired and is now on display at the FIBA Hall of Fame and Museum by the Pedro Ferrandiz Foundation in Madrid.

The FIBA website describes the Naismith Trophy as “valuable” and “precious” as it is made of 975/1000 sterling silver on the upper and lower parts, gold plated on the inside, with a 14-carat yellow gold middle section. The Rosa Porrhino marble base measures 20x20 centimeters. The top has a circumference of 8.3 inches with a lotus flower design inspired by the Temples of Karnak of ancient Egypt. The decagonal rotating middle piece has carved maps of the continents and precious stones inlaid symbolizing the world’s five geographical regions. Black onyx, yellow citrine, green chrysoprase, red garnet and blue topaz represent the continents. Dr. Naismith’s name is engraved on all four sides in Latin and Arabic scripts, Chinese characters and Egyptian hieroglyphs, noted FIBA.