If you’re still wondering why all everyone’s talking about recently is basketball, and why your favorite dailies have gigantic African-American dudes in their front pages, then you probably should read the following carefully: We’re only two days away from the NBA Global Games Philippines, happening on Thursday, Oct 10 at the SM MOA Arena.
It’s the first-ever NBA game to be played in our soil, and it’ll feature the Houston Rockets trio of James “The Beard” Harden, Asian sensation Jeremy Lin, and Dwight Howard going up against Paul George and the rest of the Indiana Pacers. If you still aren’t as giddy as a fat boy given a three dozen J.COs, then you probably aren’t a basketball fan…or a Filipino. What in Robert Jaworski’s name is wrong with you?
Now, on to more pressing matters: How to watch live? If you’re not part of the 0.02% of our population who already have a ticket, then any hopes of seeing the action in person is a lost cause. The affordable range of tickets have long been sold out: those P550 nosebleed tickets were gobbled up fast, and we weren’t too keen either on coughing up P32,000 for one courtside seat. So, what now?
You could always watch it on TV (Studio 23 and Basketball TV). Or you could also tread the more unconventional path to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime NBA experience. Here are five ways:
1. Buy a Rockets’/Pacers’ player’s jersey. Yeah, you’ll still have to say goodbye to some cash. But at least you’ll have something useful and you’ll feel like you took part in all the hoopla. You can also forge the signature of the player whose name is on the back, frame it, and hang it on your wall. Now you have a “Yeah, I got this when the Pacers played the Rockets in Manila” story — a made-up story, yes, but still a story.
2. Buy a Rockets’/Pacers’ player’s shoe. The Rockets’ Jeremy Lin has a custom Nike Zoom Hyperfuse Low iD. Dwight Howard has the D Howard 4, made exclusively for him by Adidas. Either pair of kicks would make you the star of your neighborhood court. If you want more options however, Indiana’s Paul George is known for his eclectic taste in shoes, click this link for a rundown.
3. Play Rockets vs. Pacers in the latest version of NBA 2K. Buy the recently released NBA2K14, get two days’ worth of chips and sodas, call in sick for work, and play, play, play!
4. Watch Linsanity. The documentary about Taiwanese-American Lin’s phenomenal rise to stardom is still showing in cinemas: catch it, get inspired, and then use whatever trivia you’ll learn from it to bombard your buddies with information while you all watch the game on TV.
5. Stalk the Rockets/Pacers. Here’s some insider info that you can use to still get a glimpse of these NBA players off the hardcourt:
– The Indiana Pacers are staying in Sofitel Philippine Plaza (CCP Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City. Tel. No. +63 2 5515555), we got this from Pacers’ center Ian Mahinmi’s Instagram account. Check out his IG update from yesterday:
– The Rockets will be visiting the Aurora Quezon Elementary School in Malate, Manila, on Wednesday, Oct 9, at 3pm, for an NBA Cares outreach program.
– Come game day, Oct 10, your best bet to see them players at the MOA Arena. Wait for them to arrive and leave the venue by waiting at the player’s entrance, located at Pacific Drive, bring a camera and be ready to shout out some names if you want to get a selfie with someone.
– These are twenty-something young adults, they’re in a foreign land practically on vacation, ergo they will look to party. We suggest you head out to Republiq (2/F Newport Mall, Resorts World, Pasay City. Tel. No. 63 917 5508888), Opus Restaurant and Lounge (2/F Newport Mall, Resorts World, Pasay City. Tel. No. +63 917 8747738), Prive Luxury Lounge (Unit C, The Fort Strip, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. Tel. No. +63 917 8988181) or Urbn Bar and Kitchen (3/F Fort Pointe II Building, 28th St, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. Tel. No. +63 917 5649333) if you wanna mingle with them. Or you could also check out the dinner crowd at some of the metro’s best restaurants, i.e. Jeremy Lin was spotted at Seryna last night! Good luck!
