Nike basketball athlete, Paul George, was in Manila to inspire and enable #Rise players

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NIKE BRINGS PAUL GEORGE TO MANILA TO INSPIRE AND ENABLE #RISE PLAYERS

Rise players are inspired to challenge their limits to realize their true potential

Nike basketball athlete, Paul George, was in Manila to be the first mentor to the 24 players from #Rise, Nike’s first ever reality documentary and basketball development program.

George arrived on Sunday, July 19, and dropped in on local kids playing basketball at a tenement court, getting his first immersion into Pinoy streetball.

On July 20 George opened the House of Rise, the main training ground for Rise players, and introduced the 24 Rise players. The Rise players have embarked on a six-week journey of high-level basketball training from professional coaches led by former Gilas head coach Chot Reyes and former national player now Talk ‘N Text team manager Jimmy Alapag

Since July 15, the Rise players have been living like a Nike athlete – professional training every day consisting of skills drills and strength and conditioning workouts. Training is conducted by Nike Rise coaching staff led by Coach Chot. They will be aided by elevated training tools that will help them analyze their game and get better at it, raise their level through speed, shooting and defensive exercises, and be motivated by athletes who will share their own Rise stories.

The Rise players have been equipped with the best Nike Basketball product innovations that include both training apparel and footwear. For supporters and fans, the Nike Rise collection of tees and signature athlete shoes will be available at selected Nike stores beginning July 2015.

“There is no lack of basketball talent in the Philippines. But there may be a lack of opportunity. Every basketball player wants to reach new heights in his game so he can bring his game out there and reach his or her basketball dream. Nike wants to help them get out of their comfort zone so they can make that next step that will make them rise to the top of their game. By providing them with a professionally run basketball program and product innovations to support them, they can hopefully make their dreams come true,”said Patrick Reyes, Country Marketing Manager of Nike Philippines.

The audience can follow the 24 kids on their Rise journey until the final 12 players that comprise the Rise Team are chosen over TV5, every Sunday starting July. For behind-the-scenes and additional training content, go to Nike.com. Keep track of online content through #Rise.

BEST Center SBP/Passerelle Tournament 2015 opens

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SBP/Passerelle Twin Tournament, the country’s most prestigious interschool basketball competition for kids, kicks off its 30th season this Sunday, July 19, at the Xavier School Fr. Rafael Cortina Gym in Greenhills. The opening ceremony will be attended by Nieto twins, Michael and Matthew, who started their basketball career in Small Basketeers and are now members of Batang Gilas.

Organized by the Basketball Efficiency and Scientific Training (BEST) Center, this year’s season promises to be another exciting tournament with 600 players from 40 teams participating in the games.

The competition will run for three months with kids 9-11 years old vying for the Small Basketeers Philippines (SBP) trophy and kids 12-14 years old playing for the Passerelle title. Defending their SBP title is Xavier School, which was the NCR and national champion last year. University of Visayas, meanwhile, will play their all for their Passerelle title.

The SBP participating teams are composed of Xavier School Team A, Xavier School Team B, Ateneo de Manila Team A, Ateneo de Manila Team B, De la Salle Santiago Zobel, La Salle Greenhills Team A, La Salle Greenhills Team B, Notre Dame of Greater Manila, St. Mary;s College, Quezon City; Lourdes School, Quezon City; Marist School, San Beda College Rizal, and San Sebastian College-Recoletos.

The Passerelle participating teams, meanwhile, include Ateneo de Manila Team A, Ateneo de Manila Team B, Lourdes School Mandaluyong, Xavier School, Adamson University, La Salle Greenhills Team A, La Salle Greenhills Team B, University of Santo Tomas, Nazareth School of NU, Notre Dame of Greater Manila, St May's College, De la Salle Santiago Zobel, San Beda College Rizal, and St. Augustin International School.

Sponsored by Milo and Chris Sports, the SBP/Passerelle Twin Tournament is organized by the BEST Center since 1985 to provide aspiring young players a platform to showcase their basketball skills on a national level, as well as foster camaraderie and sportsmanship among the participating schools, the players and parents.

For more information, please call the BEST Center hotlines 411-6260 or 372-3065, or visit BEST Center Sports Inc. on Facebook.

Celebrating 35 years of producing basketball legends, the Best Center is the pioneer scientific sports clinic in the country and was cited with an Olympism Award by the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), and installed in the Hall of Fame by the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA).

Last Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Open Clinic Feb. 17 in Novaliches

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Regional Selection Camps next in Puerto Princesa, Binan, Iloilo, Baguio, Bacolod, Davao and Manila 

Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA Philippines 2015 presented by Alaska holds its last open clinic of the 2015 season on Tuesday, February 17, 2015 at Casa Milan Clubhouse, Casa Milan, Novaliches, Quezon City at 10 a.m. to 12 noon and at 2-4 p.m.

The school and open clinics are the first phase of the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA program designed to familiarize participants with NBA drills, conditioning exercises, skills stations and the all-important Jr. NBA core values of Sportsmanship, Teamwork, a positive Attitude and Respect (S.T.A.R.). 

The Regional Selection Camps -- where outstanding young players in various regions will be chosen for inclusion in the National Training Camp -- is Phase Two of the program and will begin on February 21-22 at Seminario de San Jose in Puerto Princesa. The National Training Camp is the high point of the Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA program where ten Jr. NBA and five Jr. WNBA standouts will be named as the 2015 Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA All-Stars and a Coach of the Year will be chosen.

Other selection camps will be held on February 28-March 1 in Biñan, Laguna at Alonte Sports Arena; Iloilo City on March 7-8 at Ateneo de Iloilo; Baguio on March 14-15 at St. Louis University; Bacolod on March 21-22 at St. John’s Institute; Davao on March 28-29 and Manila on April 11-12 at the PICC Forum. Fifty boys and 24 girls will be chosen to participate in the 8th annual Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA National Training Camp in Manila (the third phase of the program) from April 24-26. 

The Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA program is free for boys and girls across all stages – from the school and open clinics, through the Regional Selection Camps, the National Training Camp and the NBA Experience.

Registration is now ongoing through the Jr. NBA/Jr. 

WNBA event website www.jrnba.asia/philippines, where full program terms and conditions can be found. Fans can follow Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/jrnbaphilippines. 

For all things NBA, visit www.nba.com and follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/philsnba) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/nba_philippines).

1st HP Enterprise Cup Basketball Tournament

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Photo credits to Raffy Pedrajita of digitalspidey.com

The first HP Enterprise Group basketball tournament was opened last November 22, 2014  held at Gatorade Hoops Central, Liberty Center, Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City.

Photo credits to Eli Villagonzallo of http://www.elifestylemanila.com

Hewlett Packard, a Global brand in Information Technology as its first sports event aimed to be an annual activity to build stronger with the HP community and to reach out to its channel partners and customers by promoting work-life balance.

HP Enterprise Cup Philippines participated by 12 teams: MEC Computer Corporation, MSI-ECS Philippines, Thakral One, Wordtext System Inc., Unison Computer Systems INc., Sandz Solutions, Questech, and Advance Solutions Inc.; and HP customer like Globe, Digitel, Banco de Oro and Smart also join in the cup.

HP Philippines Managing Director Ryan Guadalquiver said that “this is the first of many activities of HP Enterprise Group and its channel partner and customers.”

Photo credits to Eli Villagonzallo of http://www.elifestylemanila.com

Basketball superstar Alvin “The Captain” Patrimonio also graced the ocassion.

HP Enterprise Cup will give special awards as Mythical Selections, MVP, and also Best in Uniform and the Best Muse.

Gilas Pilipinas fans meet Marc Pingris

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Filipino basketball fans (L-R) Jerome Hernandez, Jeiel Guarino, Andrew Penaranda, Mike Cleofe and Jose Clipper Besin pose with Gilas Pilipinas Player and Master Game Face ambassador Marc Pingris during a meet and greet event at the sidelights of the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Seville, Spain.

The winners of the Master Game Face Goes to Spain promo, sponsored by the biggest male face care brand in the Philippines, all flew to Spain for an 8-day all expenses paid trip and a once-in-a-lifetime chance to watch live and cheer for members of the national men’s basketball team, as they put their oil-free game faces on and play in the biggest basketball event in the world.

#Laban Pilipinas, #MasterGoesToSpain, #MasterGameFace

#PusoToTheMax Cheer!

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Gilas Pilipinas is the Philippine National Basketball Team under the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) previously called Smart Gilas Pilipinas.

Smart Gilas represents the Philippines at the 17th FIBA tournament. 

The national team's sponsors also believe that Gilas’ trademark “Puso” will take the squad to great heights despite the odds.

One of the sponsors who support Gilas’ cause is Max’s Restaurant. Max's has show their full support for the national team by launching events, activities and promos. Max's launched the campaign to back up Gilas.

Global Filipino brand Max’s Restaurant is counting on the power of social media as it drums up public support for Gilas Pilipinas, which gears up for its historic stint in the FIBA World Cup this August.

Launching the hash tag, “puso to the max” (#pusotothemax), Max’s is exhorting every Filipino from all over the world to express their love and support for the Gilas team set to fly to Spain to compete against the world’s elite.

“Puso to the Max seeks to ignite the spirit of nationalism and solidarity among Filipinos as we support the first Philippine team that has made it to the FIBA World Cup after 35 years. It is more than a hash tag, it is an expression of national pride and support for Gilas, who are our modern-day heroes and champions,” said Mark Gamboa, marketing director for Max’s Group of Companies.

The partnership of Max’s and Team Gilas links two elements that Filipinos are passionate about – basketball and authentic Filipino cuisine.

The “Puso to the Max” hash tag campaign is the celebration of the unyielding spirit of Filipinos and dedication of Team Gilas as they seek to showcase the undeniable caliber of Filipino talent on a global scale.

“Nothing of this magnitude can be achieved without team effort... that’s the story of Gilas. Here’s an entire nation coming together for Philippine basketball’s finest hour. That’s what Laban Pilipinas – puso – is all about,” said coach Chot Reyes of Gilas Pilipinas.

With this Cheer Video, by Max's with the theme #PusoToTheMax featuring Gilas Pilipinas Players by Max’s Restaurant

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVaSnh-4_Ws

Team Gilas Pilipinas showed their true mettle, winning four of their tune up games in Spain.

As they inch closer to their most awaited competition, let us continue to cheer for our players.

Good luck Gilas Pilipinas in the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain and in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon.

For more details and updates, visit www.facebook.com/maxsrestaurant.

NBA 3X Philippines 2014 presented by Sprite returns to Manila

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2014 NBA All-Star DeMar DeRozan of the Toronto Raptors will headline this year’s event and be on hand to help run clinics and interact with fans.

NBA 3X Philippines 2014 presented by Sprite returns to Manila at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall from July 4 – 6, the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Sprite announced today. 

Now in its fourth year, the event combines exciting 3x3 on-court competition with free authentic NBA entertainment and experiences for fans of all ages.

Join the fun with NBA 3X Philippines 2014 to celebrate basketball and NBA culture with free fan activities including a slam dunk contest, basketball clinics, 3-point shootouts, skills challenges, autograph sessions, and more.

To keep fans entertained, there will also be performances by an NBA dance team, an NBA mascot, live bands and DJs, as well as NBA merchandise giveaways. 

DeRozan guided the Raptors to a 48-win season—the team’s most successful regular season campaign ever—and helped steer them back into the Playoffs for the first time since the 2007-08 NBA Season. DeRozan led the team in scoring (23.9 ppg) and minutes played (40.3 min) during their postseason run.

“I’m excited for my first visit to the Philippines to experience the country’s unique culture and to be a part of NBA 3X,” said DeRozan. “Filipinos are world-renowned for their passion for the NBA and I can’t wait for this exciting showcase of their basketball skills.” 

The competitive 3x3 tournament features divisions for boys under-18, under-16, and under-13, and for girls under-18 and under-16. The event will also include open categories for both men and women along with an invitation only Celebrity Division featuring popular local TV and music personalities. Registration for NBA 3X Philippines 2014 presented by Sprite begins June 6, on a first-come first-serve basis, and runs till June 27 or until all slots are full. NBA 3X Philippines 2013 saw record levels of demand with more than 170 teams on the waitlist vying to get a spot into the tournament. As a result, the Philippine International Convention Center will once again be utilized as a secondary venue to accommodate the teams. 

“NBA fans in the Philippines have been treated to a historic year of activities with the staging of the first-ever NBA preseason game in Southeast Asia in Manila, followed by the opening of NBA Cafe Manila—a first-of-its-kind NBA destination,” said Carlo Singson, Philippines Country Manager, NBA Asia. “With the return of NBA 3X Philippines presented by Sprite, we continue our goal of providing our loyal supporters with authentic ways to engage with the NBA, be it through events, television programming, NBA.com or social media.”

Leading the Coca-Cola Company’s brand association with the NBA is Sprite, the world's leading lemon-lime sparkling beverage and the Philippines' no. 1 flavored soft drink. Sprite has been the Official Soft Drink of the NBA in the U.S. since 1994.

“In a country where both Sprite and street basketball are tremendously popular, we are glad to be able to support programs that encourage people to play basketball, stay physically active, improve strength and endurance, achieve energy balance, and drink Sprite,” said Teejae Sonza, Marketing Manager for Sparkling of Coca-Cola Philippines. “Sprite has been the presenting partner for NBA 3X Philippines since its launch in 2011 and we look forward to another great event for the entire family to enjoy.”

Along with presenting partner Sprite, official partners of NBA 3X Philippines 2014 include adidas, Smart Communications and PLDT, KFC and Phoenix Petroleum, with Acer and Spalding serving as supporting partners. Official NBA broadcasters are ABS-CBN Sports + Action and Basketball TV.

All participants of the NBA 3X Philippines 2014 presented by Sprite will receive a jersey and NBA sling bag. There will also be prizes for the winner of each division. Registration fees for the age divisions run at Php1,000 per team, and for open divisions at Php1,600 pesos per team.

For more information on NBA 3X Philippines 2014 presented by Sprite and to register for the 3x3 tournament, log on to www.nba3x.com/philippines.

Fans can also get updates on the event by following the NBA on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nba_philippines and through Facebook at www.facebook.com/nba3xasia and www.facebook.com/philsnba.

The UNTV Cup Season 2

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The UNTV Cup Season 2 will officially commence on February 11, 2014 at Smart Araneta.

Here's UNTV's advocacy that was able to unite different government agencies and local celebrities to play the game of basketball to support a cause.

On this season’s league, the teams were given the privilege to get a maximum of two professional basketball (PBA) players for reinforcement, subject to certain qualifications.  For the second season, ten (10) teams are set to take part in this charity ball game. They are the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP Cavaliers), Congress (Congress Legislators), Department of Justice (DOJ Hunters), Local Government Unit (LGU), Malacañang Palace, Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA Equalizers), Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (Philhealth Advocates), Philippine Judiciary, Philippine National Police (PNP Responders) and Senate. In addition to the participating teams of last season, the success of the advocacy inspired both Malacañan and Senate to join this upcoming season.

“UNTV Cup is one of the projects we came up with since we know a lot of people in the government agencies as well as celebrities who are fond of playing basketball. But this time, they’ll be playing for a better cause,” the veteran broadcaster UNTV Cup’s progenitor Kuya Daniel Razon said.

To further enhance the public service aspect of the league, each game day every Sunday will also be a public service” day for the participating agencies.

Prior to the game, each agency will be given a booth at the game venue, where our game audience may seek for the services of each organization.

During the first season, seven teams played to win the top prize of P1-million for their chosen charity.

Players included high-ranking officials from the Supreme Court (Team Judiciary), Armed Forces of the Philippines (Team AFP), Philippine National Police (Team PNP) and Philhealth. Officials from the Department of Justice (DOJ), Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), Congress and some local government units (Congress-LGU), also took part in Season 1 of UNTV Cup.

UNTV CUP Season 1 Champion Team Judiciary selected the Bohol earthquake and Mindanao war victims to receive their million-peso cash prize. Team PNP, meanwhile, donated its second-place cash prize of P500,000 to the Masonic Charities for Crippled Children.

All games will be held every Sunday at Ynares Sports Arena, and broadcasted live 2:30pm at UNTV.

UNTV's vision is be a prime catalyst of a public service advocacy that will inspire and encourage public servants to join hands in helping the underprivileged members of our society through sports. 

The UNTV Cup will provide an opportunity for public servants to play an active part for a good cause that will help the underprivileged of the society while promoting unity, camaraderie, and physical fitness among public servants. 

UNTV Cup is a basketball competition among various branches of the government culminating in a final game to determine the champion. This will not only promote camaraderie, sportsmanship and healthy competition among the various branches of the government but will also be able to bring to their attention the plight of the underprivileged. 

Each team will submit their chosen charitable institution as their beneficiary for this basketball tournament. The champion will be given the privilege to have a One Million Peso (Php1,000,000) grant to their beneficiary. While the runner-up will receive Five Hundred Thousand Pesos (Php500,000), the third placer Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Pesos (Php250,000) and the fourth placer One Hundred Fifty Thousand Pesos (Php150,000) for their chosen beneficiaries. 

The entire league is broadcasted LIVE every Sunday 2:30PM at UNTV, and simulcast via live streaming at www.untvweb.com. 

During the Season 1 completed last November 2013, UNTV's four-month tournament was successfully began and ended at the jam-packed Smart Araneta Coliseum. 

The participating teams of Season 1 were the following: 

a. Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) 

b. Philippine National Police (PNP) 

c. Judiciary/Supreme Court 

d. Congress-LGU 

e. PhilHealth 

f. Department of Justice (DOJ) 

g. MMDA 

The winners of the first season are as follows: 

· 4th Place – Philhealth (Philhealth Advocates) / Beneficiary: Cancer Warriors Foundation 

· 3rd Place – AFP (AFP Cavaliers) / Beneficiary: AFP Educational Benefit System Office 

· 2nd Place – PNP (PNP Hinirangs) / Beneficiary: Masonic Charities for Crippled Children 

· Champion – Judiciary (Team Judiciary) / Beneficiary: Earthquake Victims of Cebu and Bohol, and Standoff Victims of Zamboanga