Paul Ryan Tan
Before the storm of the first-ever NBA preseason game in the country, Filipinos were treated to a variety of events leading to the big day on October 10.
October 8: Pacers’ court drop-in, coaches clinic highlights Day 1
Since arriving in the country a day earlier, both the Houston Rockets and Indiana Pacers had a field day on Tuesday to mark their first full practice session at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Among the stars who granted interviews were Jeremy Lin, Dwight Howard, and head coach Kevin McHale for the Rockets; Paul George, Roy Hibbert, and George Hill of the Pacers gamely answered queries.
Following their respective practice sessions, Hill and George, together with legend Jalen Rose made a surprise drop-in at the nearby Cuneta Astrodome to show off some drills and interact with selected kids from the area.
Later in the day, three assistant coaches from the Rockets and the entire Pacers staff led by head coach Frank Vogel lectured some of the country’s top basketball coaches from all levels, from high school to the professional ranks.
Kevin McHale’s coaching staff led by JB Bickerstaff, Chris Finch, and Dean Cooper taught the finer points of their team’s execution both on offense and defense. On the other hand, Vogel pointed out how his team, despite lacking superstars, was able to produce their hard-nosed brand of basketball.
“We’re a team-first team. We don’t have a superstar like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, or Dwight Howard. We rely on our togetherness, our passing, and teamwork. That’s why we have a smash-mouth type of basketball,” remarked Vogel during the second half of the two-hour long session.
Paul Ryan Tan
October 9: Pacers GM Bird steals show in Day 2
In both teams’ second day in the metropolitan area of the nation’s capital, the Houston Rockets took their turn to make an appearance at a local basketball court, this time in front of a packed crowd of students at the Aurora Quezon Elementary School in Malate, Manila for the second NBA Cares event of the day.
Led by Chandler Parsons, Isaiah Canaan, together with NBA legends Clyde Drexler and Ron Harper, the four taught kids basic basketball skills in dribbling, passing, shooting, and defense.
Earlier, the Indiana Pacers conducted the NBA Cares Special Olympics presented by Sprite.
But the biggest story of the day was the roundtable discussion with Pacers general manager Larry Bird, who gave his insights, from the team being a global brand to
Among all the questions, the one that stood out was a query in regards to whether he feels more pressured as a player or as a GM.
But the league’s legendary trash-talker for the famed Boston Celtics championship teams of the ’80s cut off her question and fired back a laconic reply:
“Pressure? I don’t know what that is.”
