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- Jun 8, 2004
MANILA, Philippines - Six NBA legends are coming to town and four of them will team up with D-Leaguers to play a PBA All-Star selection in a one-game Solar Sports production called the "NBA Asia Challenge" at the Araneta Coliseum on Sept. 11.
Ticketed to play are two-time slam dunk champion Dominique Wilkins, 49, 7-1 center Vlade Divac, 41, crossover killer Tim Hardaway, 43, and 16-year veteran Robert Horry, 38. The visitors will be coached by another legend Lenny Wilkens with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as a "celebrity assistant."
"It will be full-blown NBA experience," said Solar Sports' Vitto Lazatin. "Not only will the NBA legends be playing but the NBA is also putting together a nucleus of D-Leaguers with real NBA experience. Then, we've got the New Jersey Nets dancers coming, too. They're the NBA's only dancers who dunk - using a trampoline, of course. And if we're lucky, we might be able to bring in the Nets mascot Sly (the Silver) Fox to add to the NBA ambiance."
Lazatin said he has met with PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios on the possibility of a PBA All-Star selection facing the visitors. Nothing has been finalized as the PBA is busy with tomorrow's draft and the FIBA-Asia Championships in Tianjin on Aug. 6-16. But Lazatin said he's hoping the PBA could form a team of All-Stars with four legends, possibly, Alvin Patrimonio, Allan Caidic, Samboy Lim and Hector Calma.
Lazatin said it would be a fans' treat if Robert Jaworski could coach the PBA selection and face off against Wilkens and Abdul-Jabbar.
The NBA team will arrive Sept. 7. Mall tours, media appearances and clinics will precede the game. Solar is planning a press conference to announce the tour next week.
NBA Asia's Carlo Singson said he is suggesting the core of D-Leaguers to be composed of former PBA imports. In the NBA D-League last season, the PBA veterans were Earl Barron, Richie Frahm, Billy Thomas and Carlos Wheeler. Additionally, two players saw action in the recent PBA Fiesta Conference - David Noel of Barangay Ginebra and Gary Forbes of Talk 'N' Text. Former Michigan State point guard Mateen Cleaves, a six-pro NBA veteran, is also in the candidates list.
The game will be covered by Solar Sports and aired on a later date.
When told of the possibility of playing in the game the other day, Patrimonio said he'll start working back to shape right away. He welcomed the idea of combining forces with today's PBA stars in playing against a team of NBA legends and D-Leaguers.
Among the legends, a name that's familiar with NBA fans in this generation is Horry who was the Houston Rockets' first round draft pick in 1992 and played on seven NBA championship teams with Houston, the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio. He holds the Finals record for most steals - 7 - in a game and hit 7-of-7 triples in a playoff match against Utah in 1997. He retired at the end of the 2007-08 season. Technically, Horry is still not a "legend" but his qualifications point to eventually achieving the status.
Wilkins played in 15 NBA seasons with Atlanta, the Los Angeles Clippers, Boston, San Antonio and Orlando before retiring in 1999. He led the NBA in scoring with a 30.3 clip in 1986. Wilkins was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
Wilkens, 71, holds the record for most NBA career coaching wins at 1,332. He was the NBA All-Star Game MVP in 1971 and head coach of the US team that won the gold medal at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996. Wilkens was elected to the Hall of Fame as a player in 1988 and coach in 1998. He piloted the Seattle SuperSonics to the NBA crown in 1979.
But the crowd-drawer will surely be the 62-year-old Abdul-Jabbar, now a Lakers assistant coach. He retired as a player in 1989 at 42 and still holds the NBA records for most points, most minutes played, most field goals made and most field goals attempted. Abdul-Jabbar played on three NCAA championship teams with UCLA and on six NBA title squads with Milwaukee (1971) and the Lakers (1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 198. It will be Abdul-Jabbar's fourth visit to Manila.
Lazatin said the final roster is still being negotiated but assured the NBA team will be competitive, no matter how old the players are.
