NBA MANILA GAMES IN 2012?

Don’t look now, but the Philippines is bidding to become just the fifth Asian nation to host NBA pre-season games in 2012. Only Japan, China, Taiwan and Macau have hosted NBA exhibition games in the past. The gigantic, state-of-the-art new SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena in Pasay City is set to open on April 2012 and plans of bringing in NBA pre-season games is in the offing next year. The MOA arena will have a 20,000 seat capacity and is expected to rival the Araneta Coliseum as the number one sports/entertainment site in the country. Aside from the planned NBA games, SM owner Henry Sy is said to be targeting big events next year for the New MOA Arena, according to The Philippine Daily Inquirer.

“The state-of-the-art Mall of Asia Arena at the SM MOA Complex in Pasay City is hoping to host a preseason game of the National Basketball Association when it opens its doors next year.

"Edgar Tejerero, senior vice president of West Avenue Theaters Corp., said SM, owned by business magnate Henry Sy, has grand plans on the first year of the MOA Arena and one of them is bringing in an NBA preseason game here."