A lot of stories had already been told regarding the recently-concluded, once in a lifetime event, the Smart Ultimate All-Star Weekend which featured a nine-man NBA dream cast of Kobe Bryant, Derrick Rose, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, Tyreke Evans, Derek Fisher, James Harden, JaVale McGee and Derrick Williams. But the most interesting and revealing of them all is an article written by Rafe Bartholomew. Yes, if his name rings a bell in the ears of Filipino hoop fans, it is because he authored the best-selling book on Philippine basketball, “PACIFIC RIMS”. Bartholomew wrote this masterpiece of an article from the planning stages of the All-Star tour and all the way to its breathtaking conclusion that further cemented the never-ending fascination of pinoy hoop followers of America’s best pro players. Part of the article reads:
“When the players finally arrived in Manila, they weren't quite prepared for the Beatlemania level of adulation that awaited them in the Philippines. After landing at Ninoy Aquino International Airport, they walked through a This wasn't about making money," Scott said. "It was about MVP's legacy and giving Filipinos a basketball event they've always dreamed of.">gauntlet of hundreds of screaming, clapping, picture-taking fans. "Shock and awe" was the only way to describe the players' response to their reception in the terminal, Scott said.
“The games went off as planned. Kobe served as the player/coach of the Smart All-Stars. Thanks to the lockout, the NBA wasn't mentioned in TV broadcasts and its logo didn't appear on anything the players wore. Before the first game against a group of all-stars from the Philippine pro league, reigning PBA most valuable player James Yap addressed the crowd in Tagalog: "We know that all of them are our idols, so I hope you'll cheer for us, too."
Bartholomew’s very interesting article entitled “Kobe Takes Manila; NBA Not Invited (How the Philippines became the first stop on NBA players' lockout tour)" can be read at GRANTLAND website.
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