Laker Girls coming to town

Whether you’re a Los Angeles Lakers fan or not, here’s something to look forward to from Tinseltown.

National Basketball Association (NBA) Asia Senior Director for Business Development Phil Hayes-Brown said a plan is in the works to bring in the popular Laker Girls for a goodwill tour to coincide with the league’s interactive traveling road show called the "Jam Session" here this summer.

Brown, who is based in Hong Kong, flew in to attend Solar Sports’ remote live via satellite coverage of the NBA All-Star Game at the National Sports Grill in Makati recently.

The NBA is clearly upbeat about the Philippine market and Brown described Asia as the league’s "gateway to growth." Yao Ming’s arrival in the NBA has fueled unprecedented global expansion. The NBA All-Star Game, for instance, was beamed to a record 3.1 billion people in over 200 countries. No doubt, China’s population accounted for a major part of the audience.

The Laker Girls are considered the hottest dance team in the NBA. They perform at halftime, during some timeouts, and in between quarters of the Lakers home games at the Staples Center. The Lakers website said the Girls "give hometown fans some more to cheer about, other than the score, with their provocative and ever-changing style of dancing."

Tryouts are conducted every year for 20 slots on the Laker Girls squad by director Lisa Estrada. This season, there are nine rookie Girls. The seniors are Alice Chien and Angela Willhite, both in their fourth year. Nearly all the Girls are professional dancers but their academic backgrounds are varied, ranging from psychology to finance to kinesiology to law to sales to choreography.

Throughout the year, the Laker Girls make over a hundred public appearances. Last season, they performed during a Kansas City Knights game in the American Basketball Association (ABA). Once, the Laker Girls faced off against the New York Knicks City Dancers in a "Family Feud" episode on TV.

In 1997, six Laker Girls accompanied Shaquille O’Neal to Manila for his "Rap and Jam" tour. They dazzled local fans with their choreographed dance numbers during the three-hour show at the Big Dome. The Laker Girls who came here were Rebecca Lin, Carrie Patton, Andrea Toste, Jennifer Strovas, Denise Jerome and Kelly Himovitz.

The NBA staged its first "Jam Session" in Asia in July 1994 and took the event to Chiba, Japan, drawing millions of visitors. Former US President Jimmy Carter and his wife and the Crown Prince and Princess of Japan graced the grand opening.

The NBA brought its interactive traveling show to malls in Manila, Iloilo and Cebu during a four-weekend blitz in June 2001. It was called the NBA "Madness" tour and attracted 2,800 participants and about 10,000 spectators each weekend.

In 1974, a group of retired and active NBA players invaded Manila to play in a series of exhibition games against the Philippine national team. Each game was a sellout as fans came in droves to witness the likes of Elvin Hayes, Elgin Baylor, Gail Goodrich, Calvin Murphy, Geoff Petrie and Eddie Miles.

In 1975, New York Knicks guard Walt Frazier brought in a contingent of over 30 NBA stars to play in a summer tournament here. The stars were distributed to various local teams and saw action with Filipino players. Among the visitors were Tiny Archibald, Scott Wedman, Mel Davis, John Drew, George McGinnis and Lucius Allen. NBA referees Richie Powers and Jake O’Donnell also joined the trip.

In 1978, the NBA champion Washington Bullets–featuring Hayes, Wes Unseld, and Kevin Porter–visited Manila and played a game against a Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) selection before a full house at the Araneta Coliseum.

In 1982, a team of NBA Legends played a series of exhibitions here. Among the Legends were Pete Maravich, Rick Barry, Earl Monroe, Connie Hawkins, and Phil Jackson.

Since 1997, several NBA stars have visited the Philippines on promotional tours. Grant Hill has been here twice. O’Neal, Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, Tracy McGrady, and Paul Pierce also flew in to meet their Filipino fans. The last NBA player to visit was Pierce who came for Nike’s Asian 3-on-3 Finals in 2000.

Last year, a slew of players was scheduled to tour here but cancelled out because of the world-wide terrorist alert. Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett, Andre Miller, and Walter Szczerbiak were among the stars slated to plane in.

The NBA’s TV package in the Philippines is the most extensive signed by the league. There are nine live games shown a week and two more are aired on a same-day, delayed basis. Solar Sports also airs classic NBA games and featured shows daily. A highlight on the Solar Sports network is the feed from NBA TV, a global video service that provides updates from NBA games the previous night direct from the US. The satellite service provides viewers with NBA clips on a daily basis, including game highlights, scores, post-game coverage, updates, and plays of the day.

Last May, the NBA signed a license agreement with Globe Telecoms and launched an NBA-themed Short-Message-Service promotion. It had previously inked licensing agreements for the manufacture and distribution of NBA stationery, apparel, and accessories. Additionally, the NBA inked an exclusive license for phone cards with the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. to manufacture, distribute, retail, promote and advertise NBA player phone cards here.

Brown, a 39-year-old Australian, joined the NBA in 1994 and has worked in league offices in Melbourne, Singapore, Paris, and London before his Hong Kong posting.

Brown said the secret to the NBA’s phenomenal growth is its successful push towards globalization. The NBA has opened its doors to the world’s best players and this season, over 60 imports are listed in rosters. Brown, in fact, confessed his favorite NBA players are Dirk Nowitzki of Germany and Steve Nash of Canada.

Brown said he hopes someday soon, a Filipino will play in the NBA. A Fil-Am Raymond Townsend saw action for the Golden State Warriors in 1978-80 and the Indiana Pacers in 1981-82 but no full-blooded Filipino has yet to suit up.