It’s a mad, mad NBA

They call it the NBA Madness. For good reason.

As Game 1 of the NBA (National Basketball Association) Finals draws near (that’s June 5 morning, Manila time), everyone’s talking about which team will succeed the Los Angeles Lakers on top of the heap. San Antonio, on the verge of ousting Dallas, or New Jersey. Take your pick. The Spurs, led by two-time MVP Tim Duncan, is favored to repeat their 1999 title grab but oddsmakers aren’t counting out the Nets because there’s no more cold-blooded clutch player than Jason Kidd.

To get the Finals show on the road, the NBAs launching its traveling grassroots six-stop mall tour tomorrow at SM Southmall in Las Pinas. The tour will run only on weekendsMay 30-June 1 in Las Pinas, June 6-8 at SM City Bicutan, June 13-15 at SM City Bacoor, June 20-22 at SM City Pampanga, June 27-29 at SM City Fairview, and July 4-6 at SM Megamall.

The roadshow is aptly labeled NBA Madnessand is designed to encourage players of all ages and abilities to participate in a variety of basketball skills challenges. There will be a slew of competitive events, including the main attraction dubbed the "NBA Shot of the Day."

To join the NBA Shot of the Daycontest, fans must bring a box of Growee or their Globe Gen TXT membership card. Winners in the "NBA Shot of the Day" get to take home Globe Gen TXT prepaid cards, free enrollment in "Hoop School"–the clinics conducted by Bobby Parks and Charlie Favis, an appearance on Solar Sports TVs NBA Jam,and an NBA gift pack.

Incidentally, the "Shot of the Day" will be held at 6 p.m. each day of the tour on center court. Contestants will be randomly drawn from Growee and Globe Gen TXT entries. Participants are given one shot from a designated area. A miss will mean elimination.

An interesting activity is the "NBA Play by Play AV Boothwhere" two participants team up to do a commentary of a one-minute video NBA game clip. The commentary will be recorded for judging and a souvenir available for a fee. Each tour stop will choose a winning pair and the survivors advance to the finals at the SM Megamall. A bonus is a chance for the No. 1 pair to participate in Solar Sportsproduction of an NBA game. Categories are for kids 12 and below, teens from 13 to 19, and adults from 20 and up.

That’s not all. NBA Asia Marketing Manager Carlo Singson says other contests are the NBA 2Ball, the 2-on-2 Challenge, 3-Point Shootout, the Free Throw Conga Line and Free Throw Frenzy and of course, the Slam Dunk contest.

For the Slam Dunk contest, the hoop will be set at eight or six feet, depending on the age group. Dunks will be rated on a scale of 7 to 10.

It’ll be the third "NBA Madness" tour in Manila after successful jaunts in 2000 and 2001. And Singson says plans for next years event are already being mapped out.

"We’re open to bring the tour to Cebu and other parts of the South in the future," says Singson, a Filipino who was hired by NBA Commissioner David Stern after earning his Master’s degree in business at Northwestern University. Maybe, we’ll bring in a player or cheerleaders next year. Maybe, we’ll do an exhibition game. Whatever, we want to make the tour an institution in the Philippines because we want Filipino fans to experience first-hand what its like to participate in an NBA event.

Singson says this year’s tour is presented by Solar Sports, Growee, and Globe Gen TXT with SM Supermalls, Spalding, and The Philippine Star as other sponsors.

The timing for tomorrows launch couldn’t be better with Game 1 of the Finals only a few days away.

"The excitement generated by the Finals is unbelievable," notes Singson. "Everybody’s talking about it. I’ll be watching out for Kenyon Martin defending Duncan, how Tony Parker will match up against Kidd, and the emergence of international stars like (Manu) Ginobili."

Singson says the NBA couldnt be happier with media partner Solar Sports which is in the first year of a four-year exclusive contract to broadcast the games here. "The owners are NBA fans so there’s a lot of passion behind our partnership," continues Singson. "The exposure the NBA is getting from Solar Sports is incredible. Now, millions of Filipino fans can enjoy the NBA like no other country."

Singson says Growee and Globe are in the NBAs elite roster of marketing partners here. Hes looking to tie up with an oil company and a bank or financial institution, too. There are links with Spalding and Upper Deck cards. And Singson hopes to finalize negotiations to make available NBA non-apparel merchandise such as caps, bags, school supplies, and posters in the local market. As for apparel, Singson says hes talking to possible partners who can bring in merchandise from abroad or manufacture here under license.

There’s something else. Solar Sports TV has the exclusive rights to the NBA Finals. No other network has a claim to the games here. If a local cable system picks up the Finals signal from an unauthorized channel, it will be subject to a court suit.

To give the viewers maximum Finals treatment, Solar Sports TV is flying in a three-man crew for the live satellite coverage on site. Producer Eric Tam, Chino Trinidad and I will broadcast from San Antonio and New Jersey. We promise you a coverage thats uniquely Filipino, interesting, jazzed up, and comprehensive. Of course, we’ll take care of the Xs and Os but we’ll also give you a healthy dose of the stories behind the scenes stuff you wouldn’t be able to get from other broadcasts because were Filipino and in broadcasting hoops, as Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) commissioner Noli Eala likes to say, nobody does it better.