SM supermalls to stage PBA summer bash

In its continuing effort to further help popularize the sport and bring the league closer to the people, the Philippine Basketball Association has lined up a wide range of sports activities this summer, including a novel project where kids and the youth will be given a rare chance to interact with their PBA idols.

And it couldn’t have picked a better venue as partner than the popular chain of SM supermalls where the PBA will put up two interactive event areas weekly at designated SM branches for the next three months to be graced and visited by the PBA players or teams.

These include touring displays such as hand and shoe prints, photo gallery, inflatable basketball hoop, PBA snap shots, Molten basketball museum, a half-court area and a PBA merchandise booth.

The summer event, presented by JVC and Globe Telecom and sponsored by the PBA, Toby’s, Purefoods, Accel, Air 21, Molten and Mail & More, will be launched in grand rites starting at 5 p.m. this Friday at the SM Megamall with PBA commissioner Noli Eala expected to grace the occasion.

The organizing IMG (International Management Group) has actually began putting up these activity centers at the SM malls — at SM Fairview and SM Bicutan – as early as yesterday to provide the public some kind of a refresher on the project designed to give the PBA fans something to look forward to this summer season.

At the hand and shoe print gallery, fans will be given a chance to see the actual hand and shoe prints of their favorite PBA players. One could compare his or her hand print with top cagers as Alvin Patrimonio, Marc Caguioa, Jimmy Alapag and Mike Cortez or even with the player with the biggest feet on tour — EJ Feihl.

The photo gallery will give the PBA buffs and aficionados a rare chance to get a glimpse of their idols in shots never before seen — like how the current cream of the crop looked like during their rookie year or how this year’s rookie batch appeared when they were still kids?

The giant inflatable basketball hoop will give both the kids and adults a chance to shoot an oversized ball and score big points in a fun game while in the PBA snap shot, fans will have a chance to pose with their favorite players or even the entire team.

A Molten basketball museum will also be set up where fans can set their eyes on the hand-signed basketballs of the players of their favorite PBA teams, while kids and adults alike will have a chance to test their shooting skills in the half court area.

To top it all, a PBA-Toby’s merchandise booth will be put up where PBA products such as shoes, caps, jerseys, shirts, stickers, toys, puzzles plus other souvenir items will be sold at very affordable prices.

With the league’s upcoming sports events plus the other PBA stuff, action off the PBA courts this summer is sure to heat up at the SM supermalls.