Jordan’s assistant has soft spot for RP

TOKYO — Basketball icon Michael Jordan’s assistant Estee Portnoy said the other day she has a soft spot in her heart for the Philippines because her three children’s nanny is a Filipina.

I was introduced to Portnoy by Nike sports communications manager Rely San Agustin at the end of a 45-minute interview with Jordan at a 50th floor suite in the Park Hyatt Hotel here last Monday morning.

Portnoy posed for a picture with me and asked for my autograph because she said her nanny Elsie Paule of Pampanga is a big fan. Her nanny knew I would be in Tokyo to meet Jordan and asked Portnoy to score a photograph and autograph.

I was of course flattered beyond belief. But more importantly, I had found a contact close to Jordan.

"Whatever you need from Michael, just email me," said Portnoy.

San Agustin said before the interview, he met Portnoy with Nike’s Asia Pacific director of communications Shelley Pang in a private suite to discuss the scenario for the conference. The sequence and questions had to go through Portnoy.

In her calling card, Portnoy is identified as vice president for marketing and client services of the SFX Sports Group of Washington, D. C. She introduced herself as Jordan’s assistant.

Portnoy said Elsie has worked for her family about 6 1/2 years.

"Elsie has traveled with Michael on some of his trips," she noted. "That’s when I get a chance to bring along my family. Elsie and her husband Jun are big basketball fans."

There was no explanation as to why the Philippines was not a leg in Jordan’s week-long Asian tour that included stops in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan before ending here. But the reason was probably a US travel advisory dissuading tourists from visiting the Philippines during the election period.

It was Portnoy who told San Agustin that Manila could be a stop in Jordan’s next Asian trip. "Maybe, next time," she said.

In the interview, Jordan said he knew some of the imports playing in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and nodded his head when the names of Art Long, Jerald Honeycutt and Torraye Braggs were mentioned. He particularly singled out Honeycutt whom he called Joe.

Jordan said "it’s great for the Philippines" that NBA players find their way to the PBA. "It’s all about the evolution of the game on a global basis, about raising the level of competition all over the world," he added.

Told that a PBA team tried to bring in Dennis Rodman, Jordan smiled and simply shook his head without saying a word. It was obvious what he meant.

On the possibility of a Filipino someday playing in the NBA, Jordan said it won’t be easy but it can be done.

"Small players are making an impact in the NBA," said Jordan. "Guys who are 5-3, 5-7 and look at (Allen) Iverson, he’s barely six feet tall. It’s like David against Goliath There are no shortcuts to making it. You gotta believe you can do it, that you can make it happen. It’ll take a lot of hard work but if you set your mind to it, you can do it."

As for more Asian players breaking into the majors, Jordan said the level of competition in the region is not like in the US. He explained that there is much so talent in the US where the game is prevalent. But he admitted international players, especially in Europe, are improving.

Jordan said he has played with Chinese center Yao Ming and described him as "a great shooter and passer." He added that with more experience, Yao will get better and better. "I’ve seen him play," said Jordan. "He has improved tremendously and he’s building up his knowledge. You can expect a better performance from Yao in the future."

Jordan said his parents taught him to be positive in life. He recalled being cut from his high school basketball team and bouncing back from the disappointment. "My parents taught me to turn it around," he continued. "Sure, I was disappointed but I turned the negative into a positive. It’s what I tell the kids. It’s okay to not succeed. But it’s not okay not to try. Don’t be afraid to try something. But if you don’t succeed, you work harder until you do. And if that still doesn’t work, maybe it’s not meant to be and you try something else. The thing is you don’t give up trying."

Jordan said he doesn’t play the game anymore and just shoots around with his kids. "No more double-clutch and fadeaway jumpshots," he went on. "Just shooting around with my kids who love sports. Like them, I grew up with sports. Why basketball? I grew tall. I was six when I began playing baseball. As I got older, my skills were more tuned to basketball than baseball. Now, I play golf about three or four times a week. My favorite course is Augusta where they play the Masters. Will I ever be a pro golfer? No. I’m not that good."

Jordan said it’s hard to imagine he’s been involved in the game over 20 years.

"I can’t believe it’s been 20 years," he said. "It’s difficult to live up to the fans expectations. It’s like I’m on a pedestal. The respect I’ve gained was generated by the way I played. I’m thankful that I was able to play at a high level. It’s given me a lot of respect and made my job now easier to promote my brand. Whatever I did on the court is how I’m respected when I stepped off. It’s great to be admired, to be able to be of influence and inspire people. The advantage is I’m able to talk to kids, to people. The disadvantage is it’s tough to move around, to go to movies with my family and just hang out."