Alvarez, Alapag head All-Star side show

All-Star Game starters Rich Alvarez of the North team and Jimmy Alapag of the South squad banner the merry mix of players competing in the skills competitions in the 2004 PBA All-Star Week set Aug. 9-15 in Cebu City.

Alvarez, the top pick in the most recent draft, vies for the slam dunk honors while Alapag seeks back-to-back championships in the Three-Point Shootout—two of the side events ushering in the much-awaited All-Star Game on Aug. 15.

Rob Johnson defends his crown in the obstacle course while also competing with Willie Miller, Mark Caguioa, Rudy Hatfield, Junthy Valenzuela, Brandon Cablay, Wesley Gonzales, Anthony dela Cruz and Ronald Cuan in the initial staging of the trick shots event.

Twenty-seven skills events participants will be the first to fly to Cebu on Aug. 9, holding a motorcade in Metro Cebu upon their arrival there before making a courtesy call on local government officials of the Queen City of the South.

They will then go on a campus tour on Aug. 10 to reach out to young PBA Cebuano fans and at the same time promote the All-Star side events and the main feature on Aug. 14 and 15.

The rest of the PBA All-Star entourage arrives on Aug. 12. The Stars converge at the Plantation Bay at 10 a.m. to spearhead a coastal cleanup drive in the area. They will then hold an anti-drug campaign the following day before eventually plunging into action in the weekend games.

Alapag stakes his Three-Point Shootout title against Talk n Text teammate Miller, Ginebra’s Caguioa, San Miguel’s Dondon Hontiveros, Shell’s Ronald Tubid, Alaska’s Mike Cortez, Coke’s Rob Wainwright, FedEx’s Renren Ritualo, Red Bull’s Mick Pennisi, Sta. Lucia’s Paolo Mendoza and Purefoods’ Gilbert Demape.

Alvin Patrimonio, the top player in three-point field-goal shooting in the recent Gran Matador Fiesta Conference, was the original pick for Purefoods. The four-time MVP awardee begged off, though, because of a trip abroad.

Alvarez pits his slam-dunking prowess against exciting jammers Joey Mente, Brandon Cablay, Nelbert Omolon, Marc Pingris and Cyrus Baguio. Also in the field are Asi Taulava, Joachim Thoss, Sunday Salvacion and June Peter Simon.

Out to challenge Johnson in the obstacle course are Mente, Tubid, Cuan, Cortez, Felix Belano, Paul Artadi, Rodney Santos, Ato Morano, Wynne Arboleda and Topex Robinson.

Santos took over Jayjay Helterbrand’s slot in obstacle course since the Fil-Am Ginebra guard is abroad.

Competing in the All-Star Game are Vergel Meneses, Romel Adducul, Alvarez, Olsen Racela, Artadi, Miller, Caguioa, Dennis Espino, Hatfield, Davonn Harp, Ali Peek and Jeffrey Cariaso of the North squad against Eric Menk, Taulava, Kenneth Duremdes, Alapag, James Yap, Valenzuela, Hontiveros, Thoss, Tubid, John Ferriols, Jun Limpot and Dale Singson of the South team.