The students were special guests at the VIP Welcome Party the NBA hosted for Orlando Magic forward Dwight Howard, his parents and six bombshells from the Houston Rockets Power Dancers in Makati a few weeks ago. They were also given all-access passes to the four-day Madness extravaganza in the parking lot surrounding the Araneta Coliseum.
The winners were John Thomas Qua, 20, of De La Salle University, Hans Clifton Ang, 17, of Xavier School, and Kathryn Grace Tan, 18, of the College of St. Benilde.
Here are excerpts of their works.
From John:
"I was one of the lucky winners chosen to privately interview two of the lovely Houston Rockets Power Dancers. I got to interview Susie, who works in an accounting firm as an organizational development consultant and D’anne, who works for an international oil company. The two of them were great; they said that the weather in Manila feels just like Houston, Filipino fans were the best and Filipino people were very friendly and graceful. I was amazed at how they cope with having real jobs and being a part of the Power Dancers at the same time. Susie and D’anne have great expectations for the Houston Rockets next year and both love Yao Ming. Susie said Yao Ming has great potential and his future is bright. When I asked how tall Yao was they said they were a little higher than his waist, both girls stand 5’3. On the other hand, D’anne described Tracy McGrady as a team player with a lot of heart and she admitted that the Houston Rockets wouldn’t win many games without him.
"Last year, 400 auditioned for a spot at the Power Dancer group and the girls said that even the most veteran and seasoned member of the group took part. No one was sure of making it. Susie and D’anne have been part of the Houston Rockets Power Dancers for 6 and 5 years respectively.
"I was also invited to the NBA Madness Welcome Party at Quizine Bar in Makati. The party was terrific as I was able to rub elbows with Carlo Singson, NBA Asia senior marketing manager, the most respected sports personality in the country, the Dean Quinito Henson, former Chicago Bull and NBA champion Dickey Simpkins and the man himself Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard with his parents. Mr. Howard took time taking pictures and signing autographs. He is a nice guy, in my short time chatting with him; I was able to share my insights of the game and in fantasy NBA as well. When I asked him to sign my Dwight Howard rookie card, he apparently enjoyed it and showed the card to his parents. I was accompanied by my two friends Guilson and Franz; they too had a great time. When we saw two kids letting their Spalding NBA balls autographed, we ran to Glorietta Mall to get our own. At that moment the time was 8:50 pm and the mall closes at 9:00, we ran as fast as we could, we didn’t care if we got sweaty or tired, having Dwight Howard in the country is a once in a lifetime experience and a dream come true for many fans. We were lucky as Toby’s sports shop was still open and when we returned to Quizine Bar, we were accommodated by Carlo Singson who also gave us two complimentary tickets each for the NBA Madness concert that was held the next day.
"As I went home, I brought back two tickets for the NBA Madness concert, an NBA Madness T-shirt plus poster, a couple of great pictures with Dwight Howard, the Power Dancers, Quinito Henson, Carlo Singson, Dickey Simpkins, an autographed Dwight Howard rookie card, a Dwight Howard signed Spalding NBA ball and most especially I brought home an unforgettable experience that I will cherish all through my life."
From Hans:
"Manila is basketball crazy this time of year not only because of the NBA Finals but also because of the excitement created by the NBA Madness. For five years, the Madness has been an anticipated event in Manila and this year, it was bigger than ever.
"Fans from all walks of society came–rich, poor, young and old. Everyone came with one common interest, NBA basketball.
"On the fourth and final day, the Madness was truly in the air. To end it with a bang, the NBA held a Celebrity Game featuring famous sports broadcasters, former PBA players, TV personalities and to top it off, Dwight Howard on one team and Luke Walton on the other as playing coaches.
"With the crowd shouting and cheering for Howard and Walton, the players put on a show. With a few minutes left in the second quarter, the fans got their wish as both Howard and Walton entered the game. Immediately, the crowd burst out in chants of "dunk" "defense" "Dwight" and "Luke." With Howard’s entertaining antics, it was as if I was watching a real NBA game. In response to the fans’ request, Dwight produced a couple of rim-rocking dunks that got the fans off their seats. At halftime, the Power Dancers came out and gave an out of this world show. They left the audience shouting for more. The players then came back for another half of exciting ball. With Team Howard down by one and the clock winding down, Dwight collared the offensive rebound and jammed it home, ending it in perfect fashion and giving his team a hairline win.
"With inspiring messages from Howard and Walton about how much they enjoyed their stay in Manila and the fantastic treatment they got, we can certainly look forward to next year’s edition of NBA Madness. In addition, with the positive influence NBA players have on their fans, I hope the NBA will continue to send more of these basketball icons. They not only entertain fans with their skills but also give inspiration and spread the NBA message of living a clean life to millions of kids here, to keep them away from vices especially drugs. With all of these achievements, NBA Madness Manila 2005 was certainly a success and I feel that next year, we can look forward to an even bigger show."
From Kathryn:
"I was one of the lucky few who got invitations to attend the Welcome Party for being one of the winners of a contest conducted by The Philippine Star. Nothing could make me pass up this chance of a lifetime to meet and rub elbows with these NBA players and dancers. Accompanied by my father who is an NBA nut like me, we arrived at the party on the dot at exactly 6 p.m. eagerly and excitedly ready to enjoy the evening’s bash.
"The party started when the evening’s two emcees, Paolo Bediones and Joaquin Henson, appeared on center stage to welcome the guests. First to be introduced was Carlo Singson, NBA Asia’s senior marketing manager who talked about this year’s NBA Madness and outlined future plans for making this annual event more fun and exciting, capped by a video clip of the Madness. Then came the introduction of the night’s main guest Dwight Howard.
"This humble, amiable and deeply religious rookie power forward quickly captivated the crowd with his wit and humility by rating his performance in the just concluded regular season as only a five when asked to rate it from 1 to 10 despite finishing with a double-double average in points and rebounds. He briefly spoke about his thrilling experience on his first-ever trip overseas, on how the Filipinos welcomed me, on how it was like playing with Grant Hill and Steve Francis and against Shaquille O’Neal, his advice for aspiring young cagers and his aspirations and expectations for his second NBA season. He made quite an impression with the crowd.
"Next to be cited were the various winners of the several contests launched by The Star asking readers to answer trivia questions about Howard and Walton and an essay-writing contest. I considered this as a personal triumph for me as I was one of three winners of the essay-writing contest. I was greatly thrilled by the acknowledgement and applause of the crowd when Mr. Henson mentioned some of my past accomplishments and exploits. The night will forever be cherished and etched in my memory as it made me forget all the misfortunes that happened to me in the past.
"This special night would not have been as enjoyable without great entertainment and music, provided by the band Hyperbeat. Singer Nancy Cruz kept on teasing Howard on stage and he took the jokes gamely and even danced with the singers to be joined later by the Power Dancers dancing to the beat of the Pointers Sisters’ music. When requested to sing a song, Howard politely declined and instead Amaris Davidson of the Power Dancers came to his rescue and belted out a song number to the delight of the crowd.
"The rest of the night was spent naturally by most of the remaining guests, including me, at the never-to-miss autograph and photo sessions with Dwight and the Power Dancers. Like the rest of the NBA fans who attended the glitzy affair that night, I was glad I came to participate and enjoy the fun with people having only one thing in common among them–We love this game."