Legends team ready for Nationals

After taking Cebu by storm, Dennis Rodman and the other "Bad Boys" have buckled down to serious work, refusing to take things for granted when they collide with the Philippines’ best tomorrow at the conclusion of the highly-successful The Bad Boy Tour.

The best of both worlds clash at 5:30 p.m. at the Araneta Coliseum when Pilipinas Basketball, a crack selection being prepared for the Asian Games by Chot Reyes, tries to slap a loss on the visiting NBA Legends and their talented reinforcements.

Cebu fans witnessed Rodman at his finest and the standouts of the NBA Development League devastate the San Miguel All-Stars Thursday night in Mandaue, 124-94.

"The fans there had a magnificent time," said Mario Whitmire, president of the organizing West End Sports. "And with a lot of national pride at stake in this game, I’m sure this (NBA Legends) team will come out even harder and stronger."

Despite their hectic commitments, Rodman, Otis Birdsong, Sidney Moncrief, Darryl Dawkins and Hall-of-Famers Alex English and Calvin Murphy have been practicing in preparation for their clash with the Filipinos led by Asi Taulava.

Team Philippines will play for a lot more than just a victory, as Reyes would love to be able to gauge how far his team has gotten in terms of playing teams in an international-type of setting.

Reyes, though, is wary of the other players in the team outside of the former NBA stars, those who did the most damage on Allan Caidic and the rest of the San Miguel All-Stars in Mandaue.

Olu Famutini flew high, scoring on a wide array of slam dunks on the way to dropping 33 points. Myron Allen scattered 25 and Chad Wilkerson chipped in with 18.

But Reyes knows that aside from the streak-shooting Moncrief keeping himself fresh for the game, Kareem Reid did not really show his complete arsenal against San Miguel by letting Famutini, Allen and Wilkerson shoulder the scoring load.

"What we know about Reid is that he is a big-time scorer in the D-League," Reyes said. "But we never got to see what he can do and I am sure that he will play his best against us."

Aside from Taulava, former MVP Willie Miller is also in the team together with Alaska standouts Nic Belasco and Mike Cortez, Air21 gunslinger Ren-Ren Ritualo, Talk ‘N Text’s Jimmy Alapag and Magnolia ace Kelly Williams, among others.

Game is set at 5:30 p.m. and tickets are still available through TicketNet at telephone number 911-5555.