Igoudala, who finished second behind Frye’s teammate Nate Robinson in the NBA slam dunk contest early this year, and Frye arrived yesterday and headed straight to the Holiday Inn in Ortigas to grace the launching of the three-day event.
They were joined in by the Silver Dancers, the San Antonio Spurs’ energetic cheer dance group, and Harry the Hawk, the wacky mascot of the Atlanta Hawks.
"We’re excited to be here, we’re looking forward to an entertaining weekend," said the 23-year-old, 6-foot-11 Frye, who averaged 12.3 points and 5.8 rebounds in his rookie season in the NBA.
The Jam, which is open to the public, features a celebrity basketball game starring Igoudala and Frye and live music performances by the Silver Dancers, Harry the Hawk and some local celebrities.
"There are going to be a lot of firsts in the NBA Madness ’06 and we’re happy to be back here," said Loran Horris, managing director of NBA Asia.
Proceeds of the event will benefit local charity institutions for special kids under the NBA’s own charity program, NBA Cares.
The main event, which will feature Igoudala and Frye, is set at 7:30 p.m. and will be followed by live performances by K24/7, Sugarfree, 7Shots, Join the Club and Parokya ni Edgar.
Top local personalities like Richard Gomez, Wendell Ramos, Anjo Yllana, Antonio Aquitania, Elvis and Rocky Gutierrez, Richard Gutierrez, James Blanco, Emilio Gracia, Zoren and Kier Legaspi, Robert Ortega and Gary Valenciano will also grace the event.
Meanwhile Spalding is introducing two unique basketballs at the NBA Madness 2006 through its exclusive Philippine distributor Proline Sports Center Inc. These are the "Heat Seeker" and the "Helix" basketball lines, the latest in a series of its fashion and collectible basketballs.