Belmonte and Rep. Nanette Castelo-Daza were invited by the stars to toss the ceremonial ball for the NBA Madness Celebrity Jam game at the Araneta Coliseum tonight.
Quezon City councilor and La Salle basketball coach Franz Pumaren accompanied the players and six San Antonio Spurs Silver Dancers to the Mayors office.
A 10-man "musika" band played festive music outside the Mayors office and the Silver Dancers, dressed in their stunning two-piece silver-and-black costumes, did an impromptu dance routine to the tune of "Hot Stuff." The band provided the rousing music for the Silver Dancers who showed up with their trademark pompoms.
Iguodala is actively involved in social work Last April, he donated $500 per point, rebound and assist he chalked up in a game against New York and turned over $19,000 to aid tornado relief victims in his Springfield, Illinois, hometown. He has also raised $42,000 for schools in Springfield and hosted a drive to collect over 2,000 new childrens books for a Philadelphia community. At the Rookie Challenge during the All-Star Weekend in Houston last February, Iguodala was named MVP for compiling 30 points, six rebounds and three assists.
Turner, 24, is in town for six weeks to train with Collier. He played three years at Oklahoma University before transferring to Tennessee. Turner averaged 6.0 points and 4.3 rebounds in his first year with the Tigers last season. "Turners as good an athlete at the five (positions) as there is in the league," said Tennessee State coach Cy Alexander. "Hes an outstanding jumper and hes physically strong. Hes very athletic and he knows the game. The other thing that he has shown is he is a leader."
Over 200 hopefuls attend grueling tryouts every summer for 16 slots on the Silver Dancers squad. Veterans and newcomers alike battle for jobs on a yearly basis.
The Dancers said its an unbelievable experience to perform for the Spurs and they get a chance to watch all their regular season and playoff games. Asked who their NBA crushes are, one of them singled out Spurs guard Tony Parker while two others pointed to Iguodala and Frye who, by the wa y, were within hearing distance.
Harry The Hawkfeathers and allwill be featured at the NBA Madness Celebrity Jam program tonight. In a recent interview hatched somewhere in his Highrise Nest home at the Philips Arena rafters, Harry said he plays the center (of attention) position, insists he was picked first in the NBA draft over Larry "Bird" and Pat "Ewing" and says his dream is to receive a championship "wing."
Harry said his hobbies include stair-sledding, taking and making the half-court shot, dancing with kids playing musical chairs, pulling pranks on NBA referees and creating havoc wherever he goes.
On a serious note, Harry said being an NBA mascot is physically demanding. "I ride a unicycle," said Harry who has four children and logs about 40 to 50 hours a week as a mascot. "I juggle basketballs. I spin basketballs and shoot half-court shots. I made about 50 percent of my half-court shots last year."
Raymond Townsend, a Fil-Am born in the US with Batangas roots, saw action for Golden State and Indiana in 1979-81.
NBA Asia senior manager for marketing partnerships Carlo Singson said the theme of this years NBA Madness is "watch, play and jam."
The watching began with the live telecasts of the recent NBA Finals then the playing started with the first of four-weekend Madness Mall Tours at Robinsons Pampanga last month and the jamming takes place at the Araneta Coliseum tonight.