Own that NBA ball

Here’s your third and last chance to join our exclusive NBA "It’s Game Time" contest marking the launch of the 61st season. You’ve got up to Thursday next week to send in your answers for Question No. 3 in our three-part hoopla where the NBA is giving away 60 "It’s Game Time" T-shirts and five official Spalding microfiber composite NBA gameballs.

This is the NBA’s way of sa0ying thanks to its loyal fans and STAR readers for their support through the years.

Question No. 3 is — Who is the Orlando Magic center billed as the second coming of David Robinson?

Write your answer on a sheet of paper and send to The Philippine STAR, Sports Section, NBA "It’s Game Time," R. Oca Jr. and Railroad Streets, Port Area, Metro Manila. Don’t forget to include your name, age, telephone number, occupation (if student, what school, grade or year/course and if employed, your occupation and employer). Place your entry in an envelope marked No. 3 (for the third Thursday question).

We’ve received thousands of entries for Questions No. 1 (what is Kobe Bryant’s new uniform number?) and No. 2 (what is Ben Wallace’s new team?). The deadline for Question No. 1 entries was last Nov. 9 while the deadline for Question No. 2 entries is 5 this afternoon.

Your chance of winning is enhanced if you add, in your entry or entries, your choices for the next 10 stars to join the 50 greatest NBA players roster and if possible, why. This is optional on your part. Because the NBA is celebrating its 61st anniversary this year, it’s timely to name the 60 greatest players.

Chose from among these candidates your 10 additions — Joe Dumars, Dominique Wilkins, Bob Love, Bob McAdoo, Bob Lanier, Bobby Jones, Gus Johnson, Richie Guerin, Artis Gilmore, Alex English, Calvin Murphy, Walt Bellamy, Connie Hawkins and Cliff Hagan. You may make your own choices outside of these suggested candidates.

In our column last Nov. 2, we listed the names of the 50 greatest NBA players for your reference.

For Question No. 1, we will choose 20 winners to receive the NBA "It’s Game Time" T-shirt apiece and one winner for the NBA gameball. For Question No. 2, we will choose 20 winners to each receive the shirt and one winner to get the gameball. For Question No. 3, we will choose 20 winners to receive the shirt apiece and three winners to get one gameball each.

In all, the NBA is giving away 60 T-shirts and five gameballs.

We will announce the winners on Friday, Dec. 1.

Don’t fail to join in. This could be your most unforgettable season if you win an NBA "It’s Game Time" T-shirt and the new, official NBA gameball.

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Former Boston Celtic Glenn McDonald and wife Renee leave Manila on a Northwest flight back to the US tomorrow with a heavy heart after a sentimental one-week visit.

"The Philippines is our second home," said McDonald who played and coached in the PBA from 1978 to 1983. "We love it here. We have fond memories of our stay in Manila and some of our closest friends are Filipinos. We owe a lot to the Philippines. We will always cherish the warmth and hospitality of the Filipino people."

The McDonalds are house guests of Rajan and Apples Sadhwani in Bel-Air, Makati.

McDonald, 54, said he was recommended by former PBA import Lee Haven to play for U-Tex. He flew in to meet U-Tex team manager Walter Euyang and evaluate the PBA situation and immediately, liked what he saw. There was no contract binding one to the other, only a handshake and Euyang’s assurance that McDonald wouldn’t regret playing here.

McDonald suited up for the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks in a three-year NBA career. He was the hero in Boston ’s triple overtime win over Phoenix in Game 5 of the 1975-76 NBA finals. Today, he is the director of intramurals at Long Beach State and a scout for the Utah Jazz.

Before playing in the PBA, McDonald saw action in the Swedish league.

"Glenn and I were so young when we came to Manila ," recalled Renee. "He was 26 and I was 21. Our first child Michael was born in the US but we took him to Manila when he was two months old and grew up with a thick Filipino accent. Our second child Alexis was born in Manila. We will always be grateful to Walter and his family for taking care of us. Walter arranged for Michael to go to pre-school and learn swimming at the Polo Club. When we went back to the US, Michael was way ahead of his peers in class because of his head start in Manila."

Renee, 49, has worked over 20 years at Long Beach State where she is in charge of housing and administrative services.

Their children are now college graduates and employed. Michael, a 6-1 guard, played varsity basketball at Stanford and is a marketing specialist for a medical supply company. He will soon be given sales responsibility in a transfer to Boston. Alexis, who played varsity volleyball at the University of Washington, works for Merck and is undergoing extensive training in Phoenix at the moment. Two of Alexis’ schoolmates are playing in the NBA — New York’s Nate Robinson and Portland’s Brandon Roy.

Renee said she’ll never forget how she used allergy as an excuse for turning down a food dish when she lived here.

"I come from the South where the food is either fried or covered with gravy," she said. "Walter would take us to restaurants and I was afraid to eat food I wasn’t used to. I got scared looking at fish heads with eyes popping out. So as not to offend anyone, I would just say I couldn’t eat certain food because I was allergic. Now, after close to 30 years, I’m confessing to Walter that I told a lot of white lies then."

Aside from her job at Long Beach State, Renee is involved with a non-profit organization called "Behind the Bench," developed by the National Basketball Wives Association whose president is Washington Wizards coach Eddie Jordan’s spouse Charisse. The group is made up of wives of retired and current players.

"We raise funds for charities benefiting women and children," said Renee. "We usually hold our gala during the All-Star Weekend. Our beneficiaries have included the Boys and Girls Clubs of Los Angeles and a cancer research institute in Denver."

Renee said she sat beside John Havlicek’s wife during that memorable Game 5 of the 1975-76 NBA finals.

"It was past midnight when the game finally ended and we were all exhausted," recounted Renee. "When we got home to our apartment in Boston, there was a streamer across our door saying ‘You’re our hero.’ Glenn couldn’t sleep that night."

McDonald hit six points and grabbed a key rebound down the stretch to seal it for the Celtics. Boston went on to clinch the title in Game 6.

Despite his heroics, McDonald was cut by the Celtics before the next season started.

"It was a business decision," explained Renee. "Glenn was never the type to look for a team and Red (Auerbach) wanted to control salaries." In the offseason, the Celtics let McDonald, Paul Silas and Don Nelson go and took in Curtis Rowe, Sidney Wicks and rookie Norm Cook.

McDonald said he still keeps in touch with Celtic teammates Jojo White, Silas and Nelson who now coaches the Golden State Warriors.

"I owe Walter a lot," said McDonald. "He gave me the chance to play and later, coach. The experience was useful when I coached the girls team at Long Beach State and was Michael Cooper’s assistant with the Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA."