Everybody happy in NBA show

Araneta Coliseum will never be the same again after that rollicking NBA Asia Challenge fun game last Friday. About 10,000 fans were on hand to witness the show of shows – featuring NBA and PBA legends reliving their glory days, NBA D-Leaguers trying to impress PBA scouts (with an eye on a contract next season, no doubt), PBA active stars holding their own and everybody doing a version of their best Harlem Globetrotters impersonation.

And let’s not forget, those six alluring Miami Heat cheer-dancers with at least five costume changes and the outrageously lovable Burnie the Miami mascot. If only Heat coach Erik Spoelstra extended his stay in Manila a little longer, he would’ve added more of the American Airlines Arena ambiance to the Big Dome – even without the Big Three. Imagine Spoelstra, Burnie and the Heat dancers all under one Araneta roof. Throw in Gary Payton in the mix to make a nice reunion picture. Payton played on the Heat team that won the 2006 NBA title with Spoelstra as coach Pat Riley’s chief assistant.

Last year, the first NBA Asia Challenge was staged with the NBA Generations upending the PBA All-Stars, 109-86. The Generations were coached by Rory White with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in a cameo role as kibitzer. Making up the visiting squad were NBA legends Dominique Wilkins, Robert Horry, Tim Hardaway and Vlade Divac reinforced by six D-Leaguers, including NBA veterans Billy Thomas (an ex-PBA import with Tanduay) and Derrick Dial. The PBA All-Stars listed legends Allan Caidic, Alvin Patrimonio, Ronnie Magsanoc, Benjie Paras and Kenneth Duremdes with active stars Asi Taulava, Willie Miller, Dondon Hontiveros, Rico Villanueva, Arwind Santos, Joseph Yeo, Marc Pingris, Wynne Arboleda, Sonny Thoss and Jay-R Reyes.

Although the PBA All-Stars outnumbered the Generations, 15-10, they were no match in the contest. The Generations forced 21 turnovers on the All-Stars and committed only seven errors, leading to a glaring disparity in turnover points, 30-3. The visitors also loaded up on fastbreak points, 23-2.

To avoid another massacre, the NBA and its local partner Solar Sports decided on a different format for the sequel. They mixed the visitors and locals in two teams. NBA legends Glen Rice and Payton were on the Red squad with D-Leaguers Darnell Lazare and Chris McCray, PBA legends Caidic, Atoy Co and Vergel Meneses and PBA active stars Taulava, Santos and L. A. Tenorio. Alaska’s Tim Cone chose to sit on the Red bench because that’s where Tenorio was and besides, red is the Aces’ color.

NBA legends Chris Webber and Mitch Richmond anchored the Whites. Their teammates were D-Leaguers Richie Frahm and Mark Tyndale, PBA legends Magsanoc, Paras and Patrimonio and PBA active stars Hontiveros, Ronald Tubid and Rico Maierhofer. San Miguel Beer’s Siot Tanquingcen was designated to call the shots for the Whites.

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A few days before the game, it was confirmed that Taulava wouldn’t be able to play as he was still on vacation in the US. So organizers shifted Maierhofer to the Red team, leaving the Whites with only nine players but they were bannered by the tallest man in either lineup – 6-10 Webber. As it turned out, the game was just for fun – meaning, hardly anybody played defense and offense was the overriding theme. At halftime, the Whites led, 94-92, and fans wondered if either team could score 200.

Payton, 42, played with pain in his leg but still contributed seven points, six assists and two rebounds in 24 minutes. He didn’t want to disappoint the fans and pushed himself to the limit on the court. The Glove had his comical moments – once, just before inbounding, he grabbed a TV camera and made like a cameraman. He wound up the game on the sidelines, signing autographs, posing for pictures and joking with fans.

Richmond, 45, had difficulty sprinting up and down the floor but did his job just the same, finishing with 16 points. He fed Maierhofer in a give-and-go play from a Trotters script even as they were on opposite teams. PBA statistician Fidel Mangonon said it wouldn’t be counted as an assist but a turnover for Richmond.

Webber, 37, tried to rally the Whites down the stretch, scoring 11 of his 24 points in the fourth period but the Reds wouldn’t be denied sweet victory. Caidic sizzled all night long and ended with 54 points, including two points on a Burnie layup. He buried 14-of-26 triples. The Triggerman shot 14 points in the payoff quarter. Maierhofer pumped in 11 of his 15 points in the fourth period and Meneses, 10 of his 16 in a fiery wind-up. The Reds won, 177-167.

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With token defense from both sides, the Reds never took a free throw while the Whites went 2-of-2. The Reds knocked down 25 treys, compared to the Whites’ 17, and that spelled the difference.

Co, 58, was the oldest cager on the floor and couldn’t find the range early despite no challenge on his jumpshot. Eventually, the Fortune Cookie got going and tallied 10 points, 5-of-21 from the field.

As added attractions, the NBA legends participated in two side events. Caidic engaged Rice in a scaled-down shootout and won, 7-5. Frahm, a former PBA import and four-year NBA veteran, hit a bank shot in his first attempt from mid-court to lead his three-man squad to victory in a shooting contest over a trio headed by Payton. Frahm and his teammates negotiated the shooting course in over 20 seconds less than Payton’s group.

Solar Sports manager Vitto Lazatin, who was in charge of the project, said the NBA Asia Challenge will be back for a third edition next year.

“We’ll stick to the format we used this year,” said Lazatin. “It was a lot of fun. Everyone enjoyed. Webber played and scored well. The NBA legends and D-Leaguers had heard about Allan so they made a conscious effort to highlight his shooting skills. It was a busy offseason for the NBA in the Philippines. Now, we’re looking forward to the start of next season.”