Vote for JaVale!

It won’t be easy dislodging Dwight Howard from the starting lineup of the East squad for the 61st NBA All-Star Game at the Amway Arena in Orlando on Feb. 26. At the moment, he leads five other contenders in the race by a mile. As of last Jan. 12, Howard had close to 755,000 votes compared to second placer Joakim Noah’s 76,000. Down the ladder were Tyson Chandler with 62,000, Joel Anthony with 42,000, JaVale McGee with 25,000 and Al Horford with 23,500.

Fans vote in the starters for the East and West teams. The balloting started last Jan. 4 and will end Jan. 31. The starters will be announced on Feb. 2. Fans may vote in 16 languages on the Internet via nba.com. In the US, fans may also vote via texting on their mobile phones or by dropping ballots in boxes at game arenas. Unfortunately, fans in the Philippines are restricted to vote exclusively on line.

Chao Chuatico-Espaldon, chief operating officer of the Cincinnati-based sports marketing and wealth management company East-West Private, said the other day McGee’s chances to give Howard a good fight would be enhanced if only Filipino fans could vote by texting on their cellphones.

“JaVale’s our guy,” said Espaldon who’s in town on a business trip. “We’ve made inquiries with the NBA office and it’s confirmed that fans outside the US won’t be allowed to vote by texting. We hope to work out an arrangement for next year’s voting so that perhaps, PLDT could be a partner in the process.”

McGee, who turns 24 on Thursday, is averaging a career-high 12.3 points and 10.1 rebounds for the Washington Wizards. The downside is the Wizards are performing out of synch. Washington opened the shortened 66-game regular season on a sour note, going 0-8 in its worst start ever. The Wizards scored only 64 points in losing to Chicago last Jan. 11 and is last in the league in offense. It may not be appropriate for the league’s lowliest team to be represented in a starting lineup of the All-Star Game but in McGee’s case, the campaign is on a personal basis.

* * * *

The 7-foot, 252-pound McGee visited the country twice last year. He’s become a popular figure off the court because of his zany planking and “Flying Buddha” antics. McGee finished a close second to Blake Griffin in the dunk contest of the All-Star Weekend last season. Griffin claimed the title after jumping over the hood of a car to dunk it. McGee’s routine featured dunking with a ball in each hand in two hoops on two backboards standing side by side and dunking three balls in a single elevation into one hoop. McGee said the only way he could’ve topped Griffin’s car gimmick was if he brought in a plane.

Next month, McGee and Griffin will face off in a rematch of their dunking feud. Espaldon said McGee is now working on more creative dunks behind closed gym doors to show up Griffin. Two of the seven tickets allotted for McGee in the dunking contest are reserved for PLDT chairman Manny V. Pangilinan.

“We hope MVP goes to watch,” said Espaldon. “He’s been invited by the NBA and I think it’ll be a big boost for JaVale who has confirmed his willingness to be a naturalized citizen to play for the Philippine national team. JaVale has really fallen in love with the Philippines. He knows what’s going on in the Philippines and when tragedy struck in Mindanao recently, he immediately made a donation to the Red Cross. The NBA has invited MVP to attend a VIPs-only meeting where commissioner (David) Stern will explain the league’s programs heavily into technological advancement.”

Espaldon called on Filipino fans to vote for McGee. “I remember the avalanche of votes for Yao Ming from China in the past,” she said. “Now, we’ve got someone close to the Philippines to support. JaVale’s our guy. During the All-Star Weekend, we’re launching the ‘Flying Buddha’ project for JaVale. The Wizards and Peak shoes are fully behind JaVale. It would’ve been ideal if Filipino fans could vote for JaVale via texting but since it’s not possible this year, I’m inviting everyone to vote for him on the Internet. We’re hoping JaVale makes a strong showing at the polls so that even if he doesn’t make the starting lineup, he might be chosen as a reserve for the All-Star Game.”

* * * *

Orlando is rolling out the red carpet for the NBA and has a much-talked-about history as an All-Star Weekend host. In 1992, Orlando was the site of the All-Star Weekend which immortalized Magic Johnson’s return from retirement. Tim Hardaway gave up his slot as a starting guard for Magic who finished with 25 points and nine assists to lift the West to a 153-113 win over the East. It was an unforgettable MVP showing by Johnson.

East-West Private will be extremely visible during the All-Star Weekend. It’s staging a big event with NBA Legends, current NBA stars and University Studios to deliver a unique basketball experience for fans. Espaldon said at least 30 NBA Legends and a brigade of NBA stars, including McGee, Horford and Derrick Rose, will participate in a Father-and-Son Fantasy Camp that East-West Private is organizing.

“Universal is devoting a special area front and center where NBA Legends, like Magic and Dr. J, and current NBA stars will hold court, do basketball-related games, sign autographs and more,” she revealed. “We are offering a Father-and-Son special VIP experience for All-Star Weekend where the VIP pairs get to experience the full itinerary we’ve prepared with the Legends and current stars plus the entire All-Star schedule.”

 Espaldon said she expects at least 100 father-and-son pairs to register for the one-week experience. Former NBA cager Dale Davis will supervise the fantasy camp. “We’ll do a version of the American Idol where the best players are picked to play three-on-three and four-on-four with the Legends and current stars,” she said. “We’ve got a lot of celebrities joining, too, like Garth Brooks. A highlight of our involvement is the unveiling of JaVale’s ‘Flying Buddha’ campaign which is tied up to a Philippine tourism program.”