Lopez pays tribute to Pinay

Recent Manila visitor Brook Lopez of the Brooklyn Nets can’t say enough about the newly relocated NBA team’s front office from principal owner Mikhail Prokhorov to Filipina manager of basketball operations Marivic Trajano Lardizabal. Lopez was in town to promote the NBA’s 3x3 initiative and distribute relief goods to flood victims in Taguig as part of the NBA Cares outreach program last week.

Lopez described the Nets’ Russian owner Prokhorov as “a hands-on executive with a high basketball IQ.” He said Prokhorov has made all the right moves so far in rebuilding the franchise to become a playoff contender after failing to advance to the post-season the last five years. Lopez said bringing in Gerald Wallace last season, extending Deron Williams’ contract and recruiting Joe Johnson were some of the “right moves” that Prokhorov orchestrated with coach Avery Johnson. Prokhorov plunked in $200 Million to become the Nets majority owner three years ago and financed a $700 Million loan to construct a new facility in Brooklyn now known as the Barclays Center.

Forbes recently listed Prokhorov as Russia’s seventh richest man and the world’s 57th wealthiest. He made a fortune in the precious metals sector, dealing in nickel, palladium and gold. The 6-8 Prokhorov, 47, could easily be mistaken for a basketball player because of his imposing height. He has brought the Nets players, including Lopez, to Moscow for an introduction to his Russian lifestyle. Last March, Prokhorov ran as an independent in the Russian presidential elections and lost to Vladimir Putin after polling less than eight percent of the vote.

Lopez cited Lardizabal’s efforts in streamlining the Nets operations. “Marivic gets me to where I’m supposed to go,” he said. “She’s fantastic, very efficient.” Lardizabal started her NBA career as Detroit Pistons coach Larry Brown’s executive assistant. When Brown left Detroit to join the New York Knicks, he brought Lardizabal along. The Nets Daily Off-Season Report mentioned that for five years, Lardizabal was the “top aide” at Madison Square Garden, “rising to the role of manager, basketball administration and team travel, after being executive assistant to (former president) Donnie Walsh (now with the Indiana Pacers).” Lardizabal survived the Knicks coaching rigodon from Brown to Isiah Thomas to Mike D’Antoni then moved to the Nets as manager of basketball operations and executive assistant to general manager Billy King.

Lopez was impressed by the skill level shown by Filipinos playing in the NBA 3x3 tournament here. There were eight divisions in the three-day competition at the SM Mall of Asia - girls 13-17, women 18-above, boys 10-12, 13-15, 16-18, men 19-above, VIP celebrities and VIP corporate.

The 3-on-3 was a popular FIBA-sanctioned event at the Youth Olympics in Singapore two years ago. Lopez said there’s no reason why Filipinos can’t qualify for 3-on-3 in the Olympics if ever it is included in the calendar. Instead of expanding the Olympic basketball program to more than 12 entries, FIBA is more inclined to creating a 3-on-3 event where more countries may be accommodated with less players and an age limit of 23. Lopez said he’s not in a position to comment on what FIBA has in mind for the Olympics.

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Six Filipinos who performed in the recent London Olympics opening ceremony agreed that director Danny Boyle of “Slumdog Millionaire” fame was in a class of his own. “He took us to a different level,” said 44-year-old Cleo Sagun, a “Miss Saigon” veteran in the West End. “He shook hands with you, made sure everything was in order. During rehearsals, he was very strict and got the results he wanted from everyone.” Sagun is a graduate of Virgen Milagrosa University Foundation in San Carlos, Pangasinan, and has lived over 25 years in London. He works at the John Lewis Department Store head office in import shipping services. Sagun was in the “Miss Saigon” cast with Jamie Rivera, Joanna Ampil and Leo Valdez in 1992-95. He was on stage with Ampil and Jonathan Pryce when the Royal Drury Lane hit musical celebrated its 2,282nd showing to overtake “My Fair Lady” in the record of longevity in 1994.

In the Olympic opening ceremony, Sagun was a miner in the “Pandemonium” sequence with two other Filipinos Benedict Carandang and Marvin Soriano.

Another Olympic opening ceremony performer Zarah Serrano said she’ll treasure her photo with Boyle as a remembrance of the historic event. Soriano said his miner’s costume will be a keepsake forever. Sagun’s best souvenirs are the opening ceremony program and a photo with Boyle. Carandang said he’ll never forget meeting celebrities like First Lady Michelle Obama, Nadia Comaneci, Carl Lewis and David Beckham at a US Embassy reception where he was invited as a Youth Global Leader with the World Economic Forum before the Olympic inaugurals. Al Reburiano, who appeared in the ‘80s and ‘90s dance sequence with Serrano, said his prized Olympic memento is the ID accreditation pass as a performer. Jermaine Matias, a dancer in the “Now Generation” sequence, said she’ll always cherish the opening ceremony program which her co-dancers signed.

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In 2000, Sydney sold 1.2 million Paralympic tickets. Athens’ sales fell to 850,000 in 2004 but Beijing picked it up with 1.8 million tickets in 2008. For this year’s Paralympics in London, 2.2 million tickets have already been sold, including 600,000 last July.

Among the Paralympic stars to watch are South Africa’s Oscar (Blade Runner) Pistorius and Poland’s Natalia Partyka who both competed at the recent Olympics. Pistorius, 25, is a double-knee amputee who runs with carbon fiber artificial limbs. He made it to the semifinals of the 400-meter run and did the last leg of the 4x400 meter relay at the Olympics. Partyka, 23, was born without a right hand and forearm. She has competed in women’s singles table tennis in the last two Olympics. Other Paralympic stars are Dutch wheelchair tennis champion 31-year-old Esther Vergeer, unbeaten in 465 straight matches, and Italian former Formula 1 driver Alex Zanardi who lost both legs in a 2001 car crash. Zanardi, 45, will compete in the cycling event of hand-biking.