Pacers support Special Olympic clinic

MANILA, Philippines - It won’t be only a basketball game that the NBA is staging in Manila next week. NBA Entertainment vice president of production Andy Thompson revealed the other day that the league will hold several events “to bring authentic NBA experiences to our great fans in these international regions.”

A highlight of the pre-game schedule is the Indiana Pacers’ participation in a basketball clinic for Special Olympic athletes. Special Olympics Philippines is affiliated with the Washington, D. C.-based Special Olympics International which was established by Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1968. The organization has reached out to over 4.2 million intellectually challenged athletes from over 170 countries to achieve their potentials through a year-round program of sports training, development, competition and recreation. In 2012, there were 70,278 Special Olympic competitions held all over the world.

NBA legends Clyde Drexler, Robert Horry and Jalen Rose will be in town to interact with fans and media. “We intend to be active in the community,” said Thompson. “We will have fan events, both teams (Houston Rockets and Indiana) will do a variety of media opportunities and there will be events with NBA corporate partners. My role will be to make sure we document it all.”

Under commissioner David Stern, the NBA has exponentially expanded beyond traditional US borders. This year, the NBA’s Global Games will bring 12 teams to play 10 regular and pre-season games in seven countries. Houston and Indiana will square off at the Mall of Asia Arena on Oct. 10 and meet again in Taipei on Oct. 13. Golden State battles the Los Angeles Lakers in Beijing on Oct. 15 and Shanghai on Oct. 18.

The international calendar starts off with the Oklahoma City Thunder taking on Turkish club Fenerbahce Ulker in Istanbul on Oct. 5. Then, the Philadelphia 76ers meet Bilbao Basket in Bilbao, Spain, on Oct. 6. The Sixers face the Oklahoma City in Manchester on Oct. 8. Chicago tests Washington in Rio de Janeiro on Oct. 12. Regular season games will be played in Mexico between Minnesota and San Antonio on Dec. 4 and in London between Atlanta and Brooklyn on Jan. 16.

With deputy commissioner Adam Silver succeeding Stern in February, Thompson said he expects the NBA to continue flourishing. “Adam has worked directly with David for over 20 years and both have such a strong commitment to our fans and to the development of basketball,” he noted. “I would expect to see more and more access for our fans to NBA content in real time to meet the demand, particularly from incredible fans like the Filipinos.”

Thompson said after the Manila game, he will travel to China to meet up with his older brother Mychal, a NBA veteran who now does radio commentary for the Los Angeles Lakers, and watch his nephew Klay play with the Warriors. Klay is Mychal’s son.

“The word is finally gotten out about how passionate the Philippines is about basketball,” said Thompson, a PBA import with Tanduay in 1986. “It was so frustrating trying to convince people when I first got back from playing in the PBA how big basketball is down there. Now, all the shoe companies, players and the NBA fully understand how big and important the market in the Philippines is.”

Thompson said he will never forget the Philippines and is excited to return after 27 years. “The thing I liked the most about Manila besides the games were the people,” he said. “I always say to this day that you can always tell who’s a Filipino because they’re the nicest people in the world. The way I was treated by everyone while there has made a lasting impression on me. Wherever I travel to, I enjoy buying local art and I bought several pieces of art from artists while I was in Manila. I still have an antique knife that’s in my home today.”

Thompson said he tries to stay fit enough to play ball with his 13-year-old son Marcus who plays hoops and baseball. “I can still play the game,” he said. “I think in another year, I won’t be able to beat my son. He’s too fast. I’m happy to say that if I still had my old Tanduay uniform, I could still fit into it. That’s the benefit of marrying someone 10 years younger than you. She makes me get my butt off the couch.” Thompson has been married 18 years to a doctor and former volleyball player in college. Aside from son Marcus, the Thompsons have an 11-year-old daughter Simone who plays volleyball and soccer.

Thompson played at the University of Minnesota and one of his varsity teammates Kevin McHale will be in Manila coaching the Rockets.