Meet Stern, NBA’s smiling commissioner

MANILA, Philippines - Outgoing NBA commissioner David Stern last night said everything Filipino basketball fans had wanted to hear.

He faced the media, both local and foreign, more than an hour before the Houston Rockets and the Indiana Pacers came out for the NBA’s first-ever pre-season game in the country.

The crowd had started to occupy their expensive seats at the Mall of Asia Arena when Stern, who became commissioner in 1984, held a press conference.

Earlier in the afternoon, he also spoke to select members of the press at the Hotel Sofitel.

Stern, who has served the NBA since 1966, when today’s superstars weren’t even born, said last night’s game shouldn’t be the last on Philippine soil.

“We’ve heard great things about the Philippines and how intense the country is about the NBA and basketball. But I tell myself the only way to really know is to be here to appreciate it,” said Stern, who turned 71 last Sept. 22.

“The Philippines deserved this and they got it,” he added.

Stern, who worked his way to the top of the NBA, said Adam Silver, who will take over his post starting next year, will find enough reasons why the NBA should be here again.

“I’m gonna leave him a note that says ‘Go to Manila,’” said Stern.

Over recent years, the NBA has made its strong presence felt in the Philippines, with superstars, past, present and future, coming over.

But it’s the first time that an official pre-season game was held in the Southeast Asia in general, and in the Philippines in particular.

“It’s (Philippines) going to be a pole in our Southeast Asian tent,” said Stern, who also echoed the observation of some of the NBA players that Filipino fans are one of the best in the world.

“The players are virtually overwhelmed by the knowledge and generosity of the fans here at Manila,” said the grey-haired and always smiling NBA commissioner.

“The Filipino fans are extra-ordinary. They know everything. They’re rabid fans in a wonderful way,” he added during the press conference where he was joined by NBA Southeast Asia chief Scott Levy, NBA Asia’s Carlo Singson and NBA executive director for communications Michael Bass.

“The NBA is always trying to find ways to take advantage of opportunities particularly in Southeast Asia, and the Philippines can lead the way. But we’re beginning to see activity around like Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia,” he added.

Asian players have found their way to the NBA, and some made it big, including Yao Ming of China and lately Jeremy Lin, an American with Taiwanese descent.

But there’s never been a Filipino ever to play on the sport’s biggest stage. Stern said everything is possible.

“I’m sure there are Filipino athletes that are competent to play in the NBA. It’s about how committed they are to taking the next step,” he said.

Stern almost promised everything to the Filipino NBA fans except an assurance that a regular season game would be played here.

And it’s not for the lack of interest, Stern said, but because “regular season games are hard and they’re much more expensive to mount.”