Singson’s legacy in NBA

Carlo Singson ends his 22-year executive career with the NBA this coming Valentine’s Day and the timing couldn’t be more appropriate. The NBA has always been close to Carlo’s heart, long before he chose to work with the league. He’s been a hoops fan since his eyes were opened to the game as a boy and he’ll remain a dedicated loyal follower of the NBA. But there comes a time in one’s life when a decision has to be made to move on. That time has come for Carlo although it doesn’t mean ending his love affair with the NBA.

Carlo’s imprint will forever be etched in the NBA’s history, particularly in Asia. He leaves behind a legacy that won’t be forgotten. For all the years he devoted in growing the league, Carlo was at the forefront of bringing the brand closer to the fans, through social media, meet-and-greet with the stars and interactive events. He was way ahead of his time in envisioning to build a foundation of young followers to nurture a strong market for the future, developing the Jr. NBA program that has reached out to over two million players, parents and coaches in over 190 cities and towns since 2007. Beyond the Philippines, Carlo took the Jr. NBA concept to five other countries in Southeast Asia.

Carlo made history by arranging the first NBA pre-season game ever to be staged in Manila with the Houston Rockets playing the Indiana Pacers at the MOA Arena in 2013. That gave Filipino fans the opportunity to watch stars like Dwight Howard, James Harden, Jeremy Lin and Paul George live on the court and the media to interview Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird who came to town with the Pacers as the franchise president.

Carlo worked hard to bring NBA personalities to the country. He wanted to humanize the hoop heroes, to make the fans identify with the stars in the flesh, to connect the brand with the market. Through the years, Carlo brought in a slew of NBA figures, including Harden, Eric Gordon, Elfrid Payton, Michael Carter-Williams, Enes Kanter, Willie Cauley-Stein, Trey Burke, Khris Middleton, Horace Grant, Sheryl Swoopes, Brook Lopez, Sue Wick, Steven Adams, Malik Rose, Erik Spoelstra and Brian Shaw. 

The NBA passion led shoe makers to fly in endorsers like Kobe Bryant, Steph Curry, Allen Iverson, LeBron James, George and Tony Parker to court the Filipino market. At the center of this madness was Carlo.  Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson, Dennis Rodman, Scottie Pippen and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also made historic visits.

In 2016, Carlo was named associate vice president and managing director of NBA Philippines with headquarters in BGC, marking the NBA’s 13th international office. Two years before, the NBA ventured into a partnership with a local retailer to open a string of NBA Stores, start an online merchandising outlet and launch the NBA Café. The bold experiment lasted until 2018 with NBA Stores in Glorietta, Megamall, Trinoma and Ayala Cebu.

Carlo’s presence in the country stepped up the NBA’s efforts in cementing business relationships in the insurance, mobile and telecommunications industries. Carlo showed the way to progress the NBA beyond traditional methods. It made sense for Carlo to spearhead the approach with his MBA background from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Carlo broke ground with pioneering activities that his successor will no doubt lean on in continuing his initiatives in programs like Jr. NBA, NBA 3x, NBA Fit and NBA Cares.

At the SPIA (Sports Industry Awards) recognition night in Manila last month, NBA Philippines was a finalist in the Best Sports Digital Platform of the Year (for its Facebook page) and Best Brand Activation of the Year categories. Carlo received the silver award in behalf of NBA Philippines in Brand Activation for the #NeverMiss campaign in relation to the NBA Finals. It was a fitting tribute to Carlo’s efforts in his final year with the NBA.

Carlo joined the NBA in 1998, the year the Chicago Bulls beat the Utah Jazz for the championship in six games of the Finals. That was also my second season to cover the NBA Finals live for Philippine TV and it was unforgettable to witness Michael Jordan hit the winning shot that prevented the Jazz from hosting a Game 7 in Salt Lake City. Through the years, I was fortunate to cover more NBA Finals with partners including Andy Jao, Chino Trinidad, Vitto Lazatin and Anthony Suntay and traveled to San Antonio, Dallas, Miami, Detroit, New Jersey, New York and Indiana. I also did NBA All-Star Games in Cleveland, Los Angeles, Denver and Houston among others. I was introduced to NBA commissioner David Stern and later to his successor Adam Silver. I visited the NBA head office in New York to interview then executive vice president Stu Jackson. I was named to the NBA’s first-ever, three-man international Blog Squad whose write-ups were carried in the league’s official web site and once interviewed by Spiro Dedes on the “NBA Insiders” show in the NBA’s New Jersey studio for NBA TV. All these would not have been possible without Carlo’s backing and support.

When the NBA found itself in limbo with snagged TV contract negotiations this season, Carlo came up with alternative measures to address the problem, delivering selected games on CNN Philippines and offering on-demand viewership through Facebook, Twitter and NBA League Pass. Carlo knew how to improvise and innovate under difficult circumstances, a trademark of his business acumen and intelligence.

Whoever steps in to fill Carlo’s shoes in NBA Philippines will have a tough act to follow but the challenge won’t be as difficult because of what Carlo has laid out as a strong foundation for the future. For 22 years, Carlo was synonymous to the NBA in the country. Wherever he goes, whatever career he chooses to get involved in as he moves on, Carlo will always be known as the man who made the NBA a lasting institution in the Philippines.