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Rockets in Manila

Discussion in 'Houston Rockets: Game Action & Roster Moves' started by Skyhoop, Oct 7, 2013.

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Skyhoop Member

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There will be a separate game thread for the actual game, but I thought it would be nice to have a thread to keep track of the articles, interviews, tweets, pics, and news coming out of their trip in the Philippines.

Dwight Howard, Jeremy Lin arrive in Manila
by Raoul Esperas
Posted at 10/07/2013 5:35 PM | Updated as of 10/07/2013 6:24 PM

MANILA - The NBA team Houston Rockets arrived in Manila Monday on board a chartered Boeing 747 plane of Atlas Air.

Led by coach Kevin McHale, they disembarked at around 10 a.m. Monday at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1.

The team is scheduled to play against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena in Pasay City.

Houston Rockets star players Jeremy Lin, Dwight Howard and James Harden got the most attention from the fans upon their arrival at the tarmac area of NAIA.

From the airport, the team went directly to Sofitel Philippine Plaza for their four-day stay in Manila.
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http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/sports/10/07/13/dwight-howard-jeremy-lin-arrive-manila

Jeremy Lin mobbed by crazed fans in the Philippines
Posted by
Scott Hazlewood
7th October 2013, 09:10am

Houston Rockets guard set to be a rockstar this week ahead of game against Indiana.

Whatup Philipines!! Thanks for the crazy airport welcome…checked out mall of asia and off to dinner! Suggestions? pic.twitter.com/Lah52Eco2t

— Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) October 7, 2013

Whoever said that Linsanity was dead?

Houston Rockets point guard Jeremy Lin has become a big selling point for his side’s pre-season NBA game against the Indiana Pacers in the Philippines.

Lin, who rocketed to stardom two years ago with the New York Knicks, has become an ambassador for the league in Asia with his arrival in the region sparking pandemonium.

Tickets to the Rockets and Pacers gave have also been quickly snapped up in the basketball-mad nation despite the steep prices costing well above the monthly wage for some people in the developing country.
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http://www.fanatix.com/news/jeremy-lin-mobbed-by-crazed-fans-in-the-philippines/154152/

Basketball: Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers face off in Philippines

MANILA: The Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets arrived in the basketball-mad Philippines on Monday for the Southeast Asian nation's first ever NBA pre-season game.

Arriving on separate chartered planes, the teams were met by organisers on the tarmac before being quickly whisked away on tour buses ahead of their clash on Thursday.

A throng of press photographers jostling against security officials bore testament to the intense interest the clash is generating in the Philippines, which this year hosted the FIBA Asia Championship, losing in the final to Iran.

Organisers said ticket sales have been brisk despite the steep price. By Monday afternoon, the only available seats were courtside, costing between $770 and $1,200 -- around 80 times the average daily wage of an ordinary labourer in Manila.

Much of the focus has been on the Rocket's point guard Jeremy Lin, the first American-born player of Asian descent in the league whose breakthrough season in 2012 led to a global following dubbed "Linsanity".

"Jeremy Lin welcome to the Philippines! Best Asian NBA player," tweeted fan John Lester Delesmo.

Mark Anthony Marquez, a college student, said he was disappointed to miss out on cheap tickets in the bleachers which had quickly sold out.

"Maybe I will camp out at the arena," he said.

The Philippines, a former US colony, has had a long love affair with basketball.

Makeshift courts are found in street corners throughout the country, and parents often name their babies 'Kobe' and 'Michael Jordan' after popular NBA players.

- AFP/fa
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http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/sport/basketball-houston/839376.html

#1 Skyhoop, Oct 7, 2013

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The Houston Rockets' James Harden greets Filipino fans upon arrival Monday Oct.7, 2013 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at suburban Pasay city south of Manila, Philippines. The Houston Rockets and the Indiana Pacers flew in Monday for the first NBA game in this basketball-crazy Southeast Asian nation Thursday evening. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)
The Houston Rockets' James Harden greets Filipino fans upon arrival Monday Oct.7, 2013 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at suburban Pasay city south of Manila, Philippines. The Houston Rockets and the Indiana Pacers flew in Monday for the first NBA game in this basketball-crazy Southeast Asian nation Thursday evening. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)
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http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/photo...es-nba-global-games-photo-070909905--nba.html

That expression on Harden's face just begs for a caption contest! LOL

#2 Skyhoop, Oct 7, 2013
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"Best asian NBAplayer".... lol..

#3 wil55n, Oct 7, 2013
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Let's try to keep to articles from after they landed, and not articles from before they reached the Phillipines. Also, let's keep the thread clean so we can stay up to date with what's happening over there. Instead of the usual trolling and baiting that sometimes goes on in threads.

#4 Skyhoop, Oct 7, 2013
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Skyhoop said: ↑

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/photo...es-nba-global-games-photo-070909905--nba.html

That expression on Harden's face just begs for a caption contest! LOL
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wer dem hos at?

#5 vlaurelio, Oct 7, 2013
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They all look tired as hell after that long flight.

#6 Johndoe804, Oct 7, 2013
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Celtics icons Bird and McHale set for Manila reunion in preseason game

http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/news/nba-mania-begins-in-earnest-as-pacers-rockets-arrive-for-historic-manila-game-v02
October 6, 2013, 04:09 pm

....

Interestingly, the Manila trip will serve as some sort of reunion for Boston Celtics legends Larry Bird and Kevin McHale. Bird will be at the head of the Indiana delegation as Pacers president while McHale is the coach of the Rockets.

The two Boston icons will be visiting Manila three years after former Lakers rival and fellow Hall of Famer, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, arrived for the NBA Asia Challenge.

NBA Global Games Philippines 2013 tips off at 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 10 at the Mall of Asia Arena and before the big day, the Pacers and the Rockets will get to know Manila a little better even as they conduct their practices in earnest for the historic NBA event in Southeast Asia.

Members of the two teams are scheduled to make trips around the city and drop in on neighborhood basketball courts. They will also conduct several NBA Cares activities for local kids at the Mall of Asia Arena and in selected neighborhood basketball courts.

The NBA will also host a clinic for local basketball coaches at the Mall of Asia Arena on Tuesday to be graced by members of the Houston Rockets and Indiana Pacers coaching staff. The free coaching development program is supported by the NBA and is open to all coaches of any level.

....
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#7 GIGO, Oct 7, 2013

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#8 SHOKI3, Oct 7, 2013
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SHOKI3 said: ↑

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Really Jeremy?! Socks and thongs? Really?!

Cut him !

#9 hbomb, Oct 7, 2013
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hbomb said: ↑

Really Jeremy?! Socks and thongs? Really?!

Cut him !

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Don't be so culturally insensitive you racist!

Sura faints.

#10 krosfyah, Oct 7, 2013
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wil55n said: ↑

"Best asian NBAplayer".... lol..
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Who the hell else is out there that's actively playing???

#11 ILoveWhiteGirls, Oct 7, 2013
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Rockets land in Manila, go straight to practice
Posted on October 7, 2013 at 1:38 am by Jonathan Feigen in 2013-14 season

Before the Rockets saw a sight or even unpacked a bag, they were back in the gym Monday in Manila.

After roughly 23 hours of travel time, including two bus rides, two flights and a two-hour layover, they got off the plane at about 10 a.m. in Manila and headed straight to practice. But rather than the usual work to work out the bugs from the first preseason game, the idea was to work off the jetlag and lethargy after so many hours of travel.

“To try to get them acclimated on the time, after 19 hours (of flying time), to get them here, let them stretch out, jog a little bit, warm up, just get a feel for the humidity and try to keep them on that same time schedule,” Rockets athletic trainer Keith Jones said. “We finished close to the time we normally finish practice. If they can stay up, they have a better chance to acclimate themselves to the time here.

“The guys were great. They went and changed, they got out and stretched real good, they went through some correction stuff from last night (the game in Houston). They did some shooting. They were great. Otherwise, you get sleepy, groggy and go to sleep.”

After the practice, they headed to a team lunch, one of four meals a day Jones wants players to eat while on the trip. The Rockets even brought Toyota Center executive chef Eddie Romero along to oversee their diet.
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http://blog.chron.com/ultimaterockets/2013/10/rockets-land-in-manila-go-straight-to-practice/

#12 Skyhoop, Oct 7, 2013
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Oct 7, 2013

<iframe width="600" height="335" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/G8IFGvMJbLw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

One of the Houston Rockets' former star players, Clyde `The Glide' Drexler, gamely answers questions thrown at him during a press conference at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Monday. Drexler flew in to Manila in connection with the NBA pre-season game featuring the Rockets and the Indiana Pacers. Video by INQUIRER.net's Cathy Miranda
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<iframe width="600" height="335" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/q-fALDi1-no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Robert Horry, former star of the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers, relates his memorable experiences and memories to reporters during an interview at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza Monday. Horry's visit is part of the NBA's pre-season game in the Philippines featuring the Rockets and the Indiana Pacers. Video by INQUIRER.net's Cathy Miranda
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#13 GIGO, Oct 7, 2013

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Rockets Get Moving To Ditch Jet-Lag Daze After Long Jaunt To Philippines
Posted by Fran Blinebury

MANILA, Philippines — When the cabin door on the chartered 747-700 jumbo jet at long last swung open at Ninoy Aquino International Airport following a 8,534-mile, the Rockets stepped out into the smog-filled sunshine and just might have wondered if they’d ever left home.
2013 Global Games - Philippines

Jeremy Lin, Chandler Parsons and the rest of the Rockets got in a cardio-heavy workout after arriving in Manila.

Dwight Howard, James Harden, Jeremy Lin and their teammates were immediately wrapped in the 87-degree heat and bear-hug humidity of what could have been another morning on the Gulf Coast of Texas.

That would be just as well to the coaches, athletic trainers and support staffs of the Rockets and Pacers teams that will play a pair of games this week in Manila and Taipei. For while the annual Global Games that dot the planet during the preseason schedule are part of the important growing business of the NBA, it is the business of those who handle the players to make sure all that surrounds these barrier-breaking stops in exotic locales is as close as possible to another night in an NBA city.

The phalanx of police officers, security personnel and airport workers that lined the tarmac to see the NBA stars disembark was enthusiastic, yet polite while wavering, jumping up and down and snapping photos with their smart phones. But the interactions with the public in this basketball-mad nation would wait for later as the Rockets boarded their team bus and headed straight to the new Mall of America Arena for an immediate practice before even checking into their hotel.

“It might sound crazy, but it actually felt really good to get out there and run up and down the floor and kind of clear out some of those clogged pipes after spending more than 20 hours on an airplane,” said Rockets forward Chandler Parsons.

That was exactly the intention of Rockets athletic trainer Keith Jones, who wanted to shake the players out their lethargy and begin to fight the effects of jet-lag right away.

“The old saying is that it takes you roughly one day to adjust for every time zone you go through,” Jones said. “We jumped ahead 13 hours, so there’s really no way that we’re going to catch up over here. The trip is only eight days long and we’ll be back at home while most of their bodies are trying to figure this out.

“What we want to do is keep them hydrated, fed properly and try to get them as close as possible to a normal sleeping schedule.”

Eddie Romero, executive chef at the Toyota Center, has made the trip and is monitoring the four meals — breakfast, lunch, dinner and a late snack — served. No dairy, no heavy sauces. Mostly grilled fish, beef and chicken with vegetables, usually cooked in olive oil.

On their short trip to the practice arena, most of the Rockets got their first glimpse of this congested, chaotic capital city. It’s a population of 12 million where a crowded intersection of two six-lane thoroughfares often shares space with tattered laundry hanging from a rope line while a single file line of eight goats come out of some tall weeds and prance into traffic.

It’s a tropical climate where palm trees are found on virtually every block of downtown, sharing space with basketball hoops — some of regulation-sized fiberglass backboards, others nailed haphazardly to poles — around the turn of almost every corner.

“I was in Taiwan just a couple of weeks ago and so I know how crazy, from first-hand experience, those people can get about basketball,” Parsons said. “And from everybody I’ve talked to and the things I’ve heard about, the passion is even more intense here in the Philippines. So, yeah, it’s a little bit inconvenient to make a trip like this at a time when we need every day to build some chemistry and try to come together to challenge for a championship.

“But you know what? This is a special cultural experience. There people love our game, love our league. So the least we can do is suck it up and make the most of it. I’m sure by the time Thursday comes and we’re ready to play that first game over here, we’ll be ready. But right now, on this first day, I’m really just trying to stay hydrated, stay fed and stay awake until after the sun goes down. Because right now I’m out on my feet.”
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http://hangtime.blogs.nba.com/2013/...jet-lag-daze-after-long-jaunt-to-philippines/

#14 Skyhoop, Oct 7, 2013
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Skyhoop said: ↑

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/photo...es-nba-global-games-photo-070909905--nba.html

That expression on Harden's face just begs for a caption contest! LOL
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"Where's that punk that dunked my mobile with water?"
http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showthread.php?t=242306

#15 Knickskiller, Oct 7, 2013
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single file line of eight goats come out of some tall weeds and prance into traffic.
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As someone who used to commute near that busy intersection, i attest that there are indeed goats in that grassy area.

Oh yeah, there is also a shopping mall just in front of it.

#16 James Gabriel, Oct 7, 2013
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ILoveWhiteGirls said: ↑

Who the hell else is out there that's actively playing???
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LOL! :grin:

Its pretty much like how we call NBA World Championship Series; as thought any other worlds are playing in it?!

#17 Maknusia, Oct 7, 2013
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Oh yeah, if any of you guys are dropping by in Manila...

#18 James Gabriel, Oct 7, 2013

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No offence, my fellow Asian boy, but, yao Ming is the best Asian player :|

#19 Richie7, Oct 7, 2013
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James Gabriel said: ↑

Oh yeah, if any of you guys are dropping by in Manila...

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Those sketchy KTV bars are a terrible idea. If you're really looking for that kind of thing, you could find the same in almost any nice bar in Makati or Ft. Bonifacio, spend a little more money, and get much better quality (not to mention safer).

#20 itstheyear3030, Oct 7, 2013

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