LeBron James in Manila for the Rise Beyond Belief tour

In line with its Rise campaign, LeBron James will be making his return to the highly-anticipated Philippines next week.

James will be tasked to mentor the Rise players and serve as their inspiration. His backstory is a good illustration of perseverance and overcoming adversity. After all, he has been the subject of scrutiny since high school, and his relentless drive and desire for greatness provides a template for these youngsters to follow, as they make the attempt to rise above it all.

LeBron will also make the announcement as to who will make the final cut. Those who were selected will comprise Team Rise for their final task.

Team Rise ain't the only ones who would have the chance to "Witness Greatness." Just like his previous visit here, the Mall of Asia Arena will serve as a venue for one of his activities. This time, it will be on August 20, and fans, much like the that time back in 2013, will have the chance to be in attendance. How?

1. Fans will have to visit http://gonike.me/LebronJamesRiseTour starting August 14 at 9am.

2. Follow the instructions on the site in registering, and if successful, they will be receiving a confirmation e-mail.
3. Fans will need to present that e-mail and a valid ID to a Nike store at the designated date and time from August 15-18 to claim the tickets.

In addition, a "Rise Beyond Belief" photo booth will be set up at the Fort branch of Nike Park, in which fans could have the chance to be part of a special photo mosaic of James.

Fans can watch Nike Rise on all Sundays of August, 6pm, on TV5. In case you want to relive the episodes, you can head to Sports5.ph or on Nike Philippines' YouTube page.

Debut of Nike: Rise tomorrow

The much-anticipated Nike: Rise reality sports documentary will be telecast tomorrow night, 6pm on TV5.

The first episode sees Chot Reyes meeting the 24 kids selected from the tryouts that took place across the country, with NBA star Paul George dropping by to kick off the training at the House of Rise in Mandaluyong City.

It also serves as a means to share the background of some of these kids, a background filled with non-believers in their skill and talent. Some have their own kind of warts. In addition, they didn't exactly have the perfect kind of training that other athletes have secured, and as such, they will be coming in raw.

George will assist Reyes in teaching the kids during this episode. He is familiar with having to deal with a meteoric rise, from being an unknown and mysterious entity to becoming the Most Improved Player to becoming a superstar. His story is also about determination, as he still continues to comeback stronger from his injury.


The trailer for the first episode can be seen below.

KD7 Lightning 534: Capturing NYC's Electricity

KD7 Lightning 534

Nike will be releasing the latest colorway to its KD7 collection globally later this month. (In the Philippines, SRP is PhP 8,195.)

Called the Lightning 534, it is a homage to a facet of New York City, tailored to Kevin Durant's interests in meteorological phenomenon.

Kevin Durant likes the Big Apple's overall electric feel, as well as the buzz it imbibes. One just cannot easily dismiss his Rucker Park debut.

The colorway's name is derived from a couple of things:

534 depicts 5th Avenue (5) and 34th Street (34), which is where the Empire State Building is located. (Due to copyright issues, Nike cannot use "Empire State Building" as part of the name)

The iconic landmark gets struck by lightning at an average of 25 times a year (like the photo you see here).

The purple nature of the KD7 plays to the purple hue of the New York City sky whenever said lightning strike takes place. Visual representations of weather patterns are reflected on the graphics of the swoosh logo as well as on the outsole.
 
For more details on the KD7 Lightning 534, you may check out your neighborhood shoe outlet, or watch the YouTube clip below.

Hard Work... Together... feat. LeBron James via Nike

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Hard Work... Together...

By now you are familiar with that Nike commercial involving LeBron James. If you are not, let me refresh your memory a little bit.



The title of the video is "Together," highlighting and celebrating the pride and emotion that came with James' return to Cleveland this past offseason.

Directed by the Malloy Brothers, Nike Basketball collaborated with advertising firm Wieden + Kennedy to conceptualize the short.

It depicts a huddle by James with the Cavaliers, with Cleveland citizens inside and outside of the Quicken Loans Arena joining in as a show of unity. One team. One city. One goal.

Among those participating are Cavs teammates Kyrie Irving, Dion Waiters, Anderson Varejao, Shawn Marion, Tristan Thompson, Matthew Dellavedova and Joe Harris, LeBron's mother Gloria, his high school coach at St. Vincent St. Mary's Dru Joyce, as well as the children from the LeBron James Family Foundation.

To complement the short, a 10-story 25,000 banner was unveiled on Ontario street. Nike recorded the reveal through time-lapse on its YouTube page:



On the day LeBron officially makes his season debut, Nike will also debut the LEBRON 12 HRT OF A LION on its stores. For those who relish creativity, it is also ready for custom design at www.nikeid.com wherever NIKEiD is available.

Nike launches #PLAYPINOY basketball tournament for teens

Nike is inviting basketball-crazy teens in Manila to participate in the #PLAYPINOY tournament that is to be launched today, August 8.

#PLAYPINOY is a fast-paced and unconventional five-on-five pickup style basketball tournament, aimed to bring the spirit of Filipino basketball to a new level. According to Nike Philippines Country Marketing Manager Courtney Cole-Faso, it is a "platform that enables the youth to embrace their basketball roots, and express their love for the game." She adds that this is their opportunity to not only "show off their skills," but also to "celebrate the unique Filipino style of basketball."

#PLAYPINOY is targeted towards 15-18 year old players who are of legal Filipino residency (they have to be 15 y/o by August 16 and not turn 19 y/o during the tournament, which is scheduled on August 16-17, 23-24, and 30).

Registration begins at 11am today (August 8), until 8pm on Monday (August 11), on a first-come, first-served basis (or until all slots are taken). Four specific Nike branches have been designated to handle this: Nike Park Trinoma, Nike Forum Greenhills, Nike Park Bonifacio High Street, and Nike Park Mall of Asia.

At least one representative of an interested team has to be present during registration with the following requirements from each team member:

a. 1x1 picture OR valid school ID
b. certified true copy of birth certificate
c. if participant is < 18, parental consent
d. a signed event waiver form (which is available at the registration site)

Rubber City Soul: The Lyrical Tapestry of one LeBron James

Talent is given... Greatness is earned.  (Lemon Andersen, 2013)

Last night, LeBron James played 38 minutes, scored 17 points, grabbed six rebounds, dished off eight assists and stole the ball once, as the Miami Heat opened their title defense with a 107-95 victory over the Chicago Bulls. It marked his 11th season in the league. And it meant we, as fans of the association, have been basking in a decade of LeBron.

To commemorate that feat, our friends at Nike asked award-winning poet and playwright Lemon Andersen to compose a poem about the King, who happens to be the second player to have had a series of shoes as long as he has. You probably know the other one.

The result can be seen below.



The woven tapestry of words, can be read as follows after the jump:

Nike releases the Hypervenom

Before the month of May ended, Nike released the Hypervenom, its latest football shoe in Rio de Janeiro, with the Brazillian wunderkind Neymar.



The Hypervenom aims to help the wearer quickly create space in and around the penalty area, with the ability to get off a shot from any angle. In the case of Neymar, he wanted a boot that would help enhance his agility, giving him the space to get off a shot before opponents can close him down.

To quote Nike Football VP for Footwear Phil McCartney, “The Hypervenom is the ultimate expression of this new breed of athlete who is unpredictable. He is agile. He is quick. And he can finish like very few players on the planet.”

This development is as a result of the evolution of defenders becoming as quick, agile and skillful as the forwards they guard on the pitch. Using feedback from the likes of Wayne Rooney, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Neymar, the Nike Football design team, led by its Design Director Denis Dekovic, then developed a boot that would allow the player to be quicker not just in foot races, but also with the ball in their feet in small spaces. As a result, wearing the boot would enhance their natural agility and thus, be able to virtually create chances out of nothing.

Dekovic adds, “These players have a flair and unpredictability that gets the crowd on their feet. They are the players that fans, teammates and opponents expect to pose the biggest threat. The challenge for us is to harness that talent and give the player the best product to increase that advantage.”

The boot's upper uses the NIKESKIN system, which features a soft supple mesh bound with a thin polyurethane film, finished off with the Nike All Conditions Control technology (ACC) that provides the same level of foot-to-ball control in both wet and dry conditions.

For Dekovic, “Mesh delivers an amazing level of comfort and feel. The athletes asked us to deliver a boot that gets as close as possible to the feeling of playing barefoot. Mesh takes us a step closer to doing that. The ACC finish keeps the mesh dry, but doesn’t take away any of the suppleness or comfort so the performance and intent of the design isn’t affected.”

Complementing the upper for the Hypervenom is a new foot last that is their most anatomical to date for Nike, as they decided to remove excess materials and placing the foot closer to the ball and the ground. They also decided to create a decoupled outsole that would increase the wearer's ability to create separation from the defender. Working with top podiatrists, Nike added a groove in the forefoot that helps to quickly activate the first metatarsal, the bone that defines reaction time of the foot’s first movement.

The chassis of the outsole features compressed nylon for a high-response, plate that helps deliver strength while being incredibly light. The stud configuration and length is designed to allow for faster penetration of the surface and ultimately a quicker release – all innovations designed to help players create space quicker than ever before.

The shoe made its official debut during the FIFA friendly between England and Brazil, worn by Neymar and Rooney on June 2. Also set to be wearing the boot are Ibrahimovic and Polish international Robert Lewandowski.

Details are still unavailable as to when it will be available in the local Nike stores, but the SRP of the Hypervenom is at PhP 10,295. 

Snazzy Sport "Pasin-tabis" 2

1. Tom Watson leading the Open @ Turnberry. He's 59 turning 60. One thing that keeps me busy when I am at the office is reading Jason Sobel and his ESPN golf live-blog. It is really captivating what this 5-time Open winner is doing. Wow. Newsworthy. Also Tiger missing his 2nd major cut. Considering how good he has been over the course of his career, this is really a shock.

2. The 2010 Winter Classic will be held @ Fenway, with the Boston Bruins hosting the Philadelphia Flyers. Considering how good the past 2 games were, expectations are high.

3. Congrats to the San Miguel Beermen. Ginebra lost their first Game 7. Jonas Villanueva (FEU alum) wins the Finals MVP. Olsen, your successor is ready. Thanks for the service rendered.

4. Day after Beermen win, Team Pilipinas loses in their Jones Cup opener 90-59 to Jordan. Still need a lot of stuff to work on.

5. The NBA free Agent moves will have its own post before the season starts, so don't be surprised.

6. Since Kobe is coming here, no, I did not go to the Fort to try to fish for a ticket. I do have a day (graveyard, though) job and the schedule and location make it a little impractical. However, if you do, send a link to watch and observe. And, speaking of Nike, the Jordan Brand is going to secure current Converse icon D-Wade. (Which is a lateral move as Nike owns Converse)

7. DLSU lost again. No one scored in double digits, again. This will be a long season for the Archers. However, I just want to let you know, that this team is a 2nd round team, meaning they really play much better from August onwards. It is hard to imagine a Franz Pumaren-coached team like this. Kudos to FEU.

8. Adamson wins it first game against UP. Did I see a Mike Gamboa DNP?

Nike Elite Basketball Camp people

I was wondering who were the Nike Elite Campers that were being referred to in the Kobe post. I decided to check google and led me here

Footnote: The school on the parenthesis is based on what was on the site as of the time. You may be wondering since Mark Juruena is now with UP.

PARTICIPANTS OF THE 2009 NIKE ELITE BASKETBALL CAMP

Albert Tanquintic (San Beda)
Alfonso Gotladera (San Beda)
Aljon Mariano (La Salle)
Art de la Cruz (San Beda)
Baser Amer (San Beda)
Benjie Teodoro (Informatics)
Bon Jovi Cipriano (Ateneo)
Christopher Javier (San Beda)
Dave Moralde (San Beda)
Eduardo Daquiag (BIS)
Elmer Labis (Cagayan de Oro)
Erickson Galacgac (Davao)
Excel Nocu (Gensan)
Francis Donahue (Iloilo)
Gabe Branzuela (Cebu)
GJ Ylagan (Lucena)
Glenn Khobuntin (Letran)
Gryann Mendoza (Davao)
Gwynne Capacio (DLSZ)
Hans Cabrera (Cebu)
Hans Sabal (Olongapo)
Hero Tomilloso (Iloilo)
Ivan Enriquez (Ateneo)
Jarelan Tampus (Letran)
Jeffrey Ongteco (Letran)
Jessmar Sabangan (RTU)
Jethro Rosario (TIP)
Jhul Ian Elle (Davao)
Jomar Adornado (La Salle)
Joseph Eriobu (Perpetual)
Joven Sepe (Cebu)
Keith Agovida (JRU)
Kinsman Frando (Davao)
Kristoffer Porter (Cebu)
Kyle Neypes (UST)
Larry John Malanday (Davao)
Lomell Loyola (Olongapo)
Loui Philippe Vigil (JRU)
Luigi de la Paz (DLSZ)
Luigi Pumaren (La Salle)
Luis Pujante (?)
Mark Cruz (Letran)
Mark Juruena (Adamson)
Martin Pascual (Ateneo)
Masshu Okubo (Perpetual)
Nico Elorde (DLSZ)
Orly Pelopero (Cagayan de Oro)
Paolo Pe (Ateneo)
Rafael Melocoton (Cagayan de Oro)
Raffy Octobre (Cebu)
Raphael Banal (Ateneo)
Reden Celda (Davao)
Ricci Gonzales (Brent)
Russel Escoto (FEU FERN)
Ryan Monteclaro (UE)
Sean Benedict Lucero (Cagayan de Oro)
Terrence Romeo (FEU FERN)
Von Chavez (San Beda)
Zack Tabriani (International School)

Updated Kobe in Manila news

Information here taken from Rick Olivares' blog

Like what I posted earlier: NBA Finals MVP Kobe Bryant will be in the country on July 21, 2009 (which is a Tuesday) to kick off his Nike sponsored 2009 Asia Tour. The said tour will cover six cities in Asia, starting in Manila (for only one day), then Singapore, Taipei, Hong Kong, Shanghai and the final stop being Chengdu. The tour also seeks to inspire young ballers to continue aspiring for their big hoop dreams.

The visit will kick off with a 2PM visit at Nike Park, The Fort. Kobe would be meeting young ballers from select Gawad Kalinga communities as a way of supporting deserving institutions by setting aside quality time to be with children who are interested in basketball, encouraging them to keep dreaming big. W.N.I.K.E Radio on Magic 89.9 will broadcast this event live (This is during the Big Meal / Top 5 @ 5).

Afterwards, he would proceed to a basketball camp at the Philsports Arena (a.k.a. the Ultra). Kobe would then strut his stuff and share tips and tricks with a group of young and up-and-coming basketball players named the Nike Elite Campers (hmm.... I wonder who are the ones in this camp?) Gates will be open at 3pm and the show begins at 4pm.

If you want to watch this, you need to go to the Nike Park at the Fort on Saturday, July 18. Tickets are absolutely free, but only 3000 are available and only two (yes, just two) tickets per person on a first-come first serve basis. Distribution will begin at noon of said day. You can also tune in to W.N.I.K.E Radio (Mondays 10-1030am on Magic 89.9) as lucky listeners might be able to watch this as well.

The tour also serves as the launch of the new Nike Dream Season shoe, which is the first basketball shoe designed for outdoor games. Designed with Kobe's input and based from his style of play, the Nike Dream Season is both lightweight and durable, as well as sleek and aggressive. Winning the recently concluded NBA title obviously completing his own dream season, Kobe aims to inspire young ballers by sharing his passion for basketball (in this case, with players throughout Asia Pacific), giving them the opportunity to live out their dreams on the outdoor court.

Kobe coming to Manila

Thanks to Nike Philippines for the information.

Here it is as quoted from Nike:

Nike announced today that it would host 2009 NBA Champion and Finals MVP Kobe Bryant on a six-city tour of Asia. Developed as an opportunity for Kobe to meet with kids throughout Asia to inspire, energize and improve their basketball skills, Kobe’s tour will make stops in Manila, Singapore, Taipei, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Chengdu, China, starting July 21, 2009.

Starting as a young basketball player, Kobe developed a set of skills that has made him into one of the best athletes in the world. Growing up, he sharpened his skills playing both indoor and outdoor basketball and today follows a core set of values that can be seen through his focused training and mental toughness on court.

The results of his training are visible through his many accomplishments including scoring 81 points in a single NBA game and in winning the 2008 NBA MVP Award, the 2008 Olympics Gold Medal as part of the USA Basketball team, and most recently winning the 2009 NBA Championship and being awarded the Finals MVP.

Bryant has met with players and fans alike throughout Asia over the past three summers; touring with Nike during the summer of 2006 and 2007, and as part of the USA Basketball team leading up to the games in Beijing where he lead the USAB team to gold in 2008. This summer’s tour offers Kobe a chance to check back in with the young players he met on previous tours and meet up and coming players who he hopes to inspire. “I'm looking forward to returning to Asia to see the progress the kids have made since my last visit,” said Kobe Bryant. “I liked what I saw then and I’m planning to work the kids even harder to give them a better sense of the dedication and hard work it takes to be a champion.”

Off the court, Kobe has long believed in giving back to the community. During his Asia tour with Nike, Kobe will continue his spirit of giving by participating in charity events with his fans at various stops along the tour.

From July 1st, Nike will launch the Nike Dream Season. Developed to meet the needs of outdoor basketball players in Asia, the Nike Dream Season was designed with insights from Kobe. The shoe will be a part of his signature collection and will be sold exclusively in Asia.

Kobe Bryant 2009 Asia Tour Schedule:
July 21: Manila

Watch out for updates on the Kobe Bryant 2009 Asia Tour: Philippines on www.nike.com.ph or tune it to W.N.I.K.E. Radio on 89.9 DWTM Mondays from 10:00am to 10:30am.