I never imagined I would have a chance to see Kobe Bryant live in person, let alone get a courtside photographer pass for his 2011 Asian Tour titled " Take Every Advantage". The tour is courtesy of Nike Philippines and the venue was the Araneta Coliseum.
I was just informed by my brother that they had passes for the event the day before and would not be able to attend the event. I had already resigned myself to not seeing Kobe again but it was like a gift from heaven.
I arrived early to secure me and my friend, Nats, passes. The crowds were ready, dressed to the max in Kobe Bryant gear as well as creating interesting banners like the one above. I found "Today is my birthday, thank you for coming KOBE" to be so funny.
The crowd was treated to some light and fireworks before the man they were all waiting for, stepped out from the smoke, the one and only Kobe Bryant. I had to rub my eyes to make sure I was not dreaming, it really is Kobe Bryant, live and in person. I've been a fan of the LA Lakers since the 80s and of Kobe since he joined the Lakers in his rookie season.
There was an initial interview of Kobe by the hosts regarding his earlier appearances while the crowd chanted his name at every opportunity. Kobe talked about his experiences in the Philippines and also gave advice to all the Filipino basketball players out there.
Kobe made the ceremonial to start the 10 minute exhibition game and watched as the Smart Gilas thumped the overmatched UAAP All Stars.
Kobe did something no one at the coliseum ever anticipated, he wanted to play with the UAAP All Stars to even things a little. When this was announced, the crowd went wild, this was something no one expected even the people from Nike since Kobe has never done this before.
Kobe was given a FEU jersey to use, until now I don't know why he wasn't given an Ateneo or a La Salle jersey, maybe the FEU crew was just faster on the draw, whipping out their jersey and putting it in Kobe's hand.
Kobe mere presence was just electric, injecting life into the underdog UAAP All Stars. Although you could see that he was taking it easy, it seems him taking it easy is still tons better than any of our local players.
The highlight of the game was when Kobe got a steal and went on a solo fastbreak and threw down a monster dunk finished off by hanging on the ring, something that can't be done in a game since it's a violation. Everyone was cheering even the players themselves who were literally in awe of Kobe, brandishing their cameras on the bench and clicking away like me.
It was an awesome experience and one I will remember forever. The news does not stop there since they just announced that Kobe will be back next week to play a couple of exhibition games with fellow NBA stars going up against the PBA All Stars and the Smart Gilas. I'm not getting my hopes up with my chances to secure tickets to any of those games, but you never know, lightning might strike twice.
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