PHILIPPINES: BASKETBALL: Pacers and Rockets arrive in Manila ahead of preseason game

Record ID: 861922

  • Title: PHILIPPINES: BASKETBALL: Pacers and Rockets arrive in Manila ahead of preseason game
  • Date: 7th October 2013
  • Summary: MANILA, PHILIPPINES (OCTOBER 7, 2013) (REUTERS) PLANE CARRYING HOUSTON ROCKETS MOVING ON RUNWAY AIRPORT PERSONNEL ROCKETS PLAYERS DISEMBARKING FROM PLANE ROCKETS PLAYER JAMES HARDEN DISEMBARKING FROM PLANE ROCKETS PLAYER DWIGHT HOWARD VARIOUS OF ROCKETS PLAYERS EXITING PLANE ROCKETS PLAYER MARCUS CAMBY DISEMBARKING FROM PLANE TOURIST BUS ROCKETS PLAYER JEREMY LIN DISEMBARKING FROM PLANE LIN WITH OTHER ROCKETS PLAYERS DISEMBARKING CAMERAMAN FILMING LIN AS HE WALKS BY MEDIA IN FRONT OF PLANE ROCKETS PLAYERS BOARDING BUS ROCKETS PLAYERS SEATED INSIDE BUS AIRPORT PERSONNEL TAKING PHOTOS BUS MOVING OUT OF AIRPORT RUNWAY ROCKETS PLAYERS LOOKING OUT FROM INSIDE BUS
  • Embargoed: 22nd October 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Philippines
  • City:
  • Country: Philippines
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVA8E3H0D32DDTMZ6BYAJTN3J09N
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: The Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets arrived in Manila on Monday (October 7) ahead of the first NBA pre-season game to be played in the Philippines.
    The two teams landed at Manila's international airport aboard separate chartered flights early in the morning for their upcoming game on October 10.
    The Pacers, headed by NBA all-star Paul George, was accompanied by team president Larry Bird, followed by the Rockets with their stars Jeremy Lin and James Harden.
    The two teams are set to head off on the first NBA pre-season match in the Philippines on Thursday, where thousands of Filipino fans in the predominantly basketball-crazy country are expected to watch live.
    Basketball is the country's most popular sport, with many Filipinos playing the game on makeshift courts right in the middle of the streets.
    News of the first NBA game in Manila has spurred a buzz on social networking sites, with many Filipinos anticipating the upcoming game.
    Ticket prices in the 17,000-seater stadium costs between 550 pesos ($13 USD) to 32,300 pesos ($756 USD) for premium seats.
    Vendor and NBA fan Eman Pepita was happy he can get a glimpse of the NBA players while he tended his shop in front of the stadium.

    "I'm happy because those NBA stars we see on TV are now here in person," he said.
    While in Manila, the Pacers and Rockets are scheduled to conduct public exhibitions and basketball clinics on selected neighbourhoods.
    The game in the Philippines is part of NBA's comprehensive Global Games which features eight pre-season games, in eight cities across six countries this October.
    After the game in Manila, both teams are set to play in Taiwan on Sunday (October 13). The regular NBA season commences on October 29.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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