Meet my Personal Fitness Trainer

To prepare for this Sunday's AKTV Run, I recruited a new Personal Fitness Trainer. Walang laban si Coach Rio or Bull Runner dito. MH

Swag Bag - Adidas Crazy Light Launch.

Haven't been to the Moro Lorenzo Sports Center in Ateneo in ages. So it was good to be back last night for the launch of the Adidas AdiZero Crazy Light.

The place was packed with players from the PBA, PBA D-League, UAAP and NCAA. Saw Alvin Teng's sons -- mga anak ni Robocop...or...the Robo-Kids -- Jeric and Jeron Teng. Bumped into Finals co-MVP Jason Castro of TNT - watch out for our Jason Castro story in the next issue of SLAM PH. Jay-R Reyes, currently involved in a still-to-be-finalized trade with Joe DeVance, was also there. Jay-R was chatting with good friend and former Letran Squires teammate JC Intal. Sabi ni JC sa akin, "Tawa ng tawa si "B" sa inyo ni Jason (Webb) during the PBA All-Star TV coverage!" By now, you guys probably know who "B" is.

In the Media Mini-Tournament, my team -- Team 2 -- beat Martin David a.k.a SoleMovement's Team 1 to enter the Finals. Unfortunately, I had to leave after the elimination round to attend a dinner. Found out my team lost by just 7 points to the team bannered by PBA courtside reporter Chiqui Reyes and Solar Entertainment's James Meneses in the Finals. If nakalaro ako sa Finals, my team could've lost by 17.

Everyone inside Moro rocked the new AdiZero Crazy Light's -- unbelievably just 9.8 ounces of eye-candy goodness. Got the sharp blue/white colorway. Nice. Others got the lead gray/electricity green colorway. I'll be test-driving the Crazy Lights during my weekly coed basketball game tonight.

Check out http://solemovement.com/adidas/light-as-_-_-_-_/ to know more about the Crazy Light. Worldwide release is on June 3. MH

Go Gilas in FIBA-Asia Champions Cup

The 22nd FIBA-Asia Champions Cup started yesterday at the Philsports Arena. Caught second half of the Mahram-Iran vs Al Jala'a-Syria game and my first impression: Mahram-Iran has a mammoth frontline! Mahram bigs were dunking all over Al Jala'a import and former NBA veteran Samaki Walker. Mahram won by 27 points.

In the main event, Smart Gilas displayed fluid efficiency in beating Al-Ittihad KSA, 101-69. Great to see Chris Tiu, JV Casio and Marcio Lassiter showing renewed confidence. Best player of the game was deservedly Japeth Aguilar. Japeth sank midrange jumper and threw down alley-oop slam dunks to punctuate Gilas' domination over Al-Ittihad. Japeth shot an incredible 10/11 from the field. In contrast, Dondon Hontiveros, in his debut for Gilas, shot 1 out of 11. But Dondon looked comfortable running with Gilas on the floor and going with their plays. He certainly gives Gilas' second unit more experience and more court savvy.

In the nightcap, Al Riyadi-Lebanon easily defeated Al Shabab-UAE behind stellar games from Lebanon stars Fadi El Khatib and Jean Abd El Nour. El-Khatib scored 29 while Abd El Nour added 24. During player introductions, Pinoy fans in the venue showered El Khatib with generous applause. We've been watching him make basketball look so easy these past years and it's hard not to appreciate how El Khatib plays the game. Just like how I still admire Korean super-shooter Hur Jae to this day. Just like how old-timers still revere Korean legend Shin Dong Pa.

Jimmy Alapag, who has yet to suit up for Gilas but sat with the team on the bench, even approached the Al Riyadi bench to say hello to El Khatib, Abd El Nour and other veterans. The guys exchanged hugs and greetings.

El Khatib was looking for Alapag during the 2009 Jones Cup in Taipei and was surprised not to see Alapag with the Philippine team then. That's not bromance. That's just respect.

Gilas faces KL Dragons-Malaysia today (Sunday) 6pm, then meets Duhok-Iraq on Tuesday 6pm, then battles ASU-Jordan on Wednesday 8pm before the tournament takes a break on Thursday. All games are at the Philsports Arena. All Gilas games will be aired live on Sports5-IBC13.

For more information, check out http://manila2011.fibaasia.net MH

It's no longer fun to make fun of LeBron James

How are we supposed to feel about LeBron James now??? His team conquered both the Celtics and the Bulls. Boston, gone. D-Rose -- MVP, gone. And in the process, LBJ made clutch plays. In the process, LBJ showed he's worthy of a place in the NBA Finals. But I know he still won't get universal love. Not even from me. I know the taunts won't completely go away. Some fans still wait for him to choke, to miss last-second shots, to fail so spectacularly.

This man had every reason to falter this season. This man had every reason to play like a villain. This man had every motivation to just raise his hands and say, "Screw it, to hell with basketball". But he didn't. His offense in the playoffs proves it. His defense in the playoffs proves it some more. He's in the NBA Finals now, about to face sentimental favorites Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd. So pano na 'to? How can fans mock a guy this good? And since punchlines about "The Decision" have gotten so, so old, what LeBron jokes can we possibly tweet now? MH

Phenom is on SLAM PH 149

Dear PH hoopheads,

If you haven't seen him play, you have every reason not to believe. Is he all-hype? Is he for real? Isn't he too young? Isn't Ray-Ray Parks so much stronger? Is it too much, too soon? Why the heck is incoming Ateneo rookie Kiefer Ravena in SLAM PH's first ish?

It's called faith -- faith in what insiders say, faith in the testimonies of people who have seen, faith in potential, faith in the future. SLAM PH's goal is not to convince you to believe. The magazine's only objective is to relay a message: Kiefer is out to show skeptics what many are already sure of.

Ravena joins Ginebra's Ronald Tubid and the Olympic-dreamers of Smart Gilas in the first issue of SLAM Philippines. But it's not SLAM PH 1. It's really SLAM PH 149 since the magazine follows the numbering of our SLAM US principals.


That we're able to place Tubid, Tiu, Baracael, Barroca, Lassiter, Casio and Ravena side-by-side with Pao Gasol, LaMarcus Aldridge, Serge Ibaka, Kobe, D-Rose and Amar'e in SLAM highlights our responsibility to promote a global basketball community, cultivate the sport's ever-growing culture and further solidify PH hoops' place on the global basketball map.

SLAM PH ( php 200.00 ) is now available in leading newsstands nationwide.

Hope you guys can check it out! Thanks. MH

PBA All-Star Game Boracay Snapshots

The mark of a truly brave, gutsy PBA star: ang magpa-henna tattoo.


We enjoyed covering All-Star Week in Boracay. We hope you enjoyed our coverage too. Sa lahat ng nanoonod ng All-Star Friday and All-Star Sunday, Maraming Salamat!


If magpapagawa ako jersey, I won't put my name on the back. I'll copy Allan Caidic's All-Star jersey. On the back of my uniform, papalagay ko LEGEND. Haha.


Takes bravado to have your nails colored and have them spell NORTH ALL-STAR. Arwind Santos, ikaw na!

Headband. Sosi. That's it.


Coach Chot Reyes remains best-dressed coach in Boracay with boat sneakers, linen polo, linen pants, striped sando and chest hair even Asi can't match.


We kept teasing Dondon Hontiveros on-the-air about his special friend - TV host Valerie Concepcion. When Dondon's special friend reached the island, eto napala ko. Aray.

And...what happens in Boracay...stays in Boracay. MH

Chris Ross goes Ross-tafarian.

Looks like Meralco's Chris Ross is ready for PBA All-Star Week in Boracay. "I had to do something special with my hair," Chris said. "Something special for the beach!" Before flying to the island, he made sure he already had his hair done -- Ross-tafarian style!

Two days in TimeZone = VICTORY!!!

I always thought it was impossible to win anything from arcade machines that make you pick-up toys with a special claw, then, encourage you to hope toys hang-on long enough for it to be yours. Nothing is impossible. Two straight nights. Two new toys. Back-to-back tsamba specials! In the end, I paid, I played, I conquered. MH

Junior PBA: The Legend of Lao Ming

I watched a Junior PBA game recently between the kiddie versions of B-Meg Derby Ace and Talk 'N Text at the Trinity University of Asia. In the Junior PBA, kids wear jerseys bearing the names of actual PBA players. All I could think of was: super saya siguro nung nakakuha ng Gilbert Lao. MH

Select Photos from Vegas (Sorry walang Mosley photo, takot din daw siya magpa-picture).

If Mosley displayed half of Jorge Arce's guts, we could've had a different fight...

Pacquiao's Yellow Gloves for Unity...

Barangay Pacman in full-force at the official weigh-in on Friday...

Baseball legend Cal Ripken, Jr. watched the fight and cheered for Manny Pacquiao...

At least this Mayweather had the courage to show up...

Manny on the shirt must be looking up and saying, "Aba kamukha ko 'to ah!"

Manny Pacquiao - the global sports superstar! MH

Pacquiao - Lord of the Rings.

Las Vegas, NV - While walking outside a jewelry store inside the MGM Grand Hotel today, Quinito Henson, Solar Sports Producer Andrew Santiago and I saw a poster promoting the "Official Manny Pacquiao 8-time Championship Ring". We got curious, naturally. We found out the ring has two variants, one diamond-studded 14-karat white gold ring that's $5,300.00 (the supersize version) and the not-so-supersize version at $900.00. Mas affordable, gulp.

We even met Howard Kaplan, the ring's designer, outside the store. He has made hundreds of championship rings for teams like the LA Lakers and the Chicago Bulls -- I wonder if he's already drafting some designs for the Memphis Grizzlies. He even made a special commemorative ring for Muhammad Ali when Ali was named Athlete of the Century. He met Manny two months ago to finalize the design for the ring (check it out at www.mp8collection.com).


Part of the proceeds from the made-to-order rings will go to Manny's favorite charities in the Philippines.

Kaplan, who's a season ticket holder of the Bulls and Chicago White Sox, said Manny is so unlike some big-name athletes. "Manny's a great guy," he asserted. "You wouldn't think that this little guy can kick the crap out of 'ya!" So can this ring! MH