The words "I Can do all things..." were scribbled on Steph Curry's Nike Zoom Hyperfuse PE when he faced the New York Knicks inside the Madison Square Garden. ESPN Cameras spotted his kicks up close. He almost did everything vs the Knicks today: career-high 54 points, 11/13 3-point FG, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals and played all 48 minutes. The only thing he failed to do was win the game.
But it was another phenomenal game from one of the smoothest players you'll ever see. Steph makes shooting three-point shots seem as easy as tweeting. And by the way, he had 38 points and 7 three-point shots vs Indiana yesterday. Curry, who really looks like he's just 13 years old, has scored 92 points and 18 three-pointers in the last two games. Deym. MH
From The Stands Episode 46: I joined the boys for the first-ever FTS Confessions haha.
Just some of the questions they asked me:
What was my favorite call in my years covering the PBA?
Who is the hottest courtside reporter?
Most awkward moment with a player?
Which was more fun to cover - UAAP or PBA?
Is Richard Del Rosario a better TV Analyst or Assistant Coach?
What would I like to change with the PBA?
Who will win the PBA Commissioner's Cup?
Also look out for the #FTSContest. From The Stands is giving away an autographed shirt from James Yap! Listen to the episode to find out contest details.
Steph Curry's ankle-busting crossover on George Hill was smooth and lethal. It was smethal. Yup that's a term. You can't even fully appreciate it from the wide-angle shot. But in the slow-mo shot, wow. Curry placed Hill on old-school roller skates tapos hindi pa marunong mag roller-skates si Hill. MH
Why do I follow Rob Labagala on Instagram? Because Little Robbie is all about positivity. Good vibes lagi. Ginebra (0-4) is still winless in the PBA Commish Cup. They'll face a Barako (3-1) team that's ready to bully opponents. But Rob, who owns Little Rob's Cake Haus in Navotas, always shares a positive attitude. If you're a Robeliever, you'll know that GV stands for both Good Vibes and Ginebra Vibes. Good luck to both teams tonight -- #TeamBully and #NSD. MH
Ginebra (0-4) vs Barako Bull (3-1) 7:30pm Wednesday @ The Big Dome. Ginebra Fan Artist @geraldasakura found the right perspective for Wednesday's game: "Failure is success if we learn from it." Never Say Die, right? Otherwise, failure is, well, failure if it just stays as is. Because if Ginebra stays as is, they'll have a tough time dealing with a Barako team that seems to enjoy playing in games which go down-the-wire. As Sean Anthony says, "Welcome to the Serbian Military Camp." Harlem Shake experts Air21 (1-2) meets ROS (2-1) in the first game. MH
Wicked. Just wicked. I'm thinking that should still count as an assist for Sol Mercado since his penetration led to such a wicked play. Okay maybe half-an-assist. But fourth quarter meltdowns aside, monster put-back-slams by Japeth Aguilar make GlobalPort such a must-watch PBA team in the Commissioner's Cup. MH
Buzzer-beating three point shots are the best. Especially when 4 out of 5 guys touch the ball during the winning sequence. Dominic Uy was right in exclaiming, "What a shot by Sunday Salvacion!!!!" Maybe I could've added, "What an emergency pass by Mac Mac Cardona!!!" Credit Mac Mac for still looking for a teammate. He knew Justin Williams (who had 8 blocks in that game) was ready to swat his shot away. Meanwhile, credit Sunday for being at the right spot to receive the pass and for knocking down an off-the-glass game-winner. MH
Wait for the 39-second mark. During warmups, LeBron James flipped the ball between his legs from the free throw line, the ball went off the backboard, and he caught it nicely for a self-alley-oop. Easy perfect score in the dunk contest. Plus, he got it in one try. In. One. Try. The NBA Slam Dunk Contest can be a superstar event again. If only the NBA can find a way to make the superstars join. Grabe si LeBron. Even during warmups, he's in video game mode. MH
James Yap and Marc Pingris became members of the Eat Bulaga Cha-Cha Dabarkads today. Priceless stuff. Palagay ko the Yapsters and San Mig Coffee fans are now saying, "Who needs to Harlem Shake when James and Ping can do the Cha-Cha." MH
The D Rose
3.5 shoe is inspired by Derrick Rose’s dedication and hard work to his game and
features adidas’ most innovative performance technology, premium and rich style
elements and personal details. I know three guys who are salivating to cop these pronto: D-Rose Die-Hard Riki Flores (@rikiflo) of BTV/Magic 89.9 and life-long Bulls fans Chuck Araneta (@chuck_araneta) of the From The Stands Podcast and Jude Turcuato (@jturcuato) of Fox Sports Philippines. Am I right guys?:) To exceed
the performance needs for Derrick’s unique style of play which includes extreme
changes in direction, acceleration and explosiveness, adidas designers made the
D Rose 3.5 more supportive, comfortable and responsive than its predecessor.
The shoe fits even closer to the foot for faster cuts and features a SPRINTWEB
upper engineered specifically for his style of play, which reduces weight with
maximum support and breathability.
SPRINTFRAME
technology features an external heel counter to reduce weight and allow for energy
return and motion control, giving Derrick his best performing signature shoe to
date to improve his performance on court. The bold
spiral overlay pattern is inspired by Derrick’s goal to tighten his game and functionally
it increases flexibility and provides optimum toe protection. The synthetic
leather upper features the spiral protruding from the D Rose logo on the ankle
to represent how his on and off-court success continues to grow from the
support of his family, who inspired the logo.
Chicago call-outs on the inside
of the tongue showcase the essence of Rose, including a “Rooted in Chicago”
graphic with lettering, colors and shapes inspired by Derrick’s tattoos and the
Chicago flag. Seriously, try watching games in the United Center and you'll know that Chicago is D-Rose's City. Banners, streamers, even game tickets have D-Rose's face on them!
Each colorway of the D Rose 3.5 will feature special graphics, materials
and colors that give details about Derrick’s life and style of play.
The three stripes are again featured on the back of the shoe to
represent Rose’s speed, and now wrap around the outsole so opponents will see
them not only when he drives past them, but also goes over them.
The D Rose 3
launches in the Philippines this February 2013 for PHP 7995 in away
(black/white/red) and home (gray/black/red) colorways. The shoe will launch in six
additional editions. Guys, the D Rose 3.5 Away Colorway...gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. “My main thing is always sharpening up my game and improving my body and with the D Rose 3.5 adidas took that same approach,” Rose said. “This shoe takes the best things from my last shoe and made them even better. I’m more comfortable and supported on the court and bringing some real serious style too.” Sponsored Post
Joe DeVance's Harlem Shake was in Titan. Air21's Harlem Shake was in the locker room. AKTV Center's Harlem Shake was in the studio. Lahat yan sa Metro Manila lang. But Alaska's Harlem Shake...iba. Out-of-town edition na. Poolside pa. Good job Aces! MH
Check out ROS import Bruno Sundov at the back. He's the guy with the light saber. Right behind Ryan Araña. Since he's 7-3, is he the tallest Jedi of all-time? Also, never knew mas matangkad pa si Chris Tiu kay Spiderman. Chris is even taller than a Transformer. Na kay Chris na talaga lahat! MH
I wanted to know the inspiration behind Jared Dillinger's new Samurai Hairstyle. I was thinking maybe JD was into classic Akira Kurosawa Samurai films such as Kagemusha, Rashomon and Seven Samurai. Not exactly.
He said his hairstyle was generally inspired by Japanese Animation. He says he can't stop watching them. He even watches them in the car. Sorry Rob Reyes, looks like JD won't be going back to the "Boy Rambo" look anytime soon haha. Among JD's favorites: My Neighbor Totoro, Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away. MH
18 PPG 4 APG 2 SPG in the Commish Cup. Plus he's been clutch from three-point country. I know Josh Urbiztondo has been spreading adidas love in the PBA. And The Fireball has been reppin' the three stripes so well. Truth: Urbi's D Rose 3.5 Home colorway complements Barako's fighting red jersey perfectly. But I couldn't help it. When I saw Josh hit yet another clutch transition pull-up jumper for Barako Bull, the kind only gutsy players can take, this mash-up hashtag instantly popped in my head. Photo Credit: KC Cruz of GMA News Online Sports. MH
Abueva. Baguio. Casio. Dozier. Meet Alaska's ABCD Unit. Sometimes I don't know which is more impressive: when teams are undefeated because they blast opponents out of the gym or when teams go undefeated by winning gut-wrenching games. Parang mas mahirap kasi gawin yung latter compared to the former. Winning games are hard. But according to PBA Fan Artist @swooshkidjm, winning for Alaska can be as easy as A-B-C-D. MH
Nothing says tropical hoops better than a fiberglass backboard attached to a coconut tree. Nothing. Thanks to Melissa Jacob (@mjacob9 on Instagram) for this! She spotted this in Balayan, Batangas. Now as Jackie Moon once exclaimed, "Let's get tropical!!!!"
Of course the NBA thought of making a slick commercial to promote NBATickets.com. If you watch games on League Pass, you'll see this commercial over and over. But it's so witty, I don't even complain that I see it over and over. Pwede rin siya maging commercial for NBA Fantasy actually. Think about it: it's a commercial, not meant to directly promote games, but designed to promote the NBA's official ticket website. Yup. The NBA thinks of everything. MH
Starting today, the Lakers will wear a patch on their jerseys with the initials JB to honor the late Jerry Buss. Dr. Buss believed in Showtime and transformed the Lakers into the mega-brand that it is now. Not all team owners are revered this way. Not all owners were like Jerry Buss. MH
Since I used to produce a weekly radio show that highlighted
college bands all over the country (University Rock on NU107 -- yes I still
miss NU107 and the college bands we featured on-air), I always support
campaigns that aim to embolden college musicians.
College musicians, believe me, are some of the most
fascinating creatures on the planet.
Here’s a huge contest for college bands powered by your
Consistent, Fast and Reliable Internet Connection, Sun Broadband: Want to
become the top all-original university band of 2013? Join the SUN Broadband
Quest!
Why join?
Guys, check out what you can win:
PHP 150,000.00 CASH PRIZE and a RECORD DEAL with MCA
Universal!!!
It’s the dream!
Plus…
The winning band gets Professional coaching at the Broadband
Quest Workshop, gigs and an Original Music Video from SUN BROADBAND and MCA
Universal Records.
Wow.
How to join?
1.Purchase a SUN BROADBAND Entertainment Stick
(one per band)
3.Upload one (1) video recording of your band’s all-original
song and one (1) video recording of a cover version of any song by any band of
your choice as long as the genre is not heavy metal
4.Deadline of submission of entries is on June 15,
2013
Top 10 Finalists will be announced on June 22, 2013.
Grand Finals will be on July 12, 2013.
The Sun Broadband Quest, a partnership between MCA Universal
and SUN Broadband, is designed to promote original Filipino music and local
talent. The Sun Broadband Quest also joins the fight against music piracy.
Heads up college/university bands! Let’s do this!
For more information, check out the Sun Broadband Quest on
Facebook at www.facebook.com/sunbroadbandph
What if Michael Jordan had this year's All-Star Jacket? Imagine seeing all those patches. Insane. But imagine Bill Russell's 2013 All-Star Jacket as well. Ang daming patches! 11-time NBA champion. 12-time All-Star. 5-time MVP. 5-time Rebounding Champion. Nonetheless, I'm not posting this to compare the accomplishments of players from different generations. I'm not sure what that will accomplish anyway. At the end of the day, Kobe Bryant's 2013 All-Star Jacket, with all those patches, remains an impressive sight. He looked like a five-star general out there! MH
All these reporters are probably asking Andrew Bynum about the hair, right? Question: What the heck is that? Bro, may pinagdadaanan ka ba? Do you need someone to talk to? Or YOLO na lang!!! Yeah, that's it. Just go with the flow. Live and let live, Andrew-style. Half-Braids. Half-Fro. All Bynum. MH
I've always been impressed with the @Alaska_Aces Twitter Account. These guys get it. Last February 17, they shared the legit Instagram accounts of Alaska players, coaches and other members of the Alaska family to their Twitter followers. See, that's public service. They understand how to utilize social media to serve their fans. After all, for all teams, that's the ultimate objective: Serve The Fans. I expect them to get even better at this. Great job guys! MH
Okay. You don't even need to know the history behind the 2013 Harlem Shake internet phenomenon. No really. Hindi na kailangan ng background info to enjoy these two videos. You just need to know that Joe DeVance painstakingly produced his own Harlem Shake video and Air 21 meticulously did the same. All you have to do is to choose your champion:
JDV gets 100 points for slick production value and an additional 100 points for choosing Titan as the venue. As always, good job Joe Disco! However, the Harlem Shake Air21 Edition...grabe bro...may Mummy na, may Jedi pa. Plus may balde sa ulo si Simon Atkins. Buckets! If nagawa nilang isama si Coach Franz, bonus 1,000,000 points pa sana. MH
Based on this cool PBA Fan Art by @geraldasakura, Ginebra was supposed to bounce back vs GlobalPort last Friday:
Okay. So that didn't happen. Ginebra tries to bounce back again tonight. But they'll need to do it against Petron, against Petroniverse, against Renaldo Balkman -- BalkManimal!!!!! Otherwise, Mark Caguioa may end up tweeting something like this again...at four in the morning:
Good luck to all the players and teams today! Alaska (2-0) vs Barako (2-0) 5:15pm Ginebra (0-2) vs Petron (1-1) 6:30pm @ The Big Dome. MH
Yes San Mig Planet. I've read your tweets. I've heard your pleas. San Mig Coffee Assistant Coach Richard Del Rosario says it's true. Your prayers have been answered. And PBA Fan Artist Hael Pinat made the perfect graphic to celebrate the moment. Denzel Bowles is coming back. MH
Here’s something I’ve never told anyone in
my life.
I didn’t always want to be a sportscaster when I was growing up.
I wanted to be a Chicago Bull.
What I wouldn’t give to find that 4th
grade Mastery Test: we were tasked to draw our dreams for the future, with an
essay detailing why that particular image was our goal. So I crudely (I was
never the family artist) drew an image of myself soaring to the basket in a red
Chicago Bulls uniform with the jersey number, 32. Not 23.
I wanted to be a Chicago Bull. But as
audacious as I was when I was a kid, Young James knew he wasn’t worthy of 23.
I take pride in remembering trivial stuff
from the past like this, because a) the 90s rocked socks, and b) because I belong
to a proud generation that actually saw Michael Jordan play the game of
basketball.
The Velasquez Brothers rockin' their AJs.
We saw the dunks. We saw the tongue wag. We saw The Shot. We saw
the one-handed pump fake. We saw the unstoppable fadeaway J. We saw The Last
Shot for title #6.
And most importantly, we saw The Shoes.
Years will pass, but ain’t no one messin’
with the fact that my generation rocked OG Air Jordans. We bought those bad
boys in the mall. No lines, no campouts. In my case, my Tito Ruben from the
States didn’t have to camp out for a week for my first pair, the Air Jordan
XIIIs, the pair Denzel Washington wore in He Got Game starring with Ray Allen.
theshoegame.com
Up to this day, I will never forget putting
on my first pair of Js. The long and short of it, I felt like I have a part of
MJ with me. I’d never be able to fly Like Mike. Or dunk on people a foot taller
than me. But hey, I was rocking the kicks The Greatest of All Time had on his
feet.
Every basketball moment I would have from that point on would be enhanced.
Every jumper I make. Every steal. Every layup on the fastbreak. Every head that
turns when you walk past them. Every moment is specially framed when you’re
wearing Air Jordans. For a few precious moments, I felt Like Mike.
50. A number I usually associate with MJ
because of the 34 times he dropped 50+ points on the opposition, 39 if you
include 60 point games. But wow. Michael Jordan is 50 years old.
Ray Allen put it best, in ESPN’s video
tribute to His Airness: “It is hard to
believe that he’s 50 years old. Because in my mind, I’m still a child when I
think about watching him play.”
Happy Birthday Michael Jordan! I don’t care
what the next generation says. You are, and always will be, The G.O.A.T. – JV
