2nd Round- September 19 @ 1215AM and 3AM
Semifinals- September 20 @ 1230AM and 3AM3rd Place- September 21 @ 1230AM

Finals- September 21 @ 315AM

BTV

2nd Round- September 19 @ 1215AM and 3AM
Semifinals- September 20 @ 1230AM and 3AM
3rd Place- September 21 @ 1230AM
Finals- September 21 @ 315AM

BTV

2nd Round- September 19 @ 1215AM and 3AM
Semifinals- September 20 @ 1230AM and 3AM
3rd Place- September 21 @ 1230AM
Finals- September 21 @ 315AM

BTV

ESPN
Sky Cable 31
Destiny 82

There is a full-blooded Filipino point guard currently strutting his wares in the US NCAA. His name is Jeff Dosado a.k.a. “3D”. He got the nickname because of his propensity for hitting the 3 ball with deadly accuracy and for dishing dimes. He’s 5-9 165 lbs and starts for the American International College Yellow Jackets, a division II school in the US competing in the tough Northeast-10 Conference, which is the same school that produced ex-NBA player Mario Elie and University of Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun. Jeff, 25, is hoping to follow the footsteps of crack Fil-Am guards Jimmy Alapag, Jayjay Helterbrand and Mark Caguioa who have made their respective marks in the PBA. He plans to apply for the draft next year if plans don’t miscarry.
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Kobe Bryant's Sept. 5 Manila visit begins with the basketball superstar meeting kids from Eliseo Belen Charity at Nike Park, The Fort at 2 PM.

In the afternoon, Kobe will headline the Kobe Supernatural Manila Event at the Phil Sports Arena (Ultra) where he will share his training regimen with young Filipino ballers. Gates will open at 3PM.

Tickets to the Kobe Supernatural Manila Event will be distributed for one day only on September 1st 12:00PM at Nike Park, The Fort. Tickets are free of charge on a first come, first serve basis and only two tickets will be given per person.

The September 5 Manila visit is part of Kobe Bryant's Supernatural Asia Tour 2007. To be launched during the tour is the new version of Kobe II, part of the Fall 2007 basketball footwear product line. The shoes will hit the Asian markets on Sept 6.

From Manila, Kobe will visit Taipei, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing. For more information on the Kobe Supernatural Asia Tour Manila stop, visit www.nike.com.ph

Finally we've got the fresh - off - the - email press release from Nike Philippines re Kobe's visit! Read about your chance to get to meet the man himself!

August 28, 2007, Manila - Kobe Bryant's Sept. 5 Manila visit begins with the basketball superstar meeting kids from Eliseo Belen Charity at Nike Park, The Fort at 2 PM. Aside from being a worldwide basketball phenomenon, Kobe Bryant is also known for his generosity in bringing smiles to kids worldwide and his one-day visit in Manila begins with Kobe spreading smiles to Filipino youth, Nike Philippines disclosed recently.

In the afternoon, Kobe will headline the Kobe Supernatural Manila Event at the Phil Sports Arena (Ultra) where he will share his training regimen with young Filipino ballers. Gates will open at 3PM.

Tickets to the Kobe Supernatural Manila Event will be distributed for one day only on September 1st 12:00PM at Nike Park, The Fort. Tickets are free of charge on a first come, first serve basis and only two tickets will be given per person.

Kobe fans can also tune in to radio stations, Magic 89.9, Wave 89.1, RX 93.1, and NU 107.5 to win tickets to see Kobe in action!

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Red Bull's Rich Alvarez will be out for the whole of the Philippine Cup after suffering an ACL injury in a team scrimmage last Wednesday. The 6'4" Alvarez is scheduled to be operated anytime this week.

“Malas talaga,” said Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao. “Marami na nga ang nawala sa amin, tapos dumagdag pa yung injury ni Rich.”

“Now, we’re the underdogs. Pero dyan naman tayo mas nasusubukan eh. Kapag underdog tayo, lalo tayong tumatapang,” he added.

The loss of Alvarez would be a big blow to the Barakos' campaign this coming conference. The team have already lost Alvarez's ex-Ateneo teammates Enrico Villanueva and Larry Fonacier to San Miguel in a trade earlier. Expected to fill the gap for Alvarez is ex-San Sebastian standout Leo Najorda and veteran Don Camaso, although a trade for a combo forward could also not be discounted.
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Our good friends at Nike Phils. have for some odd reason found it fit for my lowly self to be in the presence of The Great One.

I've waited for approx 2 weeks to finally make this announcement, preferring to remain on the safe side by making sure first. However a few days ago I received notice that I should 'spread the word' (and even then I demurred), but I think it's sure now, so here's the lowdown. Kobe Bryant, no. 24 guard for the Los Angeles Lakers and probably the U.S. Basketball Team (they'd be nuts to cut him), and the current most famous basketball player in the world and consequently, the 'face of the NBA' is coming to Manila on September 5 to hold a few clinics and of course, promote his new Fall 2007 Kobe II shoes. If I might add, in recent years, I've come to regard him as the best basketball player in the NBA as well, and it's pretty hard to discount that.

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Check it out below:

Joe Devance 6-7 Forward San Miguel Beer (#1 pick)
Applied for the draft last year but was spurned by the league after failing to submit several draft requirements. This year, it looked like he wouldn’t be able to make it anew but miraculously managed to make it in time for the draft… impressed a lot of coaches in attendance during the rookie camp with his inside-outside game… so impressed was the coaching staff of Welcoat that they made him the draft’s first overall pick and the second in a row, a Fil-am was drafted first overall (last year was Kelly Williams)… the knock on him is that he doesn’t always take the ball strong to the hole and often times, falls in love with his jumper… led Toyota Otis to a runner-up finish two years ago… played varsity ball for the University of Texas at El Paso.
Will: be a franchise player
Can’t: take it strong
Expect: all-around play
Don't Expect: questions about his citizenship
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How did I do? Well, I got 4 out of the 10 picks in the first round correct! (However, I got nothing in the second round). The first deviation of the draft was when San Miguel elected to go with the 6-8 Samigue Eman instead of the exciting Fil-am guard Ryan Reyes at number 2. The Beermen needed size in the middle since center Dorian Pena wouldn't be able to see action in 6 months and they may have felt that Eman was the best available frontliner after Devance. Is Eman ready to play significant minutes for the Beermen? Well, he better be.
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Final Mock Draft:

This will be my final mock draft before the formal draft activity commences this afternoon at the Market Market in Taguig.

FIRST ROUND

1) Welcoat - Joe Devance. The Dragons appear to be keen on winning now instead of waiting for the future. Devance is a versatile talent who can make help the team right away. Eman is a great talent but he also has many questions surrounding him. Welcoat is listening to offers from other teams for marquee big men in exchange for their pick next year, a clear indication that they intend to make a big splash this season.

2) San Miguel - Ryan Reyes. Reyes has received interests from almost all the teams in the PBA. If Devance is gone at this slot, expect San Miguel to grab the highly-touted Reyes instead of drafting a project like Eman. Reyes is a future star in the league.
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Mock Draft version 3.00
What's the latest? Well, we've been hearing that there's still no consensus number one pick in tomorrow's draft, although Joe Devance, Ryan Reyes and JR Quiñahan may have pushed themselves in the upper tier of the draft with their consistent plays during the draft camp. The Dragons first round pick next year (could be Gabe Norwood) is reportedly up for grabs if teams offer a legit big man in return (and rumor has it that at least three teams are willing to offer their marquee big men for Welcoat's pick). JC Intal could drop down to as low as 8th as teams exercise their need for bigs and a playmaker (only one name: Ryan Reyes). Brgy Ginebra is reportedly mulling towards acquiring a first round pick for tomorrow's draft in the wake of reports that Rudy Hatfield, Mark Macapagal and Rafi Reavis may no longer join the team this season. Barring any trades, Purefoods and Ginebra are the only teams without any draft picks this year.

My previous mock drafts are here:

Mock Draft version 1.00
Mock Draft version 2.00

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Former UE Warrior RJ Masbang stole the show from projected first round pick JR Quiñahan to lead the White team to a 57-55 win over the tough Red team to complete a 3-game sweep of the PBA Rookie Camp games at the Ateneo Blue Eagles’ Gym.

Masbang topscored for the White team with 11 points while Quiñahan had a solid all-around game with 8 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks in 25 minutes of action. Quiñahan's play for the past 2 days has cemented his place among the top 3 in Sunday's draft. The Sta. Lucia Realtors, who holds the number 3 selection in the draft, are said to be very interested with the 6-6 JR Quiñahan. The 6-3 Masbang, though isn't sure to be drafted but he sure opened a lot of eyes with his last ditch effort to prove scouts that he can play.

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Proving that he's no slouch, PBL shotblocking leader JR Quiñahan grabbed the limelight from the draft camp's more celebrated big men to come up with a double-double performance of 18 points and 10 rebounds to led the White to a 57-52 victory over Samigue Eman's Blue squad.

Nicknamed Baby Shaq because of his uncanny physical resemblance to NBA star Shaquille O'Neal and the way he dominates the shaded lane, Quiñahan swatted away five enemy shots in a sterling display of defensive domination in 33 minutes of play. Prospective number one pick Samigue Eman was good for only 6 points and 12 boards as he was terribly outclassed by the much heftier former University of the Visayas stalwart.

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Mock Draft version 2.00

This is my second mock draft. If you missed my first mock draft, you can check it here. The draft sequence is not yet final as we can still expect a lot of wheeling and dealing to happen in the next few days. Jeff Chan has already withdrawn his name from draft consideration and will look to apply probably next year. Coca-Cola's acquisition of Telan will change the team's outlook in the draft. Other teams may sneak in to get a first round pick or switch picks with other teams. How will this affect the draft? Please check it out below:

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In the first day of the rookie camp, a lot of eyes were glued on big men Joe Devance, Samigue Eman and Ken Bono. It was the play of guards Jojo Duncil, Jonas Villanueva, Dom Javier and Ardy Larong, however who made the difference as they led their respective teams to victories.
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Although kinda late, this has gotta be some of the more entertaining Top 10 vids I've seen in a while. I think my faves are #6, #2 and Rudy Gay's #1 stuff over Yi Jian Li. So I'm gonna shut up now so you can check it out:

Here are the particulars for the PBA rookie camp slated August 14-16:

Schedules:

August 14, 2007
Moro Lorenzo gym
8:30am - Registration of Participants
- Height, weight and wing span measurements
- Drills, strength, agility and endurance tests
1:30 pm - Red vs. Blue
3:00 pm - White vs. Yellow

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Ok this is interesting. Apparently if you're an NBA team looking to shore up your bench after losing 5 players and 2 draft picks just to get 1 superstar (I'm talking about the Celtics obviously) your options are not only limited to the rookies or the D-League. There is also the option of trying to get retired stars!

Today, there is news that the Boston Celtics have been trying to lure Reggie Miller out of retirement. The first questions are, of course, his current condition, so here it is: Reggie Miller, the Indiana Pacer's 6'7 5 time All-Star, played 18 seasons as guard all with the Pacers before retiring in 2005. He is 42 years old this month, (August 24, 1965).. In his last 2004-05 season, he averaged 14.8 PPG, 2.4 RPG and 2.2 APG for an efficiency rating of +12.59.

Amongst his many achievements is being the all-time NBA leader in 3-pt FGM ended the season with 2,464 3-pt FGM, and also going over 100 3-pt FGM for 15 consecutive seasons, a NBA record. In second round against Miami, he scored 19 points in 18 minutes in Game 2 to move past Bill Russell into 22nd place on the NBA's all-time playoff career scoring list. He averaged 24.3 points against the Lakers in the 2000 NBA Finals and also became the first Pacer ever to start in an NBA All-Star Game in 1995. In international play, he was a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. Olmpic Basketball Team at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta plus the leading scorer on the Gold medal winning US Team in the 1994 World Championships.

Etched in my mind are the fantastic battles he had against Chicago, Miami and Charlotte, but especially New York, which is why he also has the nickname 'Knick Killer' alongside 'Miller time'. In fact no less than Knicks die hard trash talker Spike Lee said of him "When he’s old and in a wheelchair, they’re going to roll him out onto the [Madison Square] Garden court and he’s still going to hit threes.". His former coach and NBA Great Larry Bird said he was "The most dependable shooter in the history of the NBA.".

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Mock Draft version 1.00

What is a mock draft? A mock draft is a projection used by draft experts to help determine which players a team should take during their turn in the draft. It is also used by draft aspirants or pro wannabes to determine their value around the league. Lastly and more importantly, it also used by scouts and coaches to get to know the players that are likely available at their turn.

Please check my first edition of the 2007 pba mock draft below. I have taken into account that Fil-Am Joe Devance has already completed his papers and has been declared eligible for the draft. If not, I will be making the necessary changes in my next mock draft.

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TEAM NEEDS:

Please find below an analysis of each team's needs:

Air21 Express
Last season’s W-L Record: 21-23 (0.48 PCT), Ranked 7^th overall
Rank each conference: 8^th place (10-12) Philippine Cup, 6^th place (11-11) Fiesta Cup
# Picks: two first round picks (#5, #8), two second round picks (#14, #19)

The team has two first round picks, which is quite a bounty in a draft that is so deep and talented. In past drafts, the Express have always went with the best player available route and I don’t expect things to change this season. Big men JR Quinahan, Ken Bono, Samigue Eman, and Joe Devance will be a premium in the draft and expect the Express to dip their hats into at least one of them. Exciting players such as JC Intal, Ryan Reyes, Marvin Cruz could find their way into the Express’ camp because of their ability to score and make plays. Coach Robert Jaworski has a knack for finding unpolished games and his reputation as a master motivator could propel the careers of Ranidel de Ocampo, Arwind Santos and Gary David to greater heights this year. The addition of Jaworski alone makes the Express’ offseason an already successful one.

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Ranking the Aspirants by position

Note: Position is based on projected position in the pros and not necessarily their playing positions while in the PBL or in their collegiate career. I have only listed players who are likely to be drafted and stayed away from unknowns and those that are long, long, longshots to be drafted. Here it goes...

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After a disappointing season marked by injuries to its key personnel, the Purefoods TJ Giants are looking to rebuild their team aggressively in the offseason. Without a first round pick, the Giants aren't pinning much of their hopes on the coming draft and are instead focusing on improving their team thru free agency and trade deals. Latest news from the grapevine is that the Giants are eyeing big men Telan and Rodriguez from Air21 and Red Bull, and guard Chico Lañete from the free agency to address their problems at the small forward, center and point guard spots.

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A total of 47 players made themselves available for the 2007 PBA Draft slated on August 19, 2007 at the Market Market in Taguig. The list looks star-studded and includes several players who are who's who in amateur basketball today. It has a slew of big men (Joe Devance, Samigue Eman, Baby Shaq, Ken Bono, Doug Kramer, Yousif Aljamal), sweet-shooting swingmen (Jeff Chian, Ronjay Buenafe, Reed Juntilla, Ryan Arana, Jojo Duncil), athletic players (JC Intal, Joel Solis), as well as up-and-coming point guards (Ryan Reyes, Macky Escalona, Marvin Cruz, Khiel Misa, Darryl Pepito, Mark Moreno, Jonas Villanueva, Alex Angeles). Name it, this draft has it all and could be the deepest in years!

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I am reprinting in full the article re Noli Eala's disbarment, along with an opinion at the bottom.

SC orders disbarment of PBA commissioner - By Mike Frialde
Thursday, August 2, 2007

The Supreme Court yesterday ordered the disbarment of Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner and sportscaster Emmanuel "Noli" Eala for gross immorality after he was found to have carried an adulterous relationship with a married woman.

In an 18-page per curiam decision, the Court annulled and set aside Resolution XVII-2006-06 passed on Jan. 28, 2006 by the Board of Governors of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) dismissing the disbarment case against Eala for lack of merit, and instead disbarred him for gross immoral conduct, violation of his oath of office, and in violation of Canons 1 and 7 of Rule 1.01 (A lawyer shall not engage in unlawful, dishonest, immoral or deceitful conduct) of the Code of Professional Responsibility.

The Court found out that Eala, a married man, carried an extra-marital affair with Irene Moje, a married woman, prior to the judicial declaration that her marriage was null and void.
He "showed disrespect for an institution held sacred by the law" and "betrayed his unfitness to be a lawyer," reads part of the decision.

In ordering Eala's disbarment, the Court acted on the petition filed by Joselano Guevarra on March 4, 2002 before the IBP Committee on Bar Discipline against the PBA commissioner for "grossly immoral conduct and unmitigated violation of the lawyer's oath."

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