AND1 Malaysia Streetball Challenge

[Foreign Flava – 4.30.12] – AND1 Malaysia Streetball Challenge

Inks: FLASH aka g_sk1lls 

Images: And1 Malaysia (c/o Scalia)

Coinciding with And1 Malaysia’s 10^th anniversary, the And1 Malaysia Streetball Challenge is set to kick off this May 6 at KLANG.  A national tour will run through September 2012 and will have stops at Subang , JB, Penang, Kuala Lumpur and many more.  A fun and exciting day awaits Malaysian basketball fanatics and supporters of the And1 brand as the annual 3-on-3 tournament will also be part of the event.  The one-day affair is open to all (free admission) and will be done outside of the mall for maximum public exposure.

As in previous years, fans can look forward to raffle draws, where official And1 merchandise (such as t-shirts , shorts , bags and possibly even And1 shoes signed by Mixtape / And1 Live official Streetballers) are given away.  On the spots contests such as a 3-point shooting competition, beatboxing, breakdance, MC’ing (rap) & And1 Streetball video game challenges may happen so everyone are invited to drop by and participate.

Aside from And1 Malaysia, this event will also be sponsored Milo (official beverage), Star Metro (official media partner) and One FM (official radio partner), and will be sanctioned by the MABA (Malaysia Basketball Association). The event is organized by Ossia World Of Golf  and the venue is courtesy of WCT.

As in every international event that we cover, we’ll be posting another blog for the full event coverage (pictures and videos on what went down in the tournament courtesy of And1 Malaysia).  You can also find out more about And1 Malaysia by visiting their website (and1malaysia.blogspot.com) and Facebook fanpage (And1 Malaysia).

Visit the And1 Ph blogsite regularly as we continue to feature international And1 news (shoutouts to And1 Malaysia partner Scalia for this article), and for your regular local updates, we are also on Twitter (follow @and1ph) and LIKE us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/and1ph).  And that’s the 411, And Juan!

AND1 Africa Girls 3-on-3 Streetball Tournament

[Foreign Flava – 4.24.12] – AND1 Africa Girls 3-on-3 Streetball Tournament

Inks: FLASH aka g_sk1lls 

Images: And1 Africa (c/o Bibi Moeketsi and Ricardo Vareta)

Greetings, And Juans!  This coming April 27 (Friday) and 28 (Saturday), AND1 AFRICA will be hosting its 1^st ever Girls 3-on-3 Streetball Tournament in St. Stithians High School in Randburg, Johannesburg.  The 2-day event will run between 8AM-6PM and is designed to boost awareness and increase participation for girls aged 19-and-below to play the game of basketball.

It will feature four different age groups, Girls Under 19, Under 16, Under 14, and Under 12.  Personally, I believe it is a good idea to promote, support, and nurture a grassroots basketball program for females given basketball is the 2^nd largest sport in the world (2^nd only to football), and is the largest in terms of female team sports.  With growing popularity in women’s basketball and the ongoing success of the WNBA in the USA, this event provides young girls in Africa the perfect venue for camaraderie, healthy competition and fun.  Check out the teaser video that we've re-hosted  below:

The tournament is open to everyone for viewing (free admission) but teams are required to pay a registration fee of R1000 (R250 per player, 3 players and 1 substitute).  Over the next 12 months, it is also set to go national, with upcoming legs in Durban, Bloemfontein, and Cape Town in Africa.

Some of And1 Africa's previous events.

Aside from And1 Africa, this event will also be sponsored by Nestle Ice Creams, Milo Energy Drinks, Boston City Campus and Business College (Scholarship grants worth R20,000 for 2, awarded to the MVP and 3-point contest winner), Skull Candy (2 pairs of headphones, one each for the MVP and 3-point contest winner, Playstation (who will be giving away video games and a game console as event prizes), The Umoja Show (100 theatre tickets -  www.theumojashow.com) and Red Bull Energy Drinks.  Media sponsors are Hype Magazine (print) and Y 99.2 FM (radio).

Adding to the fun and entertainment factor, And1 Africa is not pulling any punches and are set to pump up the crowd with hosts Pearl Modiadie and Tiro Dire, DJs Major League and DJ Monate P and performances from the following artists - Sean Pages, Gotti Gambino, Mr. Selwyn and Township Frequency, Fly Chix, and the Armageddon dance crew.

We’ll be posting another blog next week for the full event coverage (pictures and videos on what went down in the tournament courtesy of And1 Africa).  You can also find out more about And1 Africa by visiting their website (www.and1africa.com), Facebook fanpage (http://www.facebook.com/And1Africa) and follow them on Twitter  (@And1_Africa1). 

Visit the And1 Ph blogsite regularly as we continue to feature international And1 news (shoutouts to And1 Africa counterparts Bibi M. and Ricky V. for this article), and for your regular local updates, we are also on Twitter (follow @and1ph) and LIKE us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/and1ph).  And that’s the 411, And Juan!

The And1 Step Back Mids (performance)

[Sole Spotlight – 4.16.12] – The And1 Step Back Mids (performance)

Inks: FLASH aka g_sk1lls 

Images: Flash and And1 USA website

Sole Spotlight is back, and this blog section (which focuses on a random shoe model that I’ve picked out) will focus on another shoe model that was NOT released locally but has a similar counterpart.  That model is the AND1 Step Back Mid.  The local counterpart for the Step Back is the Triple A Plus Mid. 

The obvious difference is the A1 (And1) logo on the lateral side of the Triple A Plus Mid instead of the Player logo like the one on the Step Back.  Posted below some images of the Triple A Plus (left) versus the Step Back (right) for reference.

I was able to obtain this pair along with the Sabotage Mid (previously featured in Sole Spotlight last March, click HERE for related article) around the last week of November towards the 1^st week of December 2011.  Like the other 3 shoe models that I got from AND1 USA (again, shoutouts to Rob Purvy and Becky Cheng), I decided to wear it at a later time since receiving it, and this pair remains unused until today.

This model features a “lightweight, synthetic leather upper provides lasting durability.” On the black/black version however, the upper is somewhat suede instead of leather, and that means additional care if you intend to use it outdoors.  It also has “a drop-in PE midsole creates cushion with a low-pro look.”

Similar to the Triple A Plus Mid, the presence of the “Harmonix heel airbags absorb the impact from all-day play” while “high-abrasion herringbone outsoles offer multidirectional grip.”   I really like that subtle Tai Chi tribute with the Yin Yang design in the outsole.  Model specifications courtesy of the official And1 USA website (www.and1.com).

As always, I’ve posted more images of the shoe below for everyone’s reference.  The Step Back Mid is a shoe model that is best used indoors, given my black/black colorway has a suede upper.  Special care is required to prevent scruffing but for the most part, I love how everything just flows to give the shoe a very simple but no-nonsense feel.  From the shoelaces, to the Harmonix heel airbags, up to the Player logo (which I really dig), this model would have sold more pairs had it been released locally instead of the Triple A Plus Mid, in my honest opinion.

Check out more of Sole Spotlight in the succeeding months, only from And1 Ph.  ONE!

Former AND1 endorser Stephon “Starbury” Marbury wins Chinese Basketball Association championship

[Streetball’s Finest  – 4.10.12] – Former AND1 endorser Stephon “Starbury” Marbury wins Chinese Basketball Association championship

Inks: FLASH aka g_sk1lls 
Images: Getty Images, China Daily, Johnfreeborn.com;  

Videos: c/o Youtube uploaders, I do not own those videos

Former NBA All-Star & And1 endorser and current import for the Beijing Ducks Stephon “Starbury” Marbury recently won the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) last March 30, 2012.  Having already established a huge following and rabid basketball fanbase, Marbury and his teammates won the best of seven series, 4-1, against the defending champions - Guangdong Hongyuan Southern Tigers.

During the title game, he registered 41 points, 3 rebounds, and 7 assists in leading the Ducks to their thrilling 124-121 Game 5 win.  Eventually, he averaged 33.4 points in that 5-game finals series, and was also the team’s emotional and spiritual leader, willing the team to their 1^st-ever CBA crown in franchise history (click HERE for the China Daily article).

[Author’s sidenote: I have been meaning to write a Stephon Marbury AND1 Baller Birthday blog feature two months ago (born Feb. 20, 1977) but my day job and other scheduling conflicts prevented me from doing so.  Luckily, his recent accomplishment gave me another opportunity to feature him in the And1 Ph blogsite.]

The CBA is the Chinese equivalent of our local PBA (Philippine Basketball Association) and is a professional basketball league established in the 1995 season.  Perennial powerhouse Guangdong Hongyuan, was led by former NBA Aaron Brooks as their import.

Unfortunately, while Marbury was able to put up MVP-like numbers, local league rules prevented him from taking home the MVP plum (since he is an import and not a local player).  The fans however, found a way for Marbury to hoist his very own MVP trophy via online polls (click HERE for related article).  Stephon has earned the respect, adulation and superstar status from the very appreciative Chinese basketball fanbase, and chants of “MVP” and “Marbury” can be consistently heard during his games.

Posted below some Youtube video highlights of Starbury’s games in the CBA.

I’ve also included some images and videos of vintage Marbury below, rocking And1 shoes during his brand endorsement days.  During his NBA career, he played with the Minnesota Timberwolves, New Jersey Nets, Phoenix Suns, New York Knicks, and Boston Celtics, averaging 19.3 points per game over the course of a 13-year span.  The Coney Island-native is best known for his dazzling crossovers, quick first-step, pull-up jumpers and daredevil drives to the hoop.

And1 Finger Roll and Tai Chi Mid.

Silky Smooth Mids.

 

Starbury Mids and Quest Mids (and Tyronn Lue rocking the And1 Rise)

Quest Mids while playing for NY Knicks & Team USA in the 2004 Olympics

For more news about And1 both locally (Philippines) and internationally, check us out in Facebook (www.facebook.com/and1ph) and on Twitter (@and1ph).  Big thanks to the China Daily website for their own published articles which served as additional references for this blogpost.  And that’s the 411, And Juan!