AND1 Ph's behind-the-scenes coverage during NBA Global Games Philippines 2013

[Shoe Session – 10.14.13] – AND1 Ph's behind-the-scenes coverage during NBA Global Games Philippines 2013

Inks: FLASH aka g_sk1lls 
Images: Flash, Gettyimages.com, and Rakuten.jp

Greetings, AND Juans!  Just last week (October 10, 2013), the first ever NBA Preseason Game in the Philippines was held at the SM MOA Arena.  It featured the Houston Rockets going up against the Indiana Pacers.  Two NBA players currently signed as AND1 brand ambassadors were in town to play, Indiana’s Lance Stephenson (aka Born Ready) and Houston rookie Isaiah Canaan.

Prior to the actual Preaseason Game, AND1 Ph was able to secure some very exclusive invites to the NBA Welcome Reception held at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza courtesy of Relzbach Ventures Inc (RVI), the local distributor of AND1.  The cocktails were held last Wednesday (Oct 9, 2013), and guests were able to mingle with NBA legends and personalities.  Among those spotted in attendance were Houston Rockets head coach Kevin McHale, Indiana Pacers head coach Frank Vogel, associate head coach Nate McMillan, and Pacers team President and member of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players – Larry Bird.

The Bachmanns (RVI, local AND1 distributor), Larry, and Kevin 

all having a good time last October 9, 2013.

Former Boston teammates Larry Bird (Pacers President) 

and Kevin McHale (Rockets head coach).

Indiana Pacers head coach Frank Vogel and associate head coach Nate McMillan.

Also seen were former Portland Trailblazer/Houston Rocket Clyde Drexler, Robert Horry, and Jalen Rose.  Some local celebrities and sports personalities were also present, headlined by PBA players Ali Peek and current Gilas Pilipinas players Jimmy Alapag, Gabe Norwood, and Beau Belga.

NBA legends Robert Horry and Jalen Rose.

Gilas Pilipinas players in attendance during the NBA Welcome Reception,

Gabe Norwood (left) and Jimmy Alapag (right).

AND1 Philippines' Flash and RVI's Bob Bachmann were in attendance during 

the HOU-IND match at SM MOA Arena last October 10, 2013.

During actual gameday, Lance Stephenson wore his custom AND1 Tai Chi exclusive PEs while Isaiah Canaan rocked Tha Beast Mids in black/red.  More images on Lance’s and Isaiah’s kicks below:

Flash with AND1's finest Lance Stephenson aka Born Ready right before tip-off.

Tai Chi Mid - Lance Stephenson custom PEs

AND1's latest brand ambassador, Murray State alum and current Rocket - 

Isaiah Canaan poses for AND1 Philippines before the start of the game.

Houston's Isaiah Canaan (jersey #1) rocking his AND1 Tha Beast Mids.

Tha Beast Mid - black/black/varsity red colorway.

As for the game itself, SM MOA Arena was definitely buzzing with energy and basketball frenzy was at a fever pitch.  Crowd attendance was reportedly at 12,885, and despite a lackluster start by Indiana, the game started to become tighter between both teams by the end of the 2^nd quarter.  Just a couple of possessions before halftime, Lance Stephenson scored on a tough drive despite being fouled – thereby giving him the chance for an (quite fittingly) AND1 opportunity.  Check out the Youtube video below:

Click to play.

Relying on their high-powered offense, Houston simply outshot and outmuscled Indiana by the 2nd half.  The game ended with the Rockets coming out on top, winning handedly by 20 points (116-96) over the Pacers.

A view from inside the SM MOA Arena.

The Rockets defeat the Pacers, 116-96 in the 

first ever NBA Preseason Game in the Philippines.

Shoutouts to Bob Bachmann and the rest of the Bachmann family (RVI / AKT!V Lifestyle and Sports) for the NBA tickets.  Stay tuned for more AND1 news and updates both locally and internationally from AND1 Ph.  Any Juan can follow us in Twitter (@and1ph) and LIKE us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/and1ph).  Bonus images from both days are posted below.

Flash (in his white/red Tai Chi Mids) poses at the podium.

Pacers Danny Granger, George Hill, Lance Stephenson (middle) 

and Paul George during the NBA Welcome Reception.

AND1 Ph's Flash poses before the game.  

Houston's James Harden can be seen in the background.

Flash with a quick photo op near the Pacers' bench.

NBA preseason game crowd attendance was reported at 12,885.

AND1 and Lance Stephenson’s 2012-2013 NBA season

[Shoe Session – 06.06.13] – AND1 and Lance Stephenson’s 2012-2013 NBA season

Inks: FLASH aka g_sk1lls 
Images: Getty Images / ESPN.com / Various other web sources

His season may be over [Editor's note: as of this writing, the Miami Heat has just eliminated the Indiana Pacers from the Eastern Conference Finals], but things are beginning to shape up very positively for AND1 brand endorser Lance Stephenson.  The Brooklyn native has considerably upped his per-game percentages from last season, with a huge jump in scoring (2.5PPG vs 8.8PPG) and rebounding (1.3RPG vs 3.9RPG).

With an increased role and playing time (29 minutes per game) in Coach Frank Vogel’s rotation, the player also known as Born Ready has also given AND1 excellent exposure in the NBA’s sneaker-scape.  Check out pictures of Lance below throughout the NBA regular season.

Born Ready rocking both the Empire 1.0 (Japan SMU) 

and the 2.0 Mids during the regular season.

Lance hooked up with teammates Paul George (L) 

and Gerald Green (R) during the 2013 All Star Game.

Lance's custom Empire 2.0 Mid PEs.

Click HERE for related blog article.

He has also regularly shared pictures of his AND1 gear via his Instagram account mirrored below (@stephensonlance).

In the 2013 NBA Playoffs, Stephenson broke out his custom Tai Chi Mids player exclusives.  The blue/white and black/yellow pairs also featured his LS1 logo - and in perfect timing with the brand’s 20^th anniversary (1993-2013) - turned the heads of basketball fans and sneakerheads alike.  More images below.

His enthusiasm towards the AND1 brand is very admirable to say the least, and his steadily increasing fanbase are witnessing a match made in streetball heaven – a baller who not only lets his game do the talking, but also displays unbridled passion reminiscent of streetball battles and that of a brand that has long been synonymous with basketball and its many incarnations (streetball most especially).

The ever-improving young core of the Indiana Pacers have no other place to go but up, and Lance will most definitely be a solid contributor for that squad.  Let’s all continue to watch Born Ready’s growth as a NBA player, and we can expect AND1 to be there every step of the way. 

Stay tuned for more news and updates both locally and internationally from And1 Ph.  Any Juan can follow us in Twitter (@and1ph) and LIKE us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/and1ph).