Photo credit: NBA PH
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine basketball community united with the NBA as it celebrated the league’s fifth annual Jersey Day on Monday ahead of the new season’s tip-off.
The Inquirer Sports staff will be celebrating the most beloved NBA games before the 2024-25 NBA season begins on Wednesday (Manila time), starting with the Boston Celtics banner ceremony on Wednesday (Manila time). He shared a story about the jersey to join Filipino fans and basketball enthusiasts around the world. York Knicks, followed by a showdown match between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers.
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Michael Jordan, the late Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, three stars from different generations, were the Inquirer’s sportswriters’ favorite jerseys – marvel at the legacy of three faces of the NBA Same as most Filipinos who did.
NBA schedule announced: Opening games will be Celtics vs. Knicks, Lakers vs. Wolves
INQUIRER.net Deputy Sports Editor Mark Gionko said Jordan’s Chicago Bulls No. 45 home jersey was his first NBA uniform and the most memorable one that contributed to his love of basketball. .
“I got my first NBA jersey when I was 6 years old and it was MJ’s number 45. My brother gave it to me and it’s my favorite, too, because it brings back so many good memories. Because they will help you,” Gionko said.
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Aside from Jordan’s iconic number 23, the six-time NBA champion also wore jersey number 45 during his iconic return to the NBA in the spring of 1995 after a brief retirement.
INQUIRER.net’s Rommel Fuertes Jr. has been a Los Angeles Lakers fan since he started watching the NBA, and he purchased Bryant’s classic in honor of the hero’s legacy a year after the legend’s tragic death. He said the yellow jersey is his holy grail.
“My favorite and only NBA jersey is Kobe Bryant’s classic yellow jersey because he got me into basketball. About a year after he passed away, I made this in his memory. I got it,” Fuertes said.
Read: LeBron James jersey sold for a whopping $3.7 million
Bryant had an illustrious NBA career with the Lakers, winning five NBA titles, an MVP season, and as one of the league’s best scorers.
The author’s first NBA jersey was a navy blue alternate uniform for James’ Cleveland Cavaliers. He was a star forward who got it early in the league and led his team to the NBA Finals in 2007.
“When I was a kid, I knew how strong the Detroit Pistons were. So after I saw how LeBron beat the powerhouses, I became a fan and I knew he was going to be great, so my parents “I asked him to buy his jersey,” he said.
James may have been blown away by the San Antonio Spurs in his first NBA Finals, but he won four MVPs and two championships with the Miami Heat before returning to Cleveland to finish his 52nd season. This did not prevent him from proving himself as a “Legal One.” They lost the title after making a historic comeback from a 1-3 deficit against the Golden State Warriors.
“The King” led the Lakers to a championship in 2020, becoming the only player in the NBA to score 40,000 points. At 39 years old, he is still dominating the league.
Filipinos continued to participate in NBA Jersey Day, which began in the 2020-21 season, raising awareness and excitement for the start of the 2024-25 season.
“The Philippines is a very important market for the NBA and continues to attract some of the most passionate fans in the world. As we enter the new NBA season, we look forward to working with our partners to increase opportunities for boys and girls to play basketball and introduce new and meaningful ways for Filipinos to experience the excitement of our game. ” said NBA’s Donna Reyes. Philippine Media Distribution Director.
NBA Philippines hosted a series of pickup games at GameVille in Mandaluyong to celebrate Jersey Day, bringing together sportswriters, influencers, and women’s basketball players from the UAAP and Gilas Pilipinas.
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The NBA Store is also offering up to 70% off on select jerseys at SM Mall of Asia and SM Megamall until Monday, which also includes a 360° photo booth experience. The company also hosted a social media contest encouraging fans to post photos of themselves wearing NBA or WNBA jerseys.
