The National Basketball Association Philippines (NBA) delivered Filipino fans with an action-packed NBA 3X Philippines Invitational at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall in Pasay City from Dec. 9-10. Graced by NBA Champion Richard “Rip” Hamilton, the event treated fans with elite basketball competition, which featured outstanding local and international talents.
World-class Competition
The 11th edition of NBA 3X Philippines featured a total of 16 men’s and women’s teams, comprising participants from Japan, Mongolia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand that engaged in an afternoon of intense 3-on-3 action. The NBA 3X Philippines Invitational culminated with the Mongolian teams emerging victorious from the field with the Ulaanbaatar representatives winning both the men’s and women’s divisions.
Team Ulaanbaatar Energy edged out Team MCFASolver Tech Centrale from the Philippines, 21-18, in a highly competitive men’s finals.
Ulaanbaatar Energy’s Temuulen Chingis applauded the energy of the Filipino fans in attendance at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall. “Three days ago, my brother told me Filipino fans are crazy. When he told me that, I didn’t believe it, but when I got here, I believed it. The energy and support we’ve received is crazy,” shared Chingis.
On the women’s side, Team Ulaanbaatar Amazons defeated Team Sakura Funabashi from Japan, 16-6, in their finals.
“It was wonderful because it is my first time being in the Philippines, I really like it here. On top of being the champion of the first NBA 3X [Philippines] Invitational, it was a special weekend. The people supporting and watching were really nice, too,” said Ulaanbaatar Amazons’ Khulan Onolbataar.
Hamilton applauded the high level of competition and fan support at the event. “What I realized is, the basketball being played here is very physical, and that kind of reminds me of my time playing with the Pistons. On behalf of myself and the NBA, I’m happy to be here. The league is not built on the players, it’s built on the fans. And a lot of that is because of you all,” shared Hamilton.
Full-court Fun
The NBA 3X Philippines Invitational weekend was filled with various basketball programming such as the celebrity 5-on-5 tournament, Jr. NBA Philippines alumni exhibition game, on-court activities from Cignal, Energen Champion, Gatorade and vivo, and the return of the NBA Iconic Shots Challenge, an immersive basketball experience for fans.
At the Celebrity Division, Team TITANS, which featured Philippine women’s national basketball team athletes Chack Cabinbin and Janine Pontejos, earned a 55-47 victory against Team Lakers, which consisted of TV personalities Migs Bustos and Martin Javier.
A highlight for the weekend was a watch party for the NBA In-Season Tournament Championship between the Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers. Mallgoers got to join Hamilton and the NBA 3X athletes in witnessing LeBron James lead the Lakers to a 123-109 victory, en route to winning the first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament MVP.
Celebrating the World’s Best NBA Fans
The NBA 3X Philippines Invitational is part of the league’s month-long celebration of NBA fandom in the Philippines entitled “Republika ng NBA Month.” NBA Asia Head of Fan Acquisition & Engagement Sheila Rasu expressed her excitement for the league’s first-ever Fan Month campaign in the Asia-Pacific region. “This Fan Month is a big opportunity for us to connect with our massive Filipino fanbase. We can’t wait to celebrate with the best NBA fans in the world.”
Fans can look forward to more initiatives under Republika ng NBA Month throughout December, including the new hyperlocal t-shirt collection, which is now available at the NBA Store in SM Mall of Asia, NBA League Pass discounts, new Republika Spotlight episodes on NBA Philippines TikTok, and more, which collectively aim to strengthen the bond between the NBA and its Filipino fanbase.
“We also have a new TikTok series called Republika Spotlight, where we feature a Filipino NBA fan every day of the month. We’ll continue to bring different types of experiences, so stay tuned because we have a lot more coming up,” said Rasu.
The success of the NBA 3X Philippines weekend and the Republika ng NBA Fan Month underscores the NBA’s commitment to promoting basketball at the grassroots level in the Philippines. Through these initiatives, the NBA continues to bring top-notch sports entertainment to Filipino fans.
For more on “Republika ng NBA Month” and all the latest NBA news and updates, fans in the Philippines can visit www.nba.com, download the NBA App, and follow the NBA on Facebook, TikTok and X. The 2023-24 season is airing live in the Philippines on One Sports, NBA TV Philippines, streaming platforms Pilipinas Live and Setanta Sports, and NBA League Pass. Fans in the Philippines can shop for official NBA merchandise at the NBA Stores at SM Megamall and SM Mall of Asia and at NBAStore.com.ph.
