July 13, 2009 (Manila) – Making his promised return trip to Manila, NBA Finals MVP Kobe Bryant will kick off his Nike sponsored 2009 Asia Tour: Philippines on July 21, 2009. Seeking to inspire young ballers to continue aspiring for their big hoop dreams, the tour will touch six cities in Asia – Manila, Singapore, Taipei, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Chengdu.
“Nike Philippines is proud to welcome Kobe Bryant back to Manila, and we are excited to be the first stop of his Asia tour. Since his last visit, Kobe has further cemented his status as a basketball powerhouse having been awarded NBA’s 2007-2008 MVP. The Lakers’ clinching the NBA Championship and Kobe being named the Finals’ Most Valuable Player in the recently concluded season makes the timing of his visit doubly exciting, and though brief, we know he will again touch many young lives, inspiring them to reach for their hoop dreams,†said Nike Philippines country marketing manager Mae Dichupa.
Kobe Bryant’s one-day Manila visit will kick off with a visit at Nike Park, The Fort at 2:00pm, where he will meet young ballers from select Gawad Kalinga communities. Kobe has made it a point to support deserving institutions in every tour, setting aside quality time to be with children who are interested in basketball to encourage them to keep dreaming big. Activities at the Nike Park, The Fort will be broadcast live over W.N.I.K.E Radio on 89.9 DWTM.
The main event of the basketball superstar’s Manila visit will be a basketball camp at the ULTRA where Kobe will showcase his skills and share his basketball prowess alongside the Nike Elite Campers, a group of up-and-coming young basketball players. The camp will allow Kobe to work with his young fans to help them increase their level of play on the basketball court. The show will start at 4:00pm, gates will be open to the public at 3:00pm.
Additionally, during the tour, Nike and Kobe Bryant will introduce the new Dream Season shoe, a first of its kind basketball shoe designed for outdoor games. The Nike Dream Season, designed with insights from Kobe, helps share his passion for basketball with players throughout Asia Pacific and gives them the opportunity to live out their dreams on the outdoor court.
The Nike Dream Season, both lightweight and durable, is sleek and aggressive much like Kobe’s style of play. In the recently concluded league, Kobe Bryant lived out his dream season. With Nike Dream Season and Kobe’s 2009 Asia Tour, he hopes to continue inspiring young ballers to realize their own dream seasons.
Tickets to see Kobe live at ULTRA will be distributed for one day only: Saturday, July 18, 2009, beginning at 12 noon at Nike Park, The Fort. Tickets are free of charge and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Only two tickets will be given per person, with a total of 3,000 tickets distributed.
W.N.I.K.E Radio, which airs on 89.9 DWTM every Monday from 10-10:30 am, will also award tickets to lucky listeners for this rare opportunity to see Kobe Bryant live.
