NBA Legends (left to right): Dominique Wilkins, Tim Hardaway, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Rory White, Robert Horry, Vlade Divac

By Charley Bautista-Braga
Yahoo! Philippines
Five of the greatest  players in NBA history are in Manila for an exhibition game against the PBA All-Stars, for the NBA Asia Challenge 2009 on Friday, September 11 at the Araneta Coliseum.  These NBA Legends include Kareem  Abdul Jabbar, Tim Hardaway, Vlade Divac, Dominique Wilkins and Robert Horry, who are pitting themselves up in an event, dubbed as the most ambitious and largest ever basketball event in the country.

The NBA Asia Challenge features the NBA Generations team, made up of the NBA Legends and the NBA Development League players in an exhibition game against the PBA All-Stars which include Alvin Patrimonio, Allan Caidic, Ronnie Magsanoc, Benjie Paras, and Kenneth Duremdes, to name a few.  Also accompanying the NBA Legends are The Dunking Divas, the dance troupe of the New Jersey Nets who’ll be on hand to provide on-ground entertainment, and Sly the Silver Fox, the team’s mascot.

NBA greats Robert "Big Shot Rob" Horry and Vlade Divac

Yahoo! Philippines chatted with NBA greats Robert “Big Shot Rob” Horry, and Vlade Divac, and this is what they had to share to basketball fans:

On the Philippines:

Divac:  I’m very excited to be here. I heard that the Philippines is definitely a basketball country, and people really love the game here. This country has had an impact on my career. When I was 10 years old, my national team won the World Championship title in Manila in 1978, so that’s when I started playing basketball. I started when I was 10, and was drafted by the NBA when I was 21, 11 years later.

Horry: I unfortunately haven’t been able to watch any PBA, but I’m thrilled at how popular the game is here. We were just in Korea, and the thing about Asian basketball players is that they’re great guys, very skilled. I would say the one thing they have against them is size, and unfortunately you can’t teach size. They’re very skilled players though.

On basketball, and being a clutch player

Horry: It’s been fun playing with those guys, because those guys are the megastars of the team. Sometimes you’re not considered in the same breath, but you know those guys, they also value what you could do on the floor with them.  These are the guys who are going to get talked about when the game ends, and they trust you to get those shots nailed down.

On the U.S. and playing pro basketball

Divac: I played four years professionally in my country, and the Lakers drafted me for the NBA. It was tough for a couple of years, playing with a different style of game. I also didn’t speak any English, but on the other hand I was lucky to end up with an organization like the Lakers, so they helped me to make the transition much easier. My advice to other imports is to spread the feeling of really loving the game. When you do that, everything else is easy.  Also, do the mental work because everyone can shoot hoops, everyone can jump around, but it’s those little things that are difficult which can help distinguish you from the rest.

On luck, and career

Horry: I don’t think my career was about luck. It was about joining a team at the right time, like any kind of match or relationship, it was about finding the right match. So when you find the right kind of match, anything can happen. When I first joined the league, I thought Houston was the best match for my skills and from then on it just went on to better things. When I look at every team I’ve played, it was a great match for my talent and it was a great match for the team. Of course, there’s always going to be superstars in the team, but they’re not going to be superstars without adding that one “link,” and I always felt that I was that missing link that would make the team stronger.

Divac: I always believe in doing better, always moving forward. Everyday is a new day.

Words for people wishing to enter professional basketball

Divac: Maybe in your dream you can’t be the best basketball player, you can’t play in the NBA but you can find a way to be attached to the game in some different way where you can make a difference.

Horry: You know, you have to learn how to play the game the correct way. You have to go out and do everything, whatever it takes–walk, crawl or run – just practice the skills, the game know-how.  Practice a great amount of time, and maybe you’ll get better.  Also, you need to pit yourself against a team or other people who’ll help you stretch your talent.  When you stretch your talent, you’ll have that experience to make yourself better.

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About Robert Horry:  Robert “Big Shot Rob” Horry’s career highlights include playing with the Houston Rockets and winning  back-to-back championships in 1994 and 1995, and again with the LA Lakers from 2000 to 2002.  Horry is only one of nine players to win seven or more NBA championships, and only one of three players to win NBA Championships with two different teams in consecutive seasons.

About Vlade Divac:  A Serbian national, Divac played for the Yugoslavian National Team and led his team to win an Olympic Silver Medal in Seoul, Korea, until he was pirated by the LA Lakers, Charlotte Hornets, and the Sacramento Kings.  He ranks fourth in Lakers history with 830 blocked shots, and joins Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Hakeem Olajuwon as the only players in NBA history to amass 13,000 points, 9,000 rebounds, 3,000 assists, and 1,500 blocked shots.

Tickets for the first-ever NBA Asia Challenge are now on sale at Ticketnet outlets at SM Malls, or online at www.ticketnet.com.ph.  Ticket prices are at P2,640 (Patron), P2112 (Lower Box), P1320 (Upper Box A), P792 (Upper Box B) and P264 (General Admission).  For more information, please log onto www.nba.com/asiachallenge2009.

We asked. You answered. In a really big way. More than 510 of you from the Yahoo! SEA Answers community took part in our “Ask Kobe a question” contest over four days last week.

After hours of sifting through the pages of questions (510 is a lot!), we finally picked two that were unique, thoughtful and, well, different. And the least we could do was ask the four-time NBA champ himself for his answer when we met him today during his 2009 Kobe Asia Tour.

Question 1: What is the biggest life lesson you’ve learned since you became a global icon?

Question 2: With all the sacrifice that comes with fame and fortune, has there been a day or single moment that you regret what you’ve become?

Kobe:
“For both questions, I kind of have the same answer. I’ve been very, very fortunate to be in this position. And the biggest life lesson that I’ve learned is to be able to take all the different advice that I’ve been given and to help facilitate  opportunities for others, whether it’s for the youth or people that are older. They all have dreams. That’s why I’ve become significantly more open with my foundation and charity work, just to try and help others, guide others. That’s the life lesson that I’ve learned. That’s what really important to me and to be in this position, no, I don’t regret it for one minute. Being in a position to help others, that means the world to them, and to me as well.”

Here are his other thoughts on:

A possible match-up against ex-teammate Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers) in the 2009/10 NBA Final:

“It would be crazy. All the stories that could come out of it. All the hoopla — it would run for days and days and days. But for us as players, if that match-up is to happen, we have to take care of business first and take it one day at a time. But that being said, it would be one heck of a show.”

How he stays motivated for every game:

“I love what I do. It’s that simple. And I try to find new ways to do it better. It’s not about the fame or the money. When I was younger and was a nobody, I looked up at the best players in my age group and said to myself, ‘I’m watching you. I want what you have.’ I was working all the time. I trained like a maniac. By the time I was 17, I was training 7-8 hours each day, every day. When I was not on the court, I was doing mental training – watching videos, reading books, analysing team play. Now that I’m one the best players in the world, I know other players are watching me and they’re out to hunt me down. That’s how I keep my edge and keep improving.”

His favourite moment during his career:

“This year’s NBA Finals. Game 5 when we won the championship. Just standing at the half-court, knowing that we’d won. That’s the best moment of my career — by far.”

Toughest opponent:

“There’s no single individual player, because individuals —  you can break them down. San Antonio, Denver, Boston Celtics — those are teams that have a strong work ethic and they’re tough to beat.”

Coach Phil Jackson:

“Extremely, extremely, extremely competitive.”

His soccer background as a kid:

“Soccer’s helped me with my footwork and has a lot to do with how I play… How the ball moves around the pitch and the team play. I’m also a big Barcelona and Lionel Messi fan.”

Best advice?

“My father’s advice to me when I was young was ‘No matter what you do, be the best at it. Go for the whole thing.’”

On his future:

“I’ll be a Laker for the rest of my career… I don’t see myself playing any place else. As for coaching? The answer to that is an emphatic ‘no’.”

How he rates himself as a player:

“I don’t, because I’m not done yet. Only when you’re done do you look back. I’m getting ready for next season and will keep going.”