Stephen Curry leaves Daniel Padilla speechless, basketball fans roaring at MOA arena in 1-day Manila visit

By: Paolo Manuel C. Fule

Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry left the Philippines wanting for more of him, and indeed, he said this will not be his last trip to the country as he finished his one-day only trip to Manila for his Under Armour promotional tour on September 5, Saturday.

He capped the day with a media question and answer at Raffles hotel in Makati followed by an exhibition game with selected high school cagers at the Mall of Asia Arena in the afternoon. Philippine actor and teen heartthrob Daniel Padilla had a meet-and-greet with him in a VIP lounge at Raffles Makati. “That might have been the first time, I’m guessing, he was speechless”, said Curry in the media press conference. It was reported recently that Stephen Curry surprisingly  followed Daniel Padilla on Twitter because the actor posted his collection of the champion layers’ signature shoes and merchandise.

Asked by this reporter if there is pressure going into the regular season being the efending champion and reigning MVP, the baby-faced Curry said “We feel like we’re still the team to beat. It’s going to be a different challenge for us. We’ve never defended an NBA championship before so it will be a new experience for us. All eyes are on our team and every other team is trying to knock us off our throne, so we have to be even better than we were last year to get back to the top.”

Wardell Stephen “Steph” Curry II or popularly known as Stephen Curry was born on March 14, 1988. He is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing 6’ 3” tall, Curry plays the point guard position and is considered by some to be the one of the greatest shooters in NBA history.  The 2015 NBA Most Valuable Player and a two-time NBA All-Star, is the son of former NBA player Dell Curry. In this year’s NBA finals, Curry carried his team into the championship, something that the Golden State Warriors franchise hasn’t repeated since 1975.

Lebron is power, Steph is brilliance: A classic matchup for an NBA finale

By: Paolo Manuel C. Fule

Lebron James will return again in the NBA finals for the sixth time in his career, five straight years in a span of 8 seasons. While the Warriors, who had been dominant in the regular season (67-15) with stellar performances by Stephen Curry, the reigning Most Valuable Player of the league this season, will have their first taste of the NBA finals arena after 40 long years.

In the West, the Golden State Warriors and Stephen Curry are nothing but spectacular night in and night out, whether it is on the road or inside the loudest arena in the world today- the Oracle arena. In the Golden State Warrior’s series against the New Orleans Pelicans, Stephen Curry averaged 33.75 points per game, while their team has an average of 109 points per game. Against the grit-and-grind pack of the Memphis Grizzlies, the Dubs averaged 97.83 PPG while Curry has his playoffs series low 24.5 PPG. With the Houston Rockets in their last four games, GSW averaged 110 PPG while Curry cooks 32.5 PPG.

On the east side, Lebron James, four-time NBA regular season MVP, 2-time finals MVP, and five straight NBA finals attendee, is truly a force of nature to reckon with by the young and neophyte finals team of Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. James and the Cavs dispatched the number 7 seed Boson Celtics in the first round, stopped the rampaging Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls four games to two in the East semis, and then swept the East number 1 seed Atlanta Hawks in the Conference Finals.

The Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers are 2-2 when they met this season, with each winning on its home floor. Lebron James sat out in Golden State’s 112-94 win on Jan. 9 in Oakland, while King James scored a season-high 42 points in the Cavs’ 110-99 win in Cleveland on Feb. 26.

Some facts about this year’s finals: This will be the first time since the NBA’s inaugural season (1946-1947, then known as the BAA) that two first-year coaches will face each other in the finals. LeBron James will appear in his fifth consecutive NBA Finals. He’s the only non-member of the 1950-60s Boston Celtics to play in five straight finals. Stephen Curry will have faced every other All-NBA First Team member in this postseason (Anthony Davis, Marc Gasol, James Harden, and now Lebron James). He is the first player to do this in league history. None of the Warriors’ players have been to the finals. The 1991 Chicago Bulls are the last team to win without a player with finals experience.

Here are some of the predictions of NBA basketball fanatics:

Cleveland Cavaliers. Lebron James is at his best. — Adriane Paul Manipol, PMMS student.

Kyrie Irving is my idol and I choose Cavs.— Ajay Khatri, basketball player at Enderun Colleges, Taguig

I think the Golden State Warriors will win the finals.– Tristan Josh Mapanao, basketball player at UPHSD Molino campus.

I was right on my first prediction…. Cavs vs GS -,finals, my next prediction would be Cavs winning 4-3…– Garret Consignado, Plaridel National High School teacher and basketball coach.

Even though I’m a fan of Curry. I think Cavs will win the crown. James isn’t alone, they are also loaded with gunners especially Smith and Shumpert. Warriors will have a very hard time defending Lebron.–Tom Joel Paliangayan. Sports Writer from Liceo de San Pedro

I am going with my hometown Golden State. Stephen Curry is also amazing this season–Lorenz Gerard Viajar, basketball player at University of the East Manila

email the author at paolomanuelfule@yahoo.com or text 09184059751

Austin Rivers runs through it: Doc’s son steals show in Clippers win

By: Paolo Manuel C. Fule

Chris Paul returned, Blake Griffin had another double-double night, JJ Redick had the game best 31 points, but it was Austin Rivers who wrote the story for the Clippers’ emphatic win against the Rockets, 124-99.

At Staples Center where we watch history unfolds as the first NBA player to play for his father, a rare player-coach tandem in NBA history. Austin Rivers scored 12 points at the end of the first half, and coming off the bench substituting for point guard Chris Paul, the son of LA Clippers coach Doc Rivers electrified the crowd in the third quarter with a blast from the three point line and an impressive and-1. The crowd even rose to its feet at some point of the third canto, with chants of Rivers’ name. He finished with 25 points off the bench on a 10-13 field goal shooting.

In game 1 of their best-of-seven series against the Houston Rockets, Austin Rivers fired 17 points, while in game 2, he chipped in 10 points. Chris Paul even told coach Doc Rivers, “This is one time you can be a dad and not just coach.”

 

Austin James Rivers was born on August 1, 1992. He was drafted with the 10th pick in the NBA draft by the New Orleans Hornets (now Pelicans), playing three seasons there before being traded to the Clippers. On January 16, 2015, Rivers became the first player in NBA history to play for his father, coach Doc Rivers of the Los Angeles Clippers.

If he plays with this kind of grit and aggressiveness on the court, and with the guidance of his father, he definitely has the potential to curve a niche in the sports’ pantheon of greatness. Well, the playoffs can really be a good start.

email the author at paolomanuelfule@yahoo.com or text 09184059751

Javi ‘The Tower Of Power’ Gomez de Liaño: State U’s next basketball star

By: Paolo Manuel C. Fule

Being a student in one of the country’s premiere universities is already a huge task, but being a student athlete in UP is an even harder endeavor especially when everyone is tasked to carry their team on their shoulders. But for this 3^rd year high school athlete of University of the Philippines Integrated School, nothing is impossible with the help of God and his family.

Born Javier Joaquin Gomez de Liaño on July 27, 1998 in Mandaluyong City to Norberto Gomez de Liaño and Anna Gomez de Liaño, this 6-foot-4 forward is ready to take the cudgels of UPIS to the next level.

He scored his career high of 24 points in the UAAP season 77 basketball tournament against the Ateneo de Manila University.  His pre-game rituals include spending at least five minutes alone so he could go over his past mistakes and do better in his next games. He also doesn’t forget to pray before every game. If given the chance to have a one-on-one match up with an NBA player, he likes Giannis Antetoukumpo because he is one of the most exciting players in the NBA now.

“Giannis is 6’ 11” and can bring down the ball and call the play” quipped Javi. The UP cager’s favorite shot is the pull up jumper. He also follows his conditioning coach’s advice because it is very effective. The foods that can make him stay fit for the game includes banana, taho and soy shakes like vitamilk. His favorite basketball players are NBA’s Russell Westbrook of OKC Thunder, Jared Dilinger in the PBA, Mac Belo in the UAAP, and NCAA MVP Scottie Thompson.

“Studying in the State University is not easy. You need to manage your time wisely so I study before our training starts so that when I get home, I could rest already”, said Gomez de Liaño. In pursuing his basketball dreams, he makes sure to take things step by step because he believes that these little steps will make a big impact on things that he has always been working for. He acknowledges that staying humble is also a key to one’s success in life.

Email the author at paolomanuelfule@yahoo.com or text 09184059751

Javi ‘The Flash’ Gomez de Liaño: State U’s next basketball star

By: Paolo Manuel C. Fule

Being a student in one of the country’s premiere universities is already a huge task, but being a student athlete in UP is an even harder endeavor especially when everyone is tasked to carry their team on their shoulders. But for this 3^rd year high school athlete of University of the Philippines Integrated School, nothing is impossible with the help of God and his family.

Born Javier Joaquin Gomez de Liaño on July 27, 1998 in Mandaluyong City to Norberto Gomez de Liaño and Anna Gomez de Liaño, this 6-foot-4 forward is ready to take the cudgels of UPIS to the next level.

He scored his career high of 24 points in the UAAP season 77 basketball tournament against the Ateneo de Manila University.  His pre-game rituals include spending at least five minutes alone so he could go over his past mistakes and do better in his next games. He also doesn’t forget to pray before every game. If given the chance to have a one-on-one match up with an NBA player, he likes Giannis Antetoukumpo because he is one of the most exciting players in the NBA now.

“Giannis is 6’ 11” and can bring down the ball and call the play” quipped Javi. The UP cager’s favorite shot is the pull up jumper. He also follows his conditioning coach’s advice because it is very effective. The foods that can make him stay fit for the game includes banana, taho and soy shakes like vitamilk. His favorite basketball players are NBA’s Russell Westbrook of OKC Thunder, Jared Dilinger in the PBA, Mac Belo in the UAAP, and NCAA MVP Scottie Thompson.

“Studying in the State University is not easy. You need to manage your time wisely so I study before our training starts so that when I get home, I could rest already”, said Gomez de Liaño. In pursuing his basketball dreams, he makes sure to take things step by step because he believes that these little steps will make a big impact on things that he has always been working for. He acknowledges that staying humble is also a key to one’s success in life.

Email the author at paolomanuelfule@yahoo.com