philstar.com video: Kobe Bryant suits up for UAAP All-Stars

http://www.philstar.com
MANILA, Philippines - Kobe Bryant's competitive drive got the better of him last night. And the Filipino fans that packed the Araneta Coliseum yesterday all went up in arms, not in a battle mode, but to urge the 32-year old NBA superstar to make their dreams come true.

For the first time in his three visits here under Nike, Bryant demanded to play 5-on-5 to the delight of the jam-packed crowd.

This happened after the Nike-sponsored UAAP all-star selection suffered a 33-24 spanking from the Smart Gilas Pilipinas men's national team in a ten-minute exhibition match, the supposed main highlight of Bryant's Take Every Advantage Tour here.

The Los Angeles Lakers star, who wore a Nike shirt displaying the phrase "Hunt or be Hunted," went into hunting mode as he asked for another eight minutes on the clock and teamed up with Ateneo's Kirk Long and Greg Slaughter and La Salle's Joshua Webb and LA Revilla to try to overhaul the nine-point deficit.

The future Hall-of-Famer picked up an FEU practice jersey and entered the court. Why FEU's gold and green? Why not Ateneo's blue and white or La Salle's green and white? Is it because it's the only colorway that resembles the Lakers' purple and gold?

Perhaps, blue reminded him of the Dallas Mavericks that swept them in last season's playoffs and green. And it must be a mortal sin for him to wear Boston Celtics' color much like Ateneo players and its rabid alumni don't wear green and vice-versa with La Salle.

Bryant, a five-time NBA champion with the Lakers, made the most out of those eight minutes he was on the court.

He assisted Long on one play then in one crazy sequence, he received a back pass from Revilla then passed up a dunk to feed Slaughter for a two-handed jam that triggered tremors underneath the whole Big Dome.

It didn't stop there as the highlight reels came after another that his Pinoy fans can only dream of in their game consoles.

The main highlight of the night was when he stole the ball off Smart Gilas' Mark Andy Barroca and ran towards the court for a breakaway two-handed slam.

Still, Bryant's UAAP All Stars lost, 45-41, but the "Black Mamba" won the hearts of this basketball-crazy nation's inhabitants.

Let's pray that the Smart Gilas' victory drives him to decide to play for the NBA selection, which is under negotiation to play against the country's men's national team and a PBA selection in a pair of exhibition matches later this month. Video by Cris Cayanan

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