They all came. They all saw. And they were all overwhelmed.
The brightest collection of NBA stars proved to be better than all the hype that surrounded them Saturday night, flashing the kind of skills that propelled them to own idolized status in beating the PBA Selection, 131-105, in the first of the two-game exhibition series in the Ultimate All-Star Weekend at the Araneta Coliseum.
More than 20,000 including high-profile personalities and hundreds of thousands more watching on national television made it a point to witness some of the best NBA players and perhaps that league’s future superstars strut their stuff, and the athletes that were at first thought impossible to assemble gave one spectacular, once-in-a-lifetime experience that left everyone in awe.
Bryant was the leader and the sensational player in one as he acted playing coach; Durant somehow conducted a clinic on how to shoot from the three-point range; and Javale McGee, the Guinness Book of Record holder for most number of balls dunked in a single attempt (three), showcased the power of his long arms as the NBA Selection made a mockery of the Philippines’ best professional basketball players.
Yet there were others who provided surprises.
Tyreke Evans of the Sacramento Kings, flashed his ankle-twister talent, the highlight of his flair coming against Arwind Santos in the second period when the Petron do-it-all guy and leading Best Player of the Conference in the ongoing Governors’ Cup was embarrassingly thrown off balance and slumped on the floor that drew a wild roar from the crowd.
That likewise drew smiles on the faces of those NBA stars at the bench, and even the PBA’s.
Simply put, the players who all came from the nation that invented the game put on a show that will never be forgotten.
The game that was supposed to start at 7 p.m. sharp began 15 minutes late, and the crowd already got a glimpse of what to expect when the NBA stars, excluding Bryant, came out for a short work-out.
But when the time really came for the game to begin, the sight was even better.
Although the outcome was never really in doubt, the Americans broke the game wide open in the second quarter when Durant, the Oklahoma Thunder’s franchise player and back-to-back scoring champion, knocked in two straight three-point shots to make it a 52-40 ball game.
At halftime, the count stood at 64-48. Somehow, the crowd wanted more blood.
Durant supplied it. With slow-footed Rabeh Al-Hussaini defending and urging him to shoot, Durant came through with a superb, swift move – stepping back and then dribbling the ball between his legs before setting himself free for a one-handed nasty throw-down in the third quarter.
Perhaps the only player who refused to be overcome by the superstar status of the NBA stars was Sol Mercado, who tried to engage Paul into a one-on-one contest. He succeeded in one instance that deserved a cheer, but never had another chance to repeat it.
But for all the spectacle of it all, Bryant merited the loudest approval.
The two-time Finals MVP of the 16-time champion Los Angeles Lakers caught a bounce pass from Paul in a fastbreak play in the first quarter, and then reverse-slammed the leather. He gave the crowd seated underneath the basket a hard look as he sauntered his way back on defense.
McGee scored 25 points and Durant 22 for the NBA Selection, who faced Sunday the country’s national team at the close of their exhibition series. Bryant, who did not play in the fourth quarter, finished with 12 points.
Santos led the PBA Selection with 25 points.
In the side event three-point shootout, the tandem of Paul and Thunder forward James Harden beat the PBA duo of Larry Fonacier and LA Tenorio, 26-24.
By far, this NBA team of Bryant, Durant, Rose, McGee, Evans, Harden, Derek Fisher and Derrick Williams is the best-ever assembled since the Washington Bullets, led by Wes Unseld, came over in the 1970s.
“Some of these guys come from another planet,” said Smart-Gilas coach Rajko Toroman. “We’ll try to play our best, push the ball hard, and give them a hard time.” At the way the NBA manhandled the PBA Selection, the Nationals shouldn’t even think about it.
