The National Basketball Association announced today that NBA Champion Glen Rice, NBA G League Coach Brian Shaw and an NBA G League player will participate in the first NBA Republika Playoffs Party on Aug. 17.
The NBA Republika Playoffs Party will be livestreamed beginning 8:00 p.m. PHT on the NBA Philippines Facebook page. The virtual event will feature a combination of authentic NBA entertainment, interactive elements, and interviews with Rice, Shaw and Philippine basketball personalities.
As part of the NBA Playoffs promotions in the Philippines, NBA Republika Playoffs Party will spotlight NBA Philippines partner activations, including:
AXA
As the official insurance partner of the NBA in the Philippines, AXA will present Game Plan, a forum featuring Shaw, a local professional basketball coach and a former national team player turned coach discussing a range of topics, from coaching tactics and philosophies to creating a game plan to deal with adversity and develop resilience.
Gatorade
Gatorade will present Path to Pro, which will feature an interview with an NBA G League player discussing his journey to become a professional athlete.
Republika Dunk Off presented by Gatorade will showcase a dunk contest headlined by three collegiate basketball players. Each participant will be allotted two dunks with each dunk awarded scores ranging from 6-10 by a four-member judging panel. The winner will be determined by whichever player records the highest combined score from their two dunks, with any ties settled by an additional tiebreaker round until one of the involved participants arrives at a top score. Viewers can also vote for their favorite dunk through a poll on NBA Philippines Facebook page, which will be posted during the competition and awarded at the end of the dunk contest.
Take-Two
During the NBA Republika Playoffs Party, Take-Two will showcase the first NBA 2K21 official gameplay trailer for current generation consoles.
vivo
The official smartphone of the NBA in the Philippines will present Playoff Predictions that will see Rice reveal his predictions and analyses on various playoff series through the NBA Pick’Em Playoffs Bracket Challenge presented by vivo, a fantasy basketball game that will offer fans in the Philippines a chance to win one of three vivo X50 Pro smartphones and other prizes.
Additionally, the virtual event will include select videos of NBA mascot performances from Indiana’s Boomer the Panther, Milwaukee’s Bango the Buck and Orlando’s Stuff the Magic Dragon.
“As the postseason nears, it’s terrific to see the amount of work done by the NBA to continue the tradition of awarding an NBA champion,” said Rice. “I’m looking forward to the excitement of the playoffs and sharing this experience with Filipino fans by participating in the first-ever NBA Republika Playoffs Party.”
“Being a part of this event is a testament to how the league continues to innovate and redefine the NBA experience for fans around the world,” said Shaw. “I’m excited to enjoy this event virtually with Filipino fans and share some of my own personal experiences from competing in the playoffs, both as a player and a coach.”
Rice was selected 4th overall by the Miami Heat in the 1989 NBA Draft and was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. As a member of the Charlotte Hornets, Rice was a three-time All-Star, 1997 NBA All-Star Game MVP and named to the All-NBA Second Team in 1997 and All-NBA Third Team in 1998. The 6-7 forward was teammates with Shaw when the Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA championship in 2000.
Over a 14-year career, Shaw played for seven different teams including the Lakers, where he won three consecutive titles from 2000-02. Following his retirement as a player, Shaw joined the Lakers as an assistant from 2004-11, winning two more championships in 2009 and 2010. Before joining the NBA G League, Shaw also served as head coach of the Denver Nuggets for two seasons (2013-15) and associate head coach of the Indiana Pacers for two seasons (2011-13) and the Los Angeles Lakers for three seasons (2016-19).
Fans can join the “MVP Shopping Spree” contest, which offers participants a chance to win one of 15 NBAStore.com.ph gift vouchers. Filipinos can also watch NBA Republika Huddle on the NBA Philippines Facebook page and catch local influencers and sports personalities discuss the latest news and events on the postseason.
For the broadcast schedule of the 2020 NBA Playoffs beginning Aug. 18, visit the official websites of TV5 and One Sports and Cignal TV on Facebook, and follow NBA Philippines on Facebook and Twitter.