Basketball star Kobe Bryant to visit Manila

“Though very brief, his one-day visit will definitely inspire Filipino athletes who look up to him,” Nike Philippines country marketing manager Mae Dichupa said.

The 32-year-old Bryant visited the Philippines in 2007 and 2009.

Bryant’s love affair with basketball started at age three as he grew up continually honing his skills and practicing drills, which helped in his rise as a basketball icon.

In 1996, he was drafted in the NBA and has since won five championship rings with his team, an MVP Award and received four All-Star MVP honors.

Bryant’s one-day visit will begin with a short show at Nike Park, The Fort at 3 p.m.

This will be followed by an elite boot camp at the Araneta Coliseum at 5 p.m., featuring players from Nike-sponsored FEU (Far Eastern University) Tamaraws, La Salle Green Archers, Ateneo Blue Eagles, and Smart Gilas Pilipinas.

Free tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis at the at Nike Park The Fort and Titan The Fort on July 2 at 12 p.m.

Fans can also log on to Facebook.com/Nikebasketball.phils where 50 lucky community members can get a chance to win two free tickets each to see the Black Mamba.

After Manila, the 6-foot-6 shooting guard will proceed to Seoul, South Korea and various cities in China.

Elite Hoops Basketball: Day 4 of NIKE Basketball Camp at Piney ...

On day 4 of NIKE Basketball Camp at Piney Grove Middle School, players continued to work on fundamental skills, highlighted by our final day of "Cut Throat" 3 on 3. With rules that force players to become better communicators and more fundamentally sound teammates, our goal with these 3 on 3 sessions is to make sure that players are ready for a higher level of basketball come this fall. Players showed great improvement throughout the week, as they followed our strict 3 on 3 rules! Hopefully, players will continue to develop these skills throughout the summer.