INQUIRER Sports

KOBE BRYANT has made two previous visits to the Philippines, one as the NBA?s next big thing and the second as the league?s certified global superstar.

He?s flying back to the country again, this time as a champion.

The Los Angeles Lakers superstar kicks off a six-city Asian tour with one-day stop in Manila on July 21 to personally teach five lucky young ballers a few basketball skills and to promote his latest model in his line of hoop shoes.

The 2009 Asia Tour will have Bryant also visiting Singapore, Taipei, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Chengdu.

?Nike Philippines is proud to welcome Kobe Bryant back to Manila, and we are excited to be the first stop of his tour,? Nike Philippines country marketing manager Mae Dichupa said in a statement.

?The Lakers? clinching the NBA Championship and Kobe being named the Finals MVP in the recent season makes the timing of his visit doubly exciting.?

?We know he will again touch many young lives, inspiring them to reach for their hoop dreams,? she added.

Bryant?s brief visit will kick off with a visit to Nike Park at The Fort at 2 p.m., where he will meet young ballers from select Gawad Kalinga communities.

Bryant always makes it a point to visit deserving institutions in every stop of every tour he takes part in. The visit will be broadcast live over WNIKE Radio on Magic 89.9.

From there, the ?Black Mamba? heads off to the PhilSports Arena where he will hold camp with five select members of the Nike Elite Campers basketball program. The show will start at 4 p.m. and gates will be open to the public at 3 p.m.

Bryant?s latest Nike shoe is the Dream Season model, a first-of-its-kind shoe designed for outdoor basketball. The Dream Season is aptly named, with Kobe and the Lakers coming off an NBA championship after beating the Orlando Magic in six games.

Tickets to see Kobe at the PhilSports Arena will be distributed only Saturday at 12 noon at Nike Park, The Fort. Tickets are free of charge and will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. Only two tickets will be given per person, with a total of 3,000 tickets distributed.

WNIKE Radio, which airs Mondays from 10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. will also award tickets to lucky listeners for this rare chance to see Bryant live. For more details, log on to www.nike.com.ph.