MANILA, Philippines — Five-time NBA champion Ron Harper gave residents at Manila Boystown Complex something to remember as the former Chicago Bulls guard headed the NBA Cares Program in Parang, Marikina.
Harper, who was part of the Bulls’ second “three-peat” before winning two more championships with the Los Angeles Lakers, gathered about 70 kids from Boystown and gamely led shooting and dribbling drills under the glaring heat of the sun.
“This is the most fun that I truly enjoy doing; being with the young kids and put a smile on their faces,” said Harper with his yellow NBA Cares tee, also worn by the young boys and girls of Boystown, drenched in sweat as he sat at the driver’s side of a specially decorated NBA Global Games jeepney on a humid Sunday afternoon.
“Their (kids) enthusiasm is great. The kids truly enjoy us and we enjoyed them. They came out today under the great hot sun and we all had fun. The Filipino kids are great. They put a smile on our faces,” added the beaming 49-year-old Harper.
“Actually lahat ng mga bata dito galing sa Manila they are the street children in Manila rescued by the Manila City Hall then some of them referred by the District Office by the Manily City mga abandoned, neglected, poor people and abused 18 below,” said newly-appointed Director of Boystown Jean Ramos.
“Mahalaga sa amin ito kasi gusto nila kapag may mga ganito na international event na NBA, natutuwa sila and kami din natutuwa kasi pumupunta sila sa amin at kami natutulungan,” she said. “Nasisiyahan kami at nandito sila para tumulong sa mga bata dito sa Boystown.”
And one of the kids who participated in the camp with Harper was 16-year-old Michael del Rosario.
“Masaya po kasi marami po kaming natutunan yung mga galing po sa kanila parang sa amin po napasa,” del Rosario said of the rare experience, who has been residing at Boystown since he was 11.
Harper, the eighth overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 1986, is also in town for the NBA Global Games here which pits the beefed up Houston Rockets and free agent acquisition Dwight Howard against the star-studded Indiana Pacers led by fast rising star Paul George this Thursday, October 10, at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“I’m excited for the Global Games. The first [NBA] game in the Philippines,” expressed Harper. “I’m pretty sure the NBA will be coming back here. This is a great place for our basketball game, the fans are great fans over here and we all know that the NBA is a global game now so I expect us to have more games here.
“I plan on coming back here. Definitely coming back.”