Chaos mars launch of ‘Last Home Stand’ event

MANILA, Philippines — Twelve National Basketball Association stars are in the country to give Gilas Pilipinas a taste of world-class basketball in charity games dubbed “Gilas Last Home Stand” today and tomorrow at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Too bad, the people handling the event were miles and miles from being world-class at all, fuming mediamen who covered Monday’s press launch of the event chorused.

The NBA stars’ meeting with the press was so terribly managed that harassed reporters were boxed in space hardly appropriate for such an event.

Only seven NBA players—Demar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry, James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Damian Lillard, Terrence Ross and Brandon Jennings— made it to the chaotic event launch and some of them sat on the stage, blocking the view of photographers.

Worse, the reception was manned by an impetuous woman who had no patience dealing with queries coming from legitimate members of the working press.

Certainly, the event got off on the wrong foot and it wasn’t in any way reflective of how Filipino hospitality goes.