HoopsHype.com Rumors

McGee became known worldwide after competing in the 2011 NBA Slam Dunk Competition, becoming the first man to dunk two basketballs on two separate rings at the same time. He first met Reyes when McGee came to the Philippines last July 2011 to play in a two-game series, the Smart Ultimate All-Star Weekend, with other NBA players including Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul and Derrick Rose. But it was McGee who made the biggest impression on the Filipino fans, thanks to his dazzling array of powerful dunks and his on-court antics, which included 'planking' – or lying face down – on the floor of the Araneta Coliseum. ABS-CBN News

Denver Nuggets, Javale McGee, Philippines 

"(JaVale) really fell in love with the country, he liked Manila," Reyes said. "JaVale fit all the characteristics I want in a naturalized player." "He's a 7-footer, he's tall, athletic, quick. He's not a slow big man... We felt that he was an ideal choice to be a naturalized Filipino and he agreed, he liked the idea," he added. ABS-CBN News

Denver Nuggets, Javale McGee, Philippines 

The dream of having NBA stalwart JaVale McGee representing the Philippines could become a reality. A bill seeking to grant the high-flying NBA center a Philippine citizenship has been filed Tuesday by Antipolo City Representative Roberto V. Puno in a move to boost the line-up of the national basketball team. Puno, who also initiated 6-foot-10 center Marcus Douthit’s naturalization two years ago, sponsored House Bill No. 6169 before the Fifteenth Congress. Inquirer.net

Denver Nuggets, Javale McGee, Philippines 

Volatile NBA veteran Bonzi Wells is open to playing in the PBA but which team is willing to give him a chance? Wells, 35, played 10 years in the NBA, averaging 12.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 591 career games with Portland, Memphis, Sacramento, Houston and New Orleans. Throughout his NBA journey, he was hounded by controversy. Wells once admitted to media “I black out sometimes” when asked why he made an obscene gesture to a jeering fan. philstar.com

Philippines, Bonzi Wells 

And if the required process is satisfied in time, the Nationals will have a taller and more dominant center in NBA player Javale McGee for the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship which serves as the regional qualifier for the world joust. National coach Chot Reyes divulged that McGee’s bid for naturalization is now being pushed in Congress. At the moment, Reyes has got Marcus Douthit plus the 16 players he named from the PBA. He’s also forming a cadet pool from the amateur ranks. philstar.com

Javale McGee, Philippines 

Former NBA big man Earl Barron signed a deal in the Philippines with Meralco Bolts. The big man has played two games with the Warriors in the current NBA season scoring 2ppg. Sportando

Earl Barron, Philippines 

Emiliano Carchia: According to Primera Hora, Allen Iverson has offers also from Venezuela, Iran and Philippines Twitter

Free Agency, Allen Iverson, Puerto Rico, Philippines, Venezuela 

NBA Hall of Famer Alex English will be in town for only a week to observe the Petron Blaze Boosters, particularly big men Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Carlo Sharma and Noy Baclao whom he will train for two months next year. “We believe a two-month period of training is enough. Alex English doesn’t need to be here year round,” said SMC basketball operations chief Robert Non. philstar.com

Philippines, Alex English 

If everything falls into place, Smart Gilas Pilipinas will have the Washington Wizards’ seven-foot center JaVale McGee as naturalized player for the next FIBA Asia championship. McGee had been in the country twice in the last four months and, in his last visit, expressed willingness to be part of the Philippine team vying for a slot in the 2014 World Championship. philstar.com

Washington Wizards, Javale McGee, FIBA, Philippines 

The STAR source said McGee and the Smart Gilas people have reached an agreement to pursue the same direction Marcus Douthit had gone through enabling the latter to play for the Phl team in the recent Asian joust in Tianjin, China. “If ever, we will have a taller, younger naturalized player to match up with Hamed Haddadi, Yi Jianglian and the like,” The STAR source said. philstar.com

Washington Wizards, Javale McGee, FIBA, Philippines 

With the NBA lockout in full swing, McGee said expressed openness about the possibility of playing in the Philippines. “It’s a great idea, but I don’t know for sure,” he said. “If I play for another country, the Philippines would definitely be a consideration.” Interaksyon.com

Washington Wizards, Javale McGee, Lockout, Philippines 

Another distinct possibility for McGee would be to suit up for the Philippine national team as a naturalized player. In the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship, Marcus Douthit, a naturalized American, carried the cudgels for the SMART-Gilas Pilipinas national team. While McGee remains non-commital, he said that he loves the passion of Filipino basketball fans. “Definitely, just the crowd and the energy the Filipino fans bring [is great],” he said. “It would make me happy to come back to the Philippines.” Interaksyon.com

Washington Wizards, Javale McGee, FIBA, Philippines 

Washington Wizards big man JaVale McGee will return to the Philippines for a big man skills development camp, according to Talk N Text head coach Chot Reyes. "Plans are afoot for McGee to do a big man skills development clinic with Norman Black and Alton Lister, care of SBP (Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas) and MVP Sports Foundation," he announced through Twitter. McGee himself confirmed his return, tweeting: "Thank you to MVP (Manny V. Pangilinan), Coach Chot and Smart for bringing P (Pierre McGee, his alter ego) back to the Philippines!" ABS-CBN News

Washington Wizards, Javale McGee, Lockout, Philippines 

Instead, Spoelstra signed to play with a second-tier German team and then joined the Heat in 1995 as video coordinator. The plan to play in the Philippines fell through when he heard he might have to spend a season in the minor leagues while waiting to receive dual citizenship instead of going straight to the PBA. "It got delayed, and I never got an affirmative answer," Spoelstra said. "I couldn't just get drafted from the States. There was some kind of plan, but it sounded really shady, so I ended up playing for peanuts in front of 500 people in Germany. Looking back on it, it was a crazy decision." Grantland

Miami Heat, Erik Spoelstra, Philippines 

Here's Spoelstra, toward the end of August's trip to Manila, during a clinic he conducted for Filipino coaches: "We have a player on our team — very successful guy. You can probably guess who he is. He has been with us since his rookie year. He's a very physical player." He was, of course, describing Dwyane Wade, but due to the ongoing NBA lockout he was forbidden (along with all other league employees) from making any public utterances of the players' names. The purpose of the workshop was for Spoelstra to transfer his world-class expertise to a few hundred local coaches, who represented teams from the elementary school through professional levels. That goal, however, was sidetracked every time Spoelstra tried to talk around a player's name because hundreds of Filipino coaches would murmur it aloud and then break out in laughter. This was not the only lockout-related inconvenience Spoelstra encountered. Earlier in the week he attended a PBA playoff game, but instead of sitting in the courtside seats any team would have happily provided him, lockout regulations required him to buy tickets. Since he visited during the semifinals, however, the floor seats were sold out and Spoelstra watched from a lower mezzanine area of the Araneta Coliseum. Grantland

Miami Heat, Dwyane Wade, Erik Spoelstra, Philippines 

Each time Spoelstra has come back to the Philippines, the highlight of his return has been a trip to his uncle's home in Los Baños, Laguna. This year the family gathering was especially sweet because Spoelstra brought his sister, Monica, who hadn't been to the country in 37 years. Tony Celino — the family calls him "Uncle Tony" — had a career in the Philippine government, working as a regional director for the National Food Authority. He moved with his family to Wisconsin in the early 1990s, then retired to the Philippines with his wife shortly before Spoelstra's first homecoming in 2009. Each year, Uncle Tony hosts a reception to welcome Spoelstra. At previous parties, the whole neighborhood seemed to show up to greet the coach, but this year's gathering was limited to friends and family. Of course, the head count still clocked in somewhere between 50 and 100 guests, and Uncle Tony laid out a feast. Servers in white uniforms dished out lechon — roast suckling pig — from trays on red-tableclothed tables. Coolers of San Miguel beer were continually refilled. Two separate tarpaulins had been printed with welcome messages for the occasion. Around the corner, near the bathrooms and Uncle Tony's pool and natural hot-spring Jacuzzi, was a similar banner from one of Spoelstra's previous visits. This one read COACH SPO FOR PRESIDENT. Spoelstra's relatives at the party all wore custom shirts that contained a well-meaning if slightly awkward acrostic tribute to the guest of honor: Coach So Proud Of You! Grantland

Miami Heat, Erik Spoelstra, Philippines 

Love said he has little interest in playing on a professional basketball team overseas during the lockout, but is expected to participate on a barnstorming tour with other NBA players in October in China and the Philippines. He is also taking a summer course at UCLA and might enroll for fall classes if the lockout hasn’t ended. “I just don’t think it’s good for business if we don’t have a season,” Love said. “Hopefully, there will be something that happens. All the players really want to play basketball. Hopefully, we can work out the right deal. “You hear December, January, there’s not going to be a season. I think we anticipate missing games. Training camp is right around the corner, but all we can do is keep on a steady path and hope to make some leeway.” Yahoo! Sports

Minnesota Timberwolves, Lockout, Kevin Love, China, Philippines 

The National Basketball Association (NBA) encourages Filipinos to embrace a healthy lifestyle by taking part in a fun at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig on August 7. Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra will flag off the race and then take part in the run as part of the NBA Fit, the league’s comprehensive health and wellness program. Sun-Star

Miami Heat, Erik Spoelstra, Philippines 

“Being fit and staying fit is a big part of being effective in basketball. Being able to combine basketball and my heritage gives me such great pride,” said Spoelstra, who is NBA FIT Ambassador to the Philippines. Sun-Star

Miami Heat, Erik Spoelstra, Philippines 

After investigating the Sacramento opportunity, Pangilinan and Reyes began discussing other opportunities. When the option of bringing over NBA players came up, Reyes said he was skeptical. "Kobe, Dwight Howard — all these guys have been to the Philippines," Reyes said. "They come in, wave to the crowd for 30 minutes, do a 15-minute clinic, wave goodbye. Then they'll go to some Nike store, then go to some orphanage. There's no impact." The way to do it, Reyes argued, was to bring a team of young players — "not divas" — who would actually play and put on a show in Manila. Bryant's first trip to Manila, in 1998, is one of the NBA visits Filipinos remember most fondly for precisely that reason. The 19-year-old Kobe, coming off his second NBA season, seemed completely unconcerned with acting like a star. He goofed and showed off in a 3-on-3 game and even donned a barong tagalog and learned the tinikling, a Philippine cultural dance that kind of resembles double-dutch played with bamboo sticks. Grantland

Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Lockout, Philippines