Plenty of NBA stars head overseas during the offseason, in order to expand the game globally, as well as to help sell some sneakers.
LeBron James is no exception, and for the first time ever, he visited the Philippines as part of an international tour with Nike Basketball.
From the official release:In Manila, Philippines, this week, basketball enthusiasts, athletes and die-hard fans seized the moment to witness basketball superstar and two-time champion LeBron James during his Witness History Tour in Manila. James’s visit to Manila was his first outside the United States following his team’s second-consecutive championship in Miami and his first trip to the Philippines.
During the visit, James participated in a basketball showcase at the Mall of Asia Arena where roaring fans filled the stadium. The four-time league MVP joined in a training session with Nike athletes from high school, collegiate and professional teams, working on their basketball skills during the pick-up clinic. The first-hand experience with James helped motivate players to pursue excellence in their on-going basketball season.
The main event culminated in James coaching the youth participants of the clinic in an exhibition game against a team of Nike athletes that included professional and national team players. He later left a message of inspiration to the Filipino youth and wished them well on their basketball endeavors.They’re leaving out the best part -- James joined in the exhibition game, and (as seen in the video clip above) immediately rained a couple of long jumpers with zero warmup time after coaching for a bit from the bench. The alley-oop dunk he finished (at the 2:10) mark was the game’s best highlight.