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| (Image Source: NBA Philippines) |
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is celebrating “Republika ng NBA Month”, the league’s first-ever month-long celebration of NBA fandom in the Philippines, which runs throughout the month of December. The month-long celebration will include a variety of exclusive celebrations and activations in conjunction with the inaugural In-Season Tournament Semifinals (December 8, 2023, Friday, Philippine time) and Championship (December 10, 2023, Sunday, Philippine time) as well as the 76th edition of the NBA on Christmas Day (December 25–26, 2023, Philippine time).
Headlining the "Republika ng NBA Month" festivities in the country is the NBA 3X Philippines Invitational, a 3-on-3 basketball competition based on the FIBA 3x3 format and rules and featuring authentic NBA entertainment including appearances by NBA champion Richard Hamilton. Returning to the Philippines for the second time this year, the 11th edition of NBA 3X Philippines will take place on December 9-10, 2023 at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall in Pasay City and will feature an invitation-only 3-on-3 tournament consisting of divisions for men and women. Each division will feature four local teams and four international teams from the Asia-Pacific region. The first day of the invitational will feature a series of on-court basketball activations including a celebrity 5-on-5 tournament, a Jr. NBA Philippines alumni exhibition game, and the return of the NBA Iconic Shots Challenge, an immersive basketball experience that will provide fans with the opportunity to attempt select signature shots from the 2023-24 season. On the other hand, a public viewing party for the In-Season Tournament Championship hosted by official NBA broadcast partner Cignal will take place on the second day. The NBA 3X Philippines Invitational will have Energen Champion, Gatorade and vivo as its official event partners.
"Republika ng NBA Month" will also mark the launch of a new hyperlocal t-shirt collection which is slated to become available at NBAStore.com.ph, the official online NBA Store in the Philippines, and at the NBA Stores in SM Megamall and SM Mall of Asia. On the other hand, an NBA Cares packing project at the NBA Community Court presented by TITAN is set to take place in Mandaluyong City where participants will assemble care packages to benefit high-school students from select public high-schools near the NBA Community Court. Each package will include a “Republika ng NBA” hyperlocal t-shirt, socks, slippers, and more. There will also be a slate of original content on the NBA’s localized social media accounts in the Philippines including “Republika Spotlight”, a new digital series profiling one notable NBA fan including local celebrities, influencers and sports personalities, every day throughout December. Additionally, NBA League Pass – the league’s premium live game subscription service available via the NBA App – will offer exclusive discounts to the League Pass Premium, Annual and Student Plan packages throughout the month.
“The first-ever ‘Republika ng NBA Month’ shines a spotlight on our Filipino fans and channels their enormous passion for the NBA into a month-long celebration of all things NBA. Set against the backdrop of one of the most exciting months of the NBA calendar, ‘Republika ng NBA Month’ will enable us to super-serve our fans – who are at the heart of everything we do – and offer them a unique experience to celebrate their shared love of the game," said NBA Asia Head of Fan Acquisition and Engagement Shiela Rasu. For more on “Republika ng NBA Month” and all the latest NBA news and updates, fans in the Philippines can visit www.nba.com, download the NBA App, and follow the NBA on Facebook, TikTok and X (formerly Twitter). The 2023-24 season is airing live in the Philippines on One Sports, NBA TV Philippines, Pilipinas Live, Smart Livestream, Cignal Play, Setanta Sports, and NBA League Pass. Fans in the Philippines can shop for official NBA merchandise at the NBA Stores at SM Megamall and SM Mall of Asia and at NBAStore.com.ph.
