Hans Sy.
SM Prime President Hans Sy said he hopes to bring an NBA regular season game to the spanking, new Mall of Asia in the future and the October pre-season game between the Houston Rockets and the Indiana Pacers is part of the plans to bring world class entertainment to the MOA.
In an interview with the Manila Standard and ABS-CBN, Sy revealed that when the MOA was being built "there were questions about bringing a pre-season game and we said that's a good idea and when they held the NBA All Star Game in Orlando I went there personally to invite David Stern (NBA Commissioner) and broached the idea of the pre-season game."
While naturally reluctant to reveal how much it would cost, Sy said he was "somewhat prepared already about the amount when I went to Orlando and talked to them about it."
Sy added "as I always said I want to bring something to the Filipinos and this is it" even as he revealed that tickets will be "at a subsidized price since we are getting sponsors to also cover the difference."
He disclosed that he "did try to broach the idea of a regular season game" but indicated that he is not sure about the logistics, traveling to the Philippines and other issues will intervene but made it clear that "if there is a chance I will bring it over."
Senior vice president and managing director of NBA Asia Scott Levy said the pre-season game is "a big deal and we are thrilled to be in partnership with the SM Group to be able to bring a pre-season game here."
Levy said the MOA is "a state of the art facility that is entirely capable of handling an NBA event and there's a lot that goes into an NBA event and just to be able to stage a game here is a big statement."
Asked about the possibility of staging a season game probably featuring the Miami Heat which is coached by Filipino-American Erik Spoelstra said "our focus right now is to execute a hugely successful pre-season game and we will continue to talk to SM and figure out whats next."
Levy said "about fan affinity. We want to make sure that the fans are ready to receive a game like this and the Philippines has some of the most passionate and knowledgeable fans."
He said "our goal is about delivering experiences to our fans and we want to deliver memorable moments and lifetime experiences."
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