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| Sabrina Ionescu |
It was not long before Sabrina Ionescu figured out how much the Philippines loves its basketball.
Fresh from touching down after crossing the Pacific Ocean to kickstart her Asian Tour, she got to see the announcement of her Asian Tour with Nike on the 5th Avenue 3D Billboard at BGC on Sunday night.
The first official day of her tour saw her visit the House of Sabrina at Nike Fort, where she was touched by the warmth and enthusiasm of Filipino fans as she made her way to the Taguig venue to meet with notable talents and elements that exist in the Filipino basketball community, especially on the women's side.
In a panel with Gilas Youth head coach LA Tenorio, UAAP champion and Gilas Women member Camille Clarin, and former UAAP champion and current DLSU women's head coach Cholo Villanueva, the New York Liberty guard shared a little bit of insight on the sport that people can instantly relate with in real life:
“I think it’s crucial to learn how to prioritize and understand
what’s really important to you and how to be the best basketball player
you can be, how to never let the ball stop bouncing, but also understand
that there’s so much more to you than just being a basketball player,
that you must continue to grow.I think it’s also about being open-minded
..and doing what you enjoy..just being true to yourself.”
Ionescu then visited the nearby Nike Courtyard at BGC, a 2,182-sq meter communal basketball court at the corner of 25th Street and 7th Avenue that caters to ballers who need a safe and inclusive place to play, year-round.
There, she led a skills camp with participants, including members of Her Hoops, witnessing how she honed her all-around and dynamic playing style that helped secure the Liberty their first-ever WNBA title.
The second day of her tour will highlight a launch of a local Nike Sabrina 2 collaboration, which will then be followed by a Show Her Love basketball showcase in the afternoon at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
At the hallowed venue, she will be playing alongside local basketball starts in a game.
Current professionals Rhenz Abando, Ricci Rivero, Dave Ildefonso, Paul Lee, and Japeth Aguilar, recent Nike signees Harold Alarcon and Kieffer Alas, as well as Gilas Women standouts Kacey dela Rosa, Camille Nolasco, Louna Ozar, and Afril Bernardino are set to join Ionescu in that exhibition.
In addition, the former WNBA 3-point champion will also test her marksmanship from deep against a field of local players.
Manila is the first stop of her inaugural international tour with Nike, as she heads to Guangzhou and Hong Kong later in the week.
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