NBA House makes its way to the Philippines

NBA House Philippines

For the upcoming inaugural edition of the NBA House in the Philippines, the NBA will be bringing in a couple of icons of the game.

Set to take place on August 29-30 at the SPACE at One Ayala in Makati City, the NBA revealed that Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame members Jason Kidd and Lauren Jackson will grace the festivities.

Drafted second overall in the 1994 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks, the 6'5" guard from California would make an immediate impact in the league, sharing Rookie of the Year honors alongside fellow Hall of Famer Grant Hill. In his nineteen seasons in the league, he led the league in assists in five of those seasons, in the process of earning ten NBA All-Star selections, six All-NBA Teams, nine All-Defensive Teams. He also made the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team, and managed to win a title with the Mavericks in his second stint with the team back in 2011. Moving into coaching, Kidd served as a head coach for ten seasons, doing so with the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, and in Dallas, and also spent a couple of seasons as an assistant in Los Angeles with the Lakers. He is one of a few who has been inducted twice in the Hall, earning a nod as a player in 2018, and as part of the United States' National Men's Basketball Team at the 2008 Olympics in 2025.

Drafted as the top overall selection in the 2001 WNBA Draft by the Seattle Storm, the Aussie would spend her entire WNBA career with the franchise, winning two championships (2004, 2010). In doing so, Jackson also earned a WNBA Finals MVP, three WNBA MVP nods, a WNBA Defensive Player of the Year nod, eight All-WNBA Teams, five All-Defensive Team selections, seven WNBA All-Star selections, and was named to the league's 10th, 15th, 20th, and 25th Anniversary Teams. She also topped the league in scoring three times, as well as once in rebounding.

Representing Australia, she earned five medals for the Opals in the Olympics, claiming silver in 2000, 2004, and 2008, then bronze medals in 2012 and 2024. The last one came after she returned from retirement. During her sabbatical, she was inducted into the Hall of Fames in Australiam Basketball (2019), Women's Basketball (2020), and the Naismith (2021).

As a member of the Australia Women’s National Team, she earned three silver medals (2000, 2004 and 2008) and two bronze medals (2012 and 2024) in the Olympics.  She was inducted into the Australian Basketball Hall of Fame (2019), the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame (2020) and Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame (2021).

Handled by Eventscape Manila and presented by Gatorade, the first edition of NBA House will have 2,700 square meters' worth of interactive basketball and pop culture activities for everyone to enjoy. Previous editions have already taken place in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico, the U.S. and the UK.

Among the activations planned for that weekend:

• Meet-and-greets and appearances by Kidd, Jackson, and select local artists.
• Live musical performances and authentic NBA entertainment featuring the Sacramento Kings Dancers, who will make their third NBA House appearance of the summer – following NBA House editions in India and Australia – and their sixth overall.  
• Basketball skills challenges, merchandise giveaways, photo installations, and a game zone where fans can play the NBA 2K27 video game.
• An NBA memorabilia display featuring the Larry O’Brien Trophy and autographed NBA jerseys and basketballs.
• An official pop-up NBA Store with limited edition NBA House Philippines merchandise and exclusive product releases from official NBA licensing partners.
• A dedicated F&B zone.
• Live viewing of regular-season WNBA games between the Washington Mystics and the Los Angeles Sparks (Aug. 29) and the Toronto Tempo and the Phoenix Mercury (Aug. 30).
• A Prime Video Celebrity Showcase on Aug. 29 featuring a 5-on-5 exhibition game between two teams composed of local celebrities and influencers, with rosters to be announced in the coming days.
• A Jr. NBA / Jr. WNBA basketball clinic presented by Gatorade on Aug. 29 for local boys and girls from the YMCA Philippines. 
• An invitation-only five-kilometer fun run presented by Gatorade on Aug. 30.
• A WNBA segment on Aug. 30 featuring a series of on-court activities, including open court access for the local women’s basketball community followed by a Her Time to Play clinic presented by Gatorade.
• A 5-on-5 exhibition game on Aug. 30 featuring two teams comprising local professional players.

NBA Head of Southeast Asia and Asia Marketing Sheila Rasu says, "NBA House Philippines presented by Gatorade will be a celebration of basketball, entertainment and music, featuring an exciting lineup of NBA and WNBA legends, local artists and authentic NBA experiences. We’re grateful to our partners for helping bring the NBA closer to one of the world’s most passionate basketball communities and look forward to delivering an unforgettable weekend that celebrates the vibrant culture that surrounds our game."

PepsiCo Philippines Chief Marketing Officer Nicole Villarojo adds, "Gatorade and the NBA have a longstanding partnership of building basketball globally and we’re proud to present the first NBA House in the Philippines to the Filipino community. Gatorade will fuel the fans, athletes, and festivities that will bring basketball, music, fashion and culture together over the weekend."

As its Presenting Partner for the 2026 edition of NBA House Philippines, Gatorade will provide hydration for participants in the fun run and the on-court basketball activities throughout the weekend. Also supporting the event are Official Partners Energen Champion and vivo, Official Media Partners Cignal, Disney+ and Prime Video, Official Merchandising Partners Mitchell & Ness, New Era, and Wilson, and Supporting Partners AXA Philippines, Budweiser, Salmon, and Topps.

Fans in the Philippines can access the event by visiting NBA.com/NBAHousePhilippines to redeem free tickets to the two-day event.