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A
LANDMARK face-to-face meeting between National
Basketball Association (NBA) commissioner David Stern
and Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) commissioner
Sonny Barrios two weeks ago resulted in an
across-the-globe agreement to pursue common projects
that will initially cover areas in education and
outreach projects, technical (officiating) management
and marketing.
The
private meeting between the two pro basketball leaders
took place in Stern’s 15th-floor office at the Olympic
Tower on 645 Fifth Avenue, New York, and was arranged by
NBA basketball operations official Brook Meeks and
Martin Conlon.
Barrios
was in Sacramento, California, last month to attend to
his family-care home business and was in New York for
his daughter’s wedding when he sought an audience with
his NBA counterpart before flying home.
“Commissioner Stern wanted a quick picture of how the
PBA was doing, how business was, how many teams were
playing, and if the quality of play has improved,” said
Barrios.
“He
responded positively to our request and he expressed his
support for future transfer of technology and know-how
projects.”
Possible
areas of “collaboration” were explored and the two men
agreed, among others, to undertake an “outreach project”
in connection with the NBA’s “Read to Achieve” program.
Barrios
proposed that NBA send children’s books to the PBA and
players will be asked to read to children “perhaps in
the lobby of playing venues before the games or in the
PBA office.”
A
technical group from PBA will also be sent to the US to
observe and learn NBA management philosophies covering
training, performance and evaluation of referees.
And a
plan for possible “cobranding activities and projects”
with NBA Marketing was similarly discussed.
Barrios
also met with Kelly Flatow, the NBA’s vice president for
strategic marketing, and Michael Proman of Global
Business Development, a marketing partner of the NBA.
“Both
were pleasantly surprised to hear that Coca-Cola has a
team in the PBA since Coke is a major marketing partner
of the NBA,” Barrios said, adding Flatow promised to get
in touch with Carlo Singson of NBA Hong Kong to discuss
projects to be undertaken with the PBA.
Before
winding up his NBA office visit, Barrios sat down with
Paul Brazeau, vice president for basketball operations,
who shared the NBA’s views on various aspects of
officiating and welcomed a visit by PBA Technical
Officials to the NBA to observe and learn how the NBA
operates on technical matters.
“It was
overall an enriching experience,” Barrios said. |
