milkyway21
07-20-2006, 09:22 PM
...in the Phils yesterday and visited some TV stations such as Unang Hirit this morning.
They're so nice and maybe the best NBA dancers who visited the country for the NBA Madness in the last couple of yrs...IMO
I got tickets for tomorrow's exhibition game at Araneta and I'm so excited to see the Silver Stars Dancers....
BTW, I check this one article about one interview w/ Frye...(he mentions Duncan)
NBA visitors to soak in Pinoy culture
By Joaquin Henson
The Philippine Star 07/21/2006
In their first trip to Asia, visiting National Basketball Association (NBA) players Andre Igoudala of the Philadelphia 76ers and Channing Frye of the New York Knicks said the other day they’re excited to learn about Filipino culture and interact with local fans.
Iguodala, 22, and Frye, 23, flew in last Tuesday from Taipei where they stayed a week to promote the NBA. They’re the star attractions of the last leg of the month-long NBA Madness Mall Tours which culminate in a Celebrity Jam program tomorrow night at the Araneta Coliseum.
Barely three hours after landing at the airport, the NBA cagers told The Star they plan to be tourists here in separate interviews.
Frye candidly admitted he can’t wait to meet Filipina girls.
"Before I came over, all I heard about the Philippines from friends was the beautiful Filipina girls," beamed Frye. "From the moment we arrived, we saw what Filipino hospitality is like — it’s great. During my stay, I’d like to live like a Filipino, see the sights and know about the local culture."
For his part, Iguodala said coming over gives him a chance to thank the Filipino fans who support the NBA.
The 6-11 Frye averaged 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in 65 games as a Knicks rookie last season. For a big man, he shot a creditable .825 from the line.
Hitting free throws is all about repetition, he explained.
"When you’re on the line, you think about the 20 to 30 free throws you made in the gym," said Frye. "You think about taking a whiff of fresh air. It’s a mental thing. Of course, practice makes perfect. I used to spend hours working on my form until my arm hurt. You’ve got to believe you can make the shot. I think Shaq (O’Neal) just needs to focus and believe he can hit his free throws."
Frye said he’s comfortable playing either power forward or center. "I’m what you call a tweener," he noted. "If I play together with Eddie (Curry), we can be like David Robinson and Tim Duncan(:lol). I don’t really care what position I play. I’m just out to play my best."
Frye said he got his baptism of fire matching up against the likes of Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, O’Neal, Elton Brand and Dwight Howard but the player whom he found toughest to defend was Detroit’s Rasheed Wallace.
Frye said his closest New York teammate is David Lee and singled out former Knick Antonio Davis as the veteran who took him under his wing. Frye played four years at the University of Arizona before turning pro and is just a semester short of earning a degree. He said he’ll finish up his studies next summer.
It was a difficult season for the Knicks who wound up second to last in league standings with a lowly 23-59 record. Coach Larry Brown was fired as a result and Isiah Thomas took over the reins last month.
Frye said he’ll be a better player after experiencing a harsh rookie season.
"Our focus is fine," he said. "It was a character-building start. We’ve got a good nucleus and our draft picks will help. Isiah coached us in the summer league, where I hurt my ankle, and he’s doing a good job of getting us all back together."
Frye anticipated no problem with Stephon Marbury and Steve Francis on the same squad.
"We’ve got good chemistry and things are working out," he said. "We’re communicating."
Frye said he owes his upbringing to his parents who are both accomplished. His father Thomas is co-founder and co-president of Education Solutions and Services which offers office support to public and private charter schools. His mother Karen is an Emmy-winning former reporter and producer for a TV station and CEO of Southwest Dimensions. His grandfather John Mulzac served in the segregated Tuskegee corps of the US Air Force during World War II. The corps never lost a pilot. His brother Logan, 16, plans to become a lawyer.
"My parents taught me to have an open mind about the future," he said. "If things don’t work out in basketball, I’ll do something else and move on. Education is something you can always fall back on."
Iguodala played two years with Frye at Arizona before moving to the NBA.
With the Sixers, the 6-6 Iguodala is matched up against the likes of Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Vince Carter and Cuttino Mobley. None of his rivals has ever given him nightmares.
"I’m confident in my skills," said Iguodala who was runner-up to Nate Robinson in the league’s Slam Dunk contest last season. "Guys like Kobe, Wade and Carter are so good, you can’t really shut them down but I’ve held my own."
Iguodala was once a star high jumper and placed second in the state high school track championships. Then he concentrated on basketball, enrolling at Arizona. He left school after only two years but hopes to reenroll to earn a degree, perhaps in religious studies or sociology.
This past season, the Sixers — like the Knicks — failed to advance to the playoffs and posted a 38-44 record under coach Maurice Cheeks. Iguodala averaged 12.3 points. Philadelphia’s previous coach was Jim O’Brien.
"I like both coaches," said Iguodala. "I learned defensive principles from Jim and Mo let me loose offensively. Mo is a players’ coach and quite laid back."
Iguodala said he enjoys playing with Allen Iverson. "He’s out there playing 110 percent every game," he said. "Iverson plays with pure heart. As for Chris Webber, his experience is a big plus. He’s not the same Webber as before but he’ll still give you big numbers like a 20-point, 11-rebound game. The player to watch on our team is Sam (Dalembert). When he entered the pros, Iguodala said former Sixers guard Aaron McKie helped to break him in. To this day, he keeps in close touch with McKie.
Iguodala has played and started 82 games the last two seasons and is the first Sixer to accomplish the feat since Clarence Weatherspoon in 1992-94.
Conditioning is what sets Iguodala apart from the rest. "I’ve been blessed without suffering any injuries," he said. "The key to staying healthy is not to overdo your workouts. When I’m not playing, I go to the gym for two hours in the morning and two hours at night. I don’t focus on any one aspect of my body. I work the whole body."
Asked if he’d play for the US in the Olympics or the World Championships in the event of an invitation, Iguodala said he won’t hesitate to sign up. "I’ll definitely play," he said. "It would be a great honor. I could help show the world the high level of basketball we play."
Iguodala is actively involved in social work. Last April, he donated $500 per point, rebound and assist he chalked up in a game against New York and turned over $19,000 to aid tornado relief victims in his Springfield, Illinois, hometown. He has also raised $42,000 for schools in Springfield and hosted a drive to collect over 2,000 new children’s books for a Philadelphia community. At the Rookie Challenge during the All-Star Weekend in Houston last February, Iguodala was named MVP for compiling 30 points, six rebounds and three assists. He’s the first rookie in Sixer history since Jim Tucker in 1954-55 to post a triple double in 2004-05.
They're so nice and maybe the best NBA dancers who visited the country for the NBA Madness in the last couple of yrs...IMO
I got tickets for tomorrow's exhibition game at Araneta and I'm so excited to see the Silver Stars Dancers....
BTW, I check this one article about one interview w/ Frye...(he mentions Duncan)
NBA visitors to soak in Pinoy culture
By Joaquin Henson
The Philippine Star 07/21/2006
In their first trip to Asia, visiting National Basketball Association (NBA) players Andre Igoudala of the Philadelphia 76ers and Channing Frye of the New York Knicks said the other day they’re excited to learn about Filipino culture and interact with local fans.
Iguodala, 22, and Frye, 23, flew in last Tuesday from Taipei where they stayed a week to promote the NBA. They’re the star attractions of the last leg of the month-long NBA Madness Mall Tours which culminate in a Celebrity Jam program tomorrow night at the Araneta Coliseum.
Barely three hours after landing at the airport, the NBA cagers told The Star they plan to be tourists here in separate interviews.
Frye candidly admitted he can’t wait to meet Filipina girls.
"Before I came over, all I heard about the Philippines from friends was the beautiful Filipina girls," beamed Frye. "From the moment we arrived, we saw what Filipino hospitality is like — it’s great. During my stay, I’d like to live like a Filipino, see the sights and know about the local culture."
For his part, Iguodala said coming over gives him a chance to thank the Filipino fans who support the NBA.
The 6-11 Frye averaged 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in 65 games as a Knicks rookie last season. For a big man, he shot a creditable .825 from the line.
Hitting free throws is all about repetition, he explained.
"When you’re on the line, you think about the 20 to 30 free throws you made in the gym," said Frye. "You think about taking a whiff of fresh air. It’s a mental thing. Of course, practice makes perfect. I used to spend hours working on my form until my arm hurt. You’ve got to believe you can make the shot. I think Shaq (O’Neal) just needs to focus and believe he can hit his free throws."
Frye said he’s comfortable playing either power forward or center. "I’m what you call a tweener," he noted. "If I play together with Eddie (Curry), we can be like David Robinson and Tim Duncan(:lol). I don’t really care what position I play. I’m just out to play my best."
Frye said he got his baptism of fire matching up against the likes of Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, O’Neal, Elton Brand and Dwight Howard but the player whom he found toughest to defend was Detroit’s Rasheed Wallace.
Frye said his closest New York teammate is David Lee and singled out former Knick Antonio Davis as the veteran who took him under his wing. Frye played four years at the University of Arizona before turning pro and is just a semester short of earning a degree. He said he’ll finish up his studies next summer.
It was a difficult season for the Knicks who wound up second to last in league standings with a lowly 23-59 record. Coach Larry Brown was fired as a result and Isiah Thomas took over the reins last month.
Frye said he’ll be a better player after experiencing a harsh rookie season.
"Our focus is fine," he said. "It was a character-building start. We’ve got a good nucleus and our draft picks will help. Isiah coached us in the summer league, where I hurt my ankle, and he’s doing a good job of getting us all back together."
Frye anticipated no problem with Stephon Marbury and Steve Francis on the same squad.
"We’ve got good chemistry and things are working out," he said. "We’re communicating."
Frye said he owes his upbringing to his parents who are both accomplished. His father Thomas is co-founder and co-president of Education Solutions and Services which offers office support to public and private charter schools. His mother Karen is an Emmy-winning former reporter and producer for a TV station and CEO of Southwest Dimensions. His grandfather John Mulzac served in the segregated Tuskegee corps of the US Air Force during World War II. The corps never lost a pilot. His brother Logan, 16, plans to become a lawyer.
"My parents taught me to have an open mind about the future," he said. "If things don’t work out in basketball, I’ll do something else and move on. Education is something you can always fall back on."
Iguodala played two years with Frye at Arizona before moving to the NBA.
With the Sixers, the 6-6 Iguodala is matched up against the likes of Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Vince Carter and Cuttino Mobley. None of his rivals has ever given him nightmares.
"I’m confident in my skills," said Iguodala who was runner-up to Nate Robinson in the league’s Slam Dunk contest last season. "Guys like Kobe, Wade and Carter are so good, you can’t really shut them down but I’ve held my own."
Iguodala was once a star high jumper and placed second in the state high school track championships. Then he concentrated on basketball, enrolling at Arizona. He left school after only two years but hopes to reenroll to earn a degree, perhaps in religious studies or sociology.
This past season, the Sixers — like the Knicks — failed to advance to the playoffs and posted a 38-44 record under coach Maurice Cheeks. Iguodala averaged 12.3 points. Philadelphia’s previous coach was Jim O’Brien.
"I like both coaches," said Iguodala. "I learned defensive principles from Jim and Mo let me loose offensively. Mo is a players’ coach and quite laid back."
Iguodala said he enjoys playing with Allen Iverson. "He’s out there playing 110 percent every game," he said. "Iverson plays with pure heart. As for Chris Webber, his experience is a big plus. He’s not the same Webber as before but he’ll still give you big numbers like a 20-point, 11-rebound game. The player to watch on our team is Sam (Dalembert). When he entered the pros, Iguodala said former Sixers guard Aaron McKie helped to break him in. To this day, he keeps in close touch with McKie.
Iguodala has played and started 82 games the last two seasons and is the first Sixer to accomplish the feat since Clarence Weatherspoon in 1992-94.
Conditioning is what sets Iguodala apart from the rest. "I’ve been blessed without suffering any injuries," he said. "The key to staying healthy is not to overdo your workouts. When I’m not playing, I go to the gym for two hours in the morning and two hours at night. I don’t focus on any one aspect of my body. I work the whole body."
Asked if he’d play for the US in the Olympics or the World Championships in the event of an invitation, Iguodala said he won’t hesitate to sign up. "I’ll definitely play," he said. "It would be a great honor. I could help show the world the high level of basketball we play."
Iguodala is actively involved in social work. Last April, he donated $500 per point, rebound and assist he chalked up in a game against New York and turned over $19,000 to aid tornado relief victims in his Springfield, Illinois, hometown. He has also raised $42,000 for schools in Springfield and hosted a drive to collect over 2,000 new children’s books for a Philadelphia community. At the Rookie Challenge during the All-Star Weekend in Houston last February, Iguodala was named MVP for compiling 30 points, six rebounds and three assists. He’s the first rookie in Sixer history since Jim Tucker in 1954-55 to post a triple double in 2004-05.