Thursday, August 12, 2004 PBA stars play hoops on chairs By Glenn C. Michelena Sun.Star Correspondent
HOOPS on wheels, anyone?
Mike Cortez, Rob Wainwright, Brandon Cablay, Mick Pennisi and Marc Pingris were among the PBA stars who strapped themselves on wheelchairs and shot hoops against a team of paraplegic hoopsters in the 2004 PBA All-Star Wheelchair Classic at the Mandaue Sports Complex yesterday.
The Talk ‘N’ Text-sponsored event, a cause-oriented promotional sidelight to the 2004 “Island of Cebu” PBA All-Star Game, saw The PBA stars and the Cebu-Manila All-Stars settle for a 12-all draw. The 10-minute game, proved to be a big hit for the Cebuano fans, who had to be restrained from entering the court and swarming their PBA idols.
Right after the game, a five-minute game between the All-Star squads of Cebu and Manila ensued with the visitors winning 7-6. Over 250 physically handicapped athletes from Manila and the Cebu-based Handicapped’s Anchor Is Christ Inc. (Haci) graced the event.
The PBA stars, meanwhile, only had great admiration for the wheelchair-bound hoopsters.
“Oh, man, they’re great athletes. Better than us,” said Alaska’s guard/lightning rod Brandon Cablay of their paraplegic adversaries. “I didn’t know it would be this hard to play in a wheelchair. My arms are sore, and I only played a couple of minutes.”
“It was a lot of fun,” said Coca-Cola forward Rob Wainwright. “I mean, it’s not everyday that you go around shooting baskets on a wheelchair, I had a blast in there, and I guess all of us did.”
“It was great. It was a brand new experience, and we all had a lot of fun – every one of us.”
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