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- Laker Girls to Entertain Fans at NBA 3X Philippines Presented by AXA -

- NBA 3X Registration Begins Today at www.nba3x.com/philippines -

MANILA, PHILIPPINES, July 8, 2017 – The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced today that Steven Adams of the Oklahoma City Thunder, former NBA coach Reggie Theus, and the Laker Girls will attend NBA 3X Philippines presented by AXA from July 22-23 at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall.  Registration for NBA 3X Philippines 2017 begins today on a first-come first-serve basis at www.nba3x.com/philippines and runs until July 14 or until all slots are full.

NBA 3X Philippines 2017 will feature a 3-on-3 tournament featuring men’s and women’s teams of all skill levels as well as NBA entertainment throughout the weekend.  The 2017 edition of NBA 3X Philippines will begin with a preliminary tournament July 15-16 at Don Bosco Technical Institute Makati that will determine the participants in the finals at the SM Mall of Asia. Additionally, the league will conduct an NBA Cares clinic for 10-14-year-old boys and girls at the indoor court of the Polytechnic University of the Philippines College of Engineering on July 19. 

“I’m looking forward to meeting the Filipino fans and experiencing the country’s vibrant culture,” said Adams.  “I’m also excited to work with the talented athletes from across the Philippines at NBA 3X.”

“This will be my first trip to the Philippines, and I can’t wait to see the passion Filipinos have for the game of basketball,” said Theus.  “With the inclusion of 3-on-3 basketball in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, NBA 3X is a testament to the growth and popularity of the game internationally.”

“We are excited to partner with NBA 3X Philippines and see this as a platform to elevate 3-on-3 basketball in the country,” said Raul Hora, President and CEO of AXA Philippines.  “In the same way that we assist clients in making sound financial decisions, we look forward to seeing boys and girls of all ages showcase their skills, exhibit teamwork, and execute their gameplan to win on and off the court.  With Steven, Reggie, and the Laker Girls in attendance, this event is a great opportunity to provide the NBA experience to fans.”

The competitive 3-on-3 tournament includes divisions for boys (under-13, under-16, under-18, and open category), girls (under-16 and open category), an invitation only Celebrity Division featuring local personalities, as well as a new division exclusive to AXA employees and distributors.

Adams, a 7’0” center from New Zealand, was drafted 12^th overall by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2013 NBA Draft.  He was selected to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2014.  During the 2016-17 season, Adams averaged 11.3 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 1 block per game.

Theus was drafted 9^th overall by the Chicago Bulls in the 1978 NBA Draft and selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 1979.  A two-time NBA All-Star, Theus played 13 seasons in the NBA before playing internationally.  He was named head coach of Sacramento Kings during the 2007-08 season before becoming an assistant coach for the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2009-2011.  He is currently the head coach of Cal State Northridge in the NCAA.

NBA 3X Philippines 2017 is presented by AXA Philippines together with official partners CloudFone, Globe At Home and Globe Prepaid, Panasonic, as well as supporting partners SM Mall of Asia and Spalding.  Official NBA broadcasters for the event are ABS-CBN Sports and Action, Basketball TV, and NBA Premium TV.

All participants in NBA 3X Philippines 2017 will receive an NBA 3X jersey with special prizes for the winners of each division.  Registration fees for the age divisions run at Php 1,000 per team, while open divisions run at Php 1,600 pesos per team.

For more information on NBA 3X Philippines 2017 and the registration process, log on to www.nba3x.com/philippines and followwww.facebook.com/nba3xasia. 

For more details on AXA Philippines and their product offerings, visitwww.axa.com.ph and www.facebook.com/AXA.Philippines. 

For all things NBA, visit www.nba.com and follow the league on Facebook at www.facebook.com/philsnba and Twitter atwww.twitter.com/nba_philippines.

About the NBA

The NBA is a global sports and media business built around three professional sports leagues: the National Basketball Association, the Women’s National Basketball Association and the NBA G League.  The league has established a major international presence with games and programming in 215 countries and territories in 49 languages, and NBA merchandise for sale in more than 125,000 stores in 100 countries on 6 continents.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2016-17 season featured a record 113 international players from 41 countries and territories.  NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, NBA App and NBA LEAGUE PASS.  The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with more than 1.3 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms.  Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.

About AXA Philippines

AXA Philippines is one of the leading and fastest-growing life insurance companies in the Philippines. It was borne out of the formidable synergy between Metrobank, one of the foremost financial institutions in the Philippines, and AXA, a global leader in insurance and asset management serving 107 million customers in 64 countries. At present, AXA Philippines has more than 800,000 lives insured and covered by individual policies and group life insurance. AXA Philippines has more than 3,000 financial advisers in 37 branches and 693 financial executives in 938 Metrobank and PSBank branches nationwide. In 2016, AXA Philippines entered the non-life insurance business with the acquisition of Charter Ping An, the 5th largest general insurer in the country.