If you served as tour guide, what would you have them do? Where would you take them?
So Team USA is playing in the Philippines in the World Cup in 2023.
NBA stars like Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Devin Booker, Trae Young, Khris Middleton, and Zach Lavine could potentially make up the team that will reclaim lost glory after skidding to a disappointing 7th place in the 2019 edition in China.
Its fierce rival, Spain, is the defending champion.
With stars that big converging in Manila next year, ticket prices could potentially skyrocket. So ready your wallets, spend less on K-Pop merch, or hide from your 'inaanaks' this Christmas!
In between games, these players would look for something meaningful to do. We list down some of the things they could do to gain the full Filipino experience.
Streetball
We can take Lavine to Tenement, a usual destination by visiting NBA players, and flex his sick dunks in front of an appreciative crowd.
Perhaps Booker could also drop by in Tondo with hometown hero Paul Lee. A player with his swagger could easily dazzle the basketball-loving fans in that part of Manila.
To understand what Rafe Bartholomew’s “Pacific Rims” is all about, maybe we could bring Trae Young to a nondescript carwash in Manila to test his shooting prowess.
Trae vs carwash boys? I’m putting my money on the latter, though.
Street food
To understand a country’s culture, one must try its food. Fortunately for these players, there’s a bevy of street food they can choose from like balut. Let’s see if Draymond Green is tough enough to brave this one.
If balut is so overrated, maybe guys like Tatum, Middleton, and Bam Adebayo could head over to UP and try Mang Larry’s isaw.
They can also try taho, kwek kwek, and chicken adobo. The list goes on.
But if the aforementioned are too extreme for their palettes, they can always go to Jollibee and see for themselves what the hype is all about. They can never go wrong with Chicken Joy.
Beaches
Give this team a ticket to our pristine beaches in Boracay or El Nido in Palawan. I’m sure they all love the night life, save for Kawhi Leonard. Just leave him be.
Those two destinations would definitely not disappoint Durant, Joel Embiid (if he decides to play for the star-spangled banner), Jarret Allen and the rest of the guys.
Attending an underground party at Area 51 Secret Party Facility sounds perfect.
Let’s hope they get so drunk that there will be more chances of winning for Gilas Pilipinas.