Kobe Bryant will go to Manila!

Kobe Bryant will be coming to Manila to launch a new shoe line for Nike. A news article from GMA News reports:

National Basketball Association (NBA) superstar Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers is set to visit Manila on Sept. 5 where he will launch a new brand of shoes and conduct a basketball clinic to young Filipino basketeers.

In a statement, Melissa Crucillo, Nike Philippines country marketing manager, said the Manila visit is part of Kobe Bryant’s Supernatural Asia Tour 2007 where he will unveil the new version of Kobe II, part of the Fall 2007 basketball footwear product line. The shoes will hit the Asian markets on Sept 6.

The one day visit includes a basketball clinic headed by the Los Angeles Lakers star.

Tags: Lakers

Big Deal: Kevin Garnett to the Celtics

This sucks. Big time.

The Celtics nab former MVP Kevin Garnett in a 7 to 1 deal. Thanks to Kevin McHale, he wiped out two franchises in the process-- the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Lakers.

It's pretty obvious why the Wolves get shafted a bit. Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Theo Ratliff and Sebastian Telfair - and two future first-round draft picks are all good but only two of them are really starter material. Scrubs for an elite player is not a good deal (Just ask Mitch Kupchak on the Shaq deal). With KG, the Boston Celtics may be looking at playoff success it has not seen in the last 20 years.

Garnett to the Celtics means Garnett is not with the Lakers. That's really too bad. The Lakers could have had one of the best 1-2 punches in the league, while the trio of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett will just age in Boston. Some pundits say that a Laker KG is the player that can shut Kobe Bryant up with his trade demands.

Well, the Lakers can always feel happy with Coby Karl.

Tags: Celtics