Arena Plus joins PBA All-Star fray with successful viewing party

MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) had a blast last weekend with an unforgettable outing in the All-Star Weekend in Bacolod – the City of Smiles – and so did the fans all the way here in Manila.

As the PBA returns to fold this Sunday for an explosive double-header after almost a two-week lull, it brings with it the enthusiasm and momentum from the fun-filled weekend that featured a historic event for the fans of Asia’s first professional league – amid being hundreds of miles away from the exhibition games in Negros Occidental.

Arena Plus, the league’s official sports entertainment gateway through its interactive gaming platforms, held the first-ever PBA All-Star Watch Party at the Social House Bar and Restaurant in Circuit Makati, gathering personalities from all walks of life in one, big happy extravaganza.

Fun arcades, including basketball shootouts, and board games were played by attendees as the up-and-coming PBA players strut their stuff in the Rookies, Sophomores, Juniors All-Star Game also known as Team Greats vs Team Stalwarts.

Trivia games, including the player with Most All-Star MVPs, Points and Rebounds among the few, were also held with winners being rewarded prizes and tokens by Arena Plus as music by celebrity DJs blared in the venue.

In a way, fans felt like they were at the St. University of La Salle Gym in Bacolod, where Team Greats bested Team Stalwarts behind the 36-point eruption of All-Star MVP Justin Arana from the Converge FiberXers.

One interesting game during the RSJ All-Stars was the drinking contest as everyone in the venue would have a toast for every slam dunk and four-point basket.

That was accompanied by cheers and oohs-and-aahs by everyone as food and drinks were served way before the tip-off with the interesting All-Star side events.

As fans, athletes and celebrities dapped it up like they were basketball teammates in the pre-events, Northport’s JM Calma ruled the Obstacle Challenge.

Meralco’s Raymond Almazan reigned in the historic Three-Point Shootout for Big Men, a replacement sidelight for the centerpiece Slam Dunk Contest due to the injuries of participants, while Talk ‘N Text’s Calvin Oftana