By Josiah Israel Albelda | The Inbox
NBA star Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers is in town today, July 13, as part of his five-city tour for sports brand Nike. He'll spend just one day in Manila. At 1:30 p.m., he will be at the Charity Outreach for Gawad Kalinga( a mini basketball clinic for underprivileged kids); at the Nike Park, The Fort at 3 p.m.; and then a basketball show with players of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines at the Araneta Coliseum at 5 p.m.
This is Bryant's third time to visit the country. He made similar stops in Manila in 2007 and 2009.
In the press conference at the Manila Peninsula today, Bryant urged the Filipino youth to take advantage of opportunities to improve and succeed in their lives. “There is no secret formula. I just did it more,” he said. “The more you do it, the better you get.”
He also talked about the plight of the homeless. He felt that it's his responsibility “to help and bring the issue to the forefront.” “It’s a huge issue that is always swept under the rug,” he said. “But it’s fixable, it’s solvable.”
