Steph Curry's barber apologizes for slighting Philippine flag

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Filipino American barbers trimmed hair during the Golden State Warriors' Filipino Heritage Night.

Golden State Warrior star Steph Curry's personal barber issued an apology this week for unintentionally misusing the Philippine flag.

The incident occurred during Filipino Heritage Night earlier this month at the Oakland-based NBA World Champ's Oracle Arena.

Mallari had gathered together a group of Filipino barbers in the San Francisco Bay Area -- members of the National Filipino Barbers Association -- to give free haircuts to basketball fans. Pictures and videos of the unique event were transmitted on social media. Mallari was taken aback by the online blowback.

He had used replicas of the Philippine flag as a cape to protect his customers from the hair being trimmed. Filipinos were not amused.

Mallari took to Facebook to issue an apology and statement citing that his intentions were to showcase Filipino pride at the Warriors’ heritage night. He admits he did not know that according to the Philippine constitution, the flag cannot be used as drapery, nor as a costume or uniform.

INSTAGRAM

J.R. Mallari with his most famous client.

“I just kept reading and reading and by the time you know it, I understood that it is in the law that you cannot use the flag that way. And it so dear to my heart I know that I don’t ever want to disrespect the Filipino culture,” he told Balintang America.

Mallari told the The Filipino Channel Balitant America, an American affiliate of the Philippines' ABS-CBN network, that he collected all the capes and has stored it.

“I will not use at any other event in respect to what that means to our culture. So where those capes are going to be? It’s going to be in a memory in a lot of us, especially those attending that event.”

Through the years, Mallari has built a special relationship with Warriors guard Curry. He often goes to Curry's home to give the star player a hair trim. (See below)

Despite the unexpected reaction, Mallari says he is pleased for the opportunity to showcase Filipino American talent and presence.

“After the event, I was really, really excited. I was enthused. I was just motivated. So I was on a real good high in terms of my emotions. And it just caught me by surprise. I’m not, in any way, angry at all,” said the Bay Area-based barber.

“Even during these conversations online my goal is to continue to connect, to continue to build relationships, to be more aware of my culture. And as far as the National Filipino Barber Association and everyone who has participated they’re more aware of what’s going on.”

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NBA highlights Chinese New Year in its marketing strategy

The Boston Celtics Kyrie Irving is featured in this year's commercial for Chinese New Year.

ASAM NEWS

OVER THE LAST few years, the NBA has made it a tradition to introduce a commercial featuring various NBA players marking the Chinese New Year.
Clearly the league has the Chinese market in its sights. But all skepticism aside, the commercials are well done and a pleasure to watch.

This year’s spots are entitled Fireworks and feature superstars Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, and Kawhi Leonard. Here’s one with Irving in the spotlight.

One of the Warriors jerseys feature a 'Year of the Dog' theme.

Jeremy Lin has starred in previous years, but with the Brooklyn Net point guard out for the season, he sat out this year’s promotion. However, he is participating in a Weibo chat. He will be at a traditional Chinese New Year dinner and taking questions from fans on February 6. He will also be seen on NBA’s China television and digital platform in a film short, Jeremy Lin: Roots.

RELATED: 

• The Golden State Warriors Asia connection
• Filipinos make up a third of Warriors' Facebook friends

According to Fansided, 12 NBA teams will be hosting Chinese New Year celebrations this year. Those teams are the 76ers, Bulls, Cavaliers, Clippers, Kings, Knicks, Raptors, Rockets, Timberwolves, Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors.

The Golden State Warriors have been particularly aggressive in wooing the Asian market. The team played several pre-season games in China this fall. For the past several years, the Warriors sent some of its stars, including Steph Curry and Klay Thompson to Asia.

China remains the NBA’s biggest market, according to the league, which maintains offices across Asia, including China, the Philippines, and India. The NBA’s partnership with China Central Television, the country’s national TV station, dates back more than three decades, the league said.

Last season, more than half of the China's roughly 1.4 billion people watched NBA programming on television in China, according to the league. It’s also the most followed sports league on Chinese social media, with more than 141 million followers.

“The NBA Chinese New Year Celebration has become a wonderful occasion for the league to celebrate and connect with Chinese fans around the world,” NBA China CEO David Shoemaker said in a statement.

(Views From the Edge contributed to this report.)

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NBA player uses racist slur to greet Chinese basketball fans

JJ Ridick is in hot water over the "alleged" use of a racial slur against Chinese.

A VIDEO of NBA players wishing fans in China a Happy New Year has gone viral for all the wrong reasons. The "Year of the Dog" greeting has instead, gone to the dogs.

Instead of promoting good will on the eve of the NBA's All-Star game, the video has turned into a PR disaster because of JJ Redick's use of a racial slur referring to the Chinese. Put this story into your "What? Really?" file of ignorant incidents of racism.

The 76ers shooting guard was originally included in a video produced by Chinese media company Tencent in which NBA players and coaches wish China a happy new year. Two versions of the compilation appear to exist, one in which Redick has been edited out, the other going viral on YouTube as the former Duke star appears to say, “I just wanted to wish all the NBA c—k fans in China a very happy Chinese new year.”

Redick responded to the outrage on Twitter, saying he is “disappointed” anyone would think he could use that word yet not outright denying he used that word.

“Just saw a video that is being circulated of me wishing a happy new year to NBA fans in China.Clearly I was tongue tied, as the word I purportedly said is not in my vocabulary,” he wrote Sunday. “I’m disappointed that anyone would think I would use that word. I love & respect our friends in China.”

J.J. Redick is neither apologizing for nor quite explaining a video that appears to feature his using a slur against Chinese people.

That's not quite a denial.

The video showcasing Redick’s slur remains the only version showing the incident. The video was not produced by the NBA or the 76ers, but rather licensed to Chinese media company Tencent. It produced the video with the NBA’s rights as part of a wider broadcast agreement in China.

Since the controversy began, Tencent removed the video featuring Redick — instead uploading an almost identical version without the Sixers player.

Watch and listen to the video before Redick was edited out. Do you hear what I hear?

The NBA has launched a pretty aggressive PR campaign to gain Chinese fans because the country is so basketball crazy even before Chinese center Yao Ming joined the Houston Rockets in the 1990s. The now-retired Ming is still looked upon as a folk hero, with his image on billboards and TV commercials all over the country.

RELATED:

• The Golden State Warriors' Asian connection
• Yao Ming inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame 

Some teams, such as the Golden State Warriors, have been going after Asian fans for years, sending over popular players every summer. The Warriors and Rockets are among the top NBA favorite teams followed by Chinese fans.

It is a sure bet that Ridick won't be invited to China anytime soon. Social media was quick to respond to the video.

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TGIF FEATURE: The 'Hamilton' Challenge goes viral: 'Immigrants (We Get The Job Done)'

THERE'S A LINE in the hit musical Hamilton that never fails to bring the house down: "Immigrants, we get the job done."

Although the lyrics were written before Donald Trump's election, a video has been produced to reflect the current debate over immigration. 

The new video of "Immigrants, we get the job done" was released Wednesday  (June 28) by Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda in time for America's birthday, July 4th, as we reflect on what makes this country great. It portrays refugees and immigrants from around the world in camps, garment sweatshops, fruit-picking fields and crowded trains. It is accompanied by a new song, set to rap lyrics, about their struggles, setbacks and contributions to society.

This election cycle has brought xenophobia and vilification of immigrants back to the forefront of US politics. This is a musical counterweight," Miranda wrote in a commentary on the music community website Genius.com.

Riz Ahmed, the British/Pakistani actor that starred The Night Of, is featured in one of the segments as Riz MC, along with rappers K'naan, Residente andSnow Tha Product, appear in the video to rap their verses as immigrants from various backgrounds work, struggle, and ultimately come together. 

"The music vid + track I always wished existed," Ahmed tweeted. "Beyond proud to be part of it."

The video, which was directed by Tomás Whitmore, is part of a social media campaign -- #Ham4All -- asking participants to sing a song from Hamilton and to make a donation to the Immigrants: We Get the Job Done Coalition,  and -- not unlike the viral Ice Bucket Challenge -- then challenge two friends to do the same, The coalition, made up of legal agencies, immigrants and civil rights groups, provides legal representation and advocacy for “immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers who come to us in search of the American Dream.”   

Entrants have a chance to win tickets to see Hamilton in Los Angeles. Famous contributors so far include Steph and Ayesha Curry, who challenged Olivia Munn and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Others who have taken part include Gina Rodriquez, Ben Stiller, Shonda Rhimes, and the cast and crew of The Beguiled.

Lin-Manuel Miranda joins Ayesha and Steph Curry in the video challenge of Immigrants (We Get The Job Done).

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Will the Golden State Warriors go to the White House?

THE GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS put to rest any doubt that they are the best team in the National Basketball League Tuesday night by defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers, will they go to the White House?

(EDITOR'S NOTE: UPDATED June 14 to include further comments from players.)

When the Warriors won the championship in 2015, they did go to the White House to visit President Obama,
an avid fan of the sport.

The Warriors convincingly beat the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers 4 games to 1, when Golden State beat the Cavs, 129-120.

The real question is, will Donald Trump even want to invite them to the White House?

It is customary for the president to invite championship teams of any sport vor photo ops at the White House. But will Trump, who has not expressed an interest in sports except for golf, issue invitations to a team that has been outspoken in their criticism about him.

The team has not taken an official position on the White House visit. In the past members of the Warriors organization have made statements regarding Trump. Several players, including two-time MVP Stephan Curry, All-star forward Draymond Green, reserve guard Shaun Livingston and reserve center David West stated that they would not attend the event.

In a Sports Illustrated article, Warrior coach Steve Kerr, was not subtle when he was asked about basketball coach Bobby Knight." Kerr answered:

RELATED:

• Are the Warriors Asian America's team?
• The Golden State Warriors Asian Connection

“My personal opinion is Bobby Knight’s way smarter than Donald Trump,” Kerr said. “Bobby Knight was brilliant in a lot of ways. So there was some real foundation in terms of knowing and coaching the game. But he was a bully, so… I think being a bully doesn’t work today, or at least it doesn’t work coaching. The modern coach has to be much more communicative, flexible, aware, conscientious, all those things.

“Frankly, I think it’s why Trump couldn’t be more ill-suited to be president, because he’s a blowhard. You don’t see some of the qualities you talk about, the resilience, the ability to communicate, the compassion. None of that. But in the old days, a lot of great coaches who maybe didn’t have those, there was still a fiber there, whatever it was. To be a great leader, there have to be some qualities in there.

“Has anyone ever thought that Donald Trump was a great leader?”

Team leader Stephan Curry, who has played several rounds of golf with former President Barack Obama, had a tiff with one of his sponsors when Under Armour CEO praised Trump

In a CNBC interview, Plank said: "To have such a pro-business president is something that is a real asset for the country."

Curry disagreed with this, and in a subsequent interview with The Mercury News he said: “I agree with that description – if you remove the ‘et’ (from ‘asset’).”

A day after their victory, Curry was asked what he would do. “Somebody asked me about it a couple months ago, a hypothetical, if a championship were to happen: ‘What would I do?'” Curry said. “I think I answered that I wouldn’t go. I still feel like that today.”

Additionally, Warriors owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber are rumored not to have good relations with the new president. In 2016, after then-candidate Donald Trump made outlandish comments about trading the Golden State Warriors for the Great Wall of China to place along the border of Mexico, the owners and Trump exchanged words about how eminent domain works, with President Trump stating he could show them, using lawyers.

The entire NBA, as a matter of fact, seems to be at odds with the White House resident, including generally acknowledged best player in the league, the Cavaliers' LeBron James.

James campaigned for Hillary Clinton in Ohio and when the Cavaliers played the Knicks in New York, they refused to stay in the Trump SoHo.

Some commentators say that the Warriors could set an example of civility in a time of a deeply divided America by accepting the invitation from a man that they might disagree with.


If Trump doesn't invite the team to the White House, then the Warriors won't have to face that dilemma and Donald Trump will be saved from an awkward situation.

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Are the Golden State Warrors Asian America's team?

Fans gather outside Oracle Arena prior to Game One of the 2017 NBA Championship series.

WATCHING the Golden State Warriors play against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the finals of the 2017 NBA playoffs, you couldn't help but notice the makeup of the crowd in Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif.

"The Asian/American population is very important to us," said Chip Bowers, the Golden State Warriors' chief marketing officer. "We're the Bay Area's NBA team, and we're very bullish on building a stronger relationship."

From its heritage nights for Chinese, Filipinos, Japanese, Pacific Islanders, to its aggressive social media strategy to the yearly visits to Asia during the off-season, the Warriors' marketing plan seems to be working.

Basketball is the most popular sport in Asia and Asian immigrants have carried their basketball fanaticism with them. 

The San Francisco Bay Area is home to over 1.6 million Asian American residents, according to the 2010 Census numbers, The entire state of Ohio has only 204,000 AAPI residents.

The Warriors' newest commercial included these Asian/Americans:

Since this is the third year the Warriors are meeting the Cavaliers in the finals, I don't have a lot to add to this topic, but for new readers, here are some links you might be interested in reading.

RELATED:

• The Warriors' Asian connection
• Warriors star Stef Curry leaves his mark on Asia
•  Curry's barber is a Fiiipino/American 
• Filipinos make up a third of the Warriors' Facebook fans
•  The Warriors secret weapon is a 10-year old Filipina American
•  NBA celebrates Chinese New Year with a special commercial
• Happy Chinese New Year 

Go, Warriors!

EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news and views from an AANHPI perspective, follow @DioknoEd on Twitter.

Girl collapses while playing basketball before dying

Kimberly Nuestro was playing basketballl when she collapsed.

KIMBERLY NUESTRO loved her family, basketball, Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors NBA team.

The Filipina/American teenager collapsed Saturdayd while playing with her AAU baseketball team and later died at the Stanford University Medical Center.

Doctors still don't know what caused the death of the 16-year old student at Homestead High in Cupertino, Calif. An autopsy will take several weeks before it can determine the exact cause of death.

“She was a humble leader,” her father Ramir Nuestro told Prep2Prep. “But she also brought lots of excitement and a winning attitude.”

Kimberly was the junior varsity captain on Homestead’s girls basketball team where students wore Warriors jerseys to show their support for the Nuestro family. They also launched a social media campaign for the Warriors star Stephen Curry to sign Kimberly's No. 30 basketball shoes in her honor.

When he learned of the request, Curry signed teh shoes and told the school newspaper, “It’s obviously an unfortunate situation for her family. Heard her story, how much she loved basketball, how much she loved watching us play.”

“I wish I could have met (Kimberly) before she passed,” Curry told the school newspaper. “But this is a small token for her family, to I guess know that there’s a lot of people thinking about them, [to help them] with what they’re going through and to hopefully honor her life with those shoes.”

Known for her smile, passion for basketball and love for Curry and the Warriors, Kimberly was an amazing daughter, her father told the Mercury News.

“She’s so simple,” he added through tears. “She liked baking. She liked cooking pancakes. She is so simple and quiet. She does her homework, straight A’s in school. Her dream is to have a simple life, have two kids, two boys. The smile that she has and the look that she has touched a lot of people. She helped people do homework."

“She was a popular kid on campus,” athletic director Charlie Bostic said Thursday (May 9) “We have people on campus who are available for the kids,” he added.

A candlelight vigil  for Kimberly will be held on Tuesday night at the high school and her funeral is being planned for Friday.

The family has set up a gofundme.com account to help pay for her funeral expenses. It can be found here.

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Golden State Warriors: Happy Chinese New Year!

ONE of the greatest things that occurs in the NBA on a daily basis is global outreach. There are many examples of how the league caters to fans all across the globe and the Golden State Warriors have been excellent ambassadors to the league through social media, summer visits to Asia and outreach to the local Asian/American communities.

With a tremendous Chinese population in the San Francisco Bay Area and the loyal following they provide the Warriors and the NBA year after year, the league celebrates their holiday. Teams roll out special Chinese New Year uniforms and players get into celebrating with their fans with awesome shoes and gear. Curry and the Warriors wore their custom jerseys for Saturday night, Chinese Heritage Night.

RELATED: 

• The Golden State Warriors' Asian connection
• Asian/American fans of the Warriors show their colors

The NBA issued their video earlier this month observing the Year of the Rooster. This one featured Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Stephen  Curry wishing their fans a Happy Chinese New Year.

Last year, Thompson toured San Francisco's Chinatown where he encountered fans and dragons.

NBA celebrates Year of the Rooster

The NBA's marketing strategy targets China and Chinese/Americans.

ASAM NEWS

THE NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION is continuing its marketing push into China with four new videos featuring their biggest NBA stars wishing the world a happy Chinese New Year.

Brooklyn Net’s Jeremy Lin, Golden State’s Stephen Curry, and Houston’s James Harden return once again to take part in the campaign. This year they’ve added Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans.

The four ads are basically start the same, but we’re told will feature four different endings. They will be released through February 11.

RELATED: 

• Jeremy Lin, Curry, Hardin mark Year of the Monkey
• Golden State Warriors curry their Asian fans
• Filipino fans make up a third of Warriors' Facebook friends

Some have criticized the NBA for not expanding the campaign to Lunar New Year which would of course include the Korean, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Hmong and Thai communities, among others.

During the campaign, 60 NBA games will be made broadcast on televisions.

Four NBA teams will wear special Chinese New Year uniforms at special games during the two week celebration. Those teams will be the Warriors, Rockets, Raptors and Wizards. The Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Sacramento Kings, Nets, Warriors, Wizards, Raptors and Rockets will host special Chinese New Year celebrations during their games.

Not coincidentally, the Rockets will retire Yao Ming’s uniform on February 3 during their game with the Bulls.

Yao Ming's association with the NBA opened up the door in China where the league's popularity is soaring.

"I chalk up our current business success and popularity to being authentic and genuine with our fans," NBA China CEO David Shoemaker told ESPN from Hong Kong. "When we play our games in China, it's very important to our fans that we bring an authentic NBA basketball experience -- the teams, the dance teams, the dunk teams, the video boards and the DJs -- to the point that if you didn't know better, if you were sitting in the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai, you might think you were in the Staples Center in Los Angeles."

Shoemaker leads a staff of more than 100 NBA employees in Beijing and approximately 75 more based in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taipei. 

The Canada native joined NBA China in 2011 and has seen the NBA's popularity on social media in China grow from approximately 10 million fans and followers to 120 million in recent years. 

Today, 30 years after NBA games were first broadcast on China Central Television, fans are also consuming games in the digital space, with an average of 2 million viewers for every game shown on digital platforms in China. More than 400 games will be aired on mobile media there this season. 

The participation of NBA teams in celebrating Chinese New Year is part of that marketing strategy. The Houston Rockets history with Yao Ming, and the Golden State Warriors, with a large Asian/American fan base in the San Francisco Bay Area, are leading the way.

(Views from the Edge contributed to this report.)

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Fades & Fadeaways: Filipino/American behind the clippers of NBA stars

Jay R. Mallari, barber of the NBA's MVP, in his L.A. shop working on a customer.

HERE'S to Filipino barbers:

Growing up in a Filipino/American neighborhood in a California suburb, a neighbor who used to be a barber in the Philippines set up a barber chair in his garage.

That's where all the neighborhood men and boys would go for their haircuts. The smell of aftershave and pomade and talcum power, the leather barber's chair - it was a biweekly visit to a man's environment. wherec conversation would center about the San Francisco Giants, the high school football team or somebody's upcoming birthday party, christening, Bataan Day observances or whatever social occasion that the close-knit Filipino/American community would be preparing for.

The experience was an integral part of my childhood; a rite of passage for all the young boys, to take part and be accepted into the realm of men. The ritual was comforting in a way, providing a brief respite from the environment where we were looked at as strangers and foreigners; a world where the Filipino/American WWII veterans who lived in the neighborhood were "allowed" to buy the modest homes by the white realtors.

I continued going to the garage/barber shop well into my teens but eventually, the old man retired. His barber's chair disappeared from the garage. That chapter in my life ended when my family moved to a newer neighborhood across town - the first Filipino family to move to the "white" part of town. But that's another story.

The memories of haircuts in the cool, dark garage came flooding back to me as I viewed the video below about a Filipino/American barber who started out cutting hair in his garage in Vallejo, California. As a kid, Jay R. Mallari wanted a pair of Nike Jordan shoes and he took cutting his friends' hair to raise the money.

RELATED: The Warriors' Asian connection

He has built his fundraiser into a career. "It's about relationships," Mallari says. "I have 30 minutes to gain a customer's trust."

Nowadays, he is flown from his Los Angeles barbershop to the Bay Area to cut the National Basketball League's most exciting player, Stephan Curry. Among his tips might be tickets to a Golden State Warriors game.

Before Curry's 5-country trip to Asia last off season, he taught the league's MVP how to say "Salamat po!"

"Manila won't know what hit them," responds Curry.

As an added bonus, I included a clip of Mallari cutting Curry's hair at his home during which Curry's wife make them a fruit drink. Mallari orders mango, of course.

Curry's home in a rich Bay Area suburb is a far cry from what I remember as a young boy, but I wonder if he will remember his haircuts in the same vein as I value the hazy, dreamy memories of the past.