My First Star Sighting

Steve Nash and I don’t have much in common. The height disparity between my Filipino self and the Canadian is huge, for one. In checkered Vans, the stylish baller stands at 6-3 while I barely graze the 5-foot mark. Secondly, he’s a 4-time all-star and one of the greatest point guards to ever two-step down the court, and I can’t even win a game of HORSE. Still, there is one thing we both share and that’s our love for cold beers on a summer afternoon. Nash and his posse, which included footballer (“soccer” in American) Robbie Fowler, striker for Cardiff City, and Steve McManaman, ex-winger for Liverpool, were toasting tour bus passengers riding by at Phebe’s, an East Village pub. (Little old me sat directly behind them, trying not to hyperventilate).
Nash, who summers in New York with his wife and twin daughters, is entertaining fellow athletes participating in “Showdown in Chinatown,” an 8-on-8 football match benefiting Nash’s and Claudia Reyna’s respective charities. Reyna plays midfield for the Red Bulls. NBA stars Raja Bell, Leandro Barbosa, Jason Kidd, and Baron Davis are expected to try their hand (oops—I mean foot) at dribbling a checkered ball for once. Maybe France’s Thierry Henry can show them a thing or two.
Kickoff is at 5:30 pm, tomorrow, at Sara D. Roosevelt Park. Admission is free. An auction will be held during the after party at Replay in SoHo.

NOTE: This was written yesterday. Stay tuned for current news on Nashty and crew. Pics to follow.