I would say the Philippines has been ahead of other Asian countries as far as NBA interest is concerned, guys. In fact, when the NBA wasn't yet that big the world over in the '70s, Filipinos were already as familiar with the NBA and its players as any dyed-in-the-wool hoops junkie was. Of course, the degree of interest is even greater nowadays in the age of the Internet.
One thing that helped Filipinos become familiar with NBA hoops is the fact that some of the biggest American military bases in the world (the Subic Naval Base and Clark Air Base) used to be stationed here in the Philippines. With the concomittant media materials for American military personnel that carried NBA information having been accessible to them, Filipinos became a ready market for such stuff, thus developing in them an interest, and eventually passion, for the world's ultimate basketball league.
Personally, I have been a fan since the '60s, when the Boston Celtics were the scourge of the league and Bill Russell reigned. That's why I find it a boon to be a member of Celtics Philippines, a group of Filipino fans of the Celtics that I accidentally came upon while blogging in the Celtics site in The Boston Globe. The e-group, which meets from time to time but regularly exchanges notes through the e-mail, now numbers about 150, with members as far away as Canada and the US (those who have moved on).
We've also made friends with some American colleagues, foremost of whom is an erudite Boston Globe blogger by the name of Slippery Sam, who can beat any Celtics expert with his vast knowledge of the franchise (he used to ride Celtics planes with Sam Jones and Russ), perceptiveness and remarkable writing ability. I would suggest you look for Slippery Sam and make him one of CelticsBlogs' regular writers. The guy is a dandy, although I don't know if he would have the time to do it as he also does some legit business on the side I think.
But, yes, the Philippines has always been ahead of the learning curve as far as the NBA is concerned, and the age of the Internet has made Filipinos even more knowledgeable about pro hoops as it's played in the US.