It was clear who’s the most popular basketball player in Manila.
Ever since Team USA’s Austin Reaves set foot on Philippine soil, he has gotten nothing but love from Filipino fans. Whenever he does something on the court, however mundane, the crowd goes crazy.
Things were much crazier with Slovenia'S main man Luka Doncic.
On Wednesday, the fans finally gave the Dallas Mavericks superstar a warm Filipino hospitality when his team took on NBA talent-laden Canada in the FIBA World Cup quarterfinals.
From celebrities to sports figures to fans in the general admission section, everyone—save for a portion of Canadian fans—was here to see Doncic strut his stuff.
And he didn’t disappoint. His patented stepback three-pointers, among others, roused the jam-packed Mall of Asia Arena before ending up with 26 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and two steals.
But Doncic got the boot with still 6:37 remaining in the game owing to two technical fouls and Slovenia lost, 100-89.
At the end of the match, the 6-foot-7 gunner expressed his appreciation for the love and support he probably gets wherever he goes.
“I really appreciate the love. It’s been amazing. So many fans here, they support me,” he said during the jam-packed post-game press conference.
Coach Aleksander Sekulic said it was as though it was Slovenia’s home game.
“It’s just an amazing atmosphere here. We felt like the whole arena is for us, except some guys who don’t like us. But other than that, we really, really appreciate the support,” he said.
Mike Tobey knew they were for 24-year-old Maverick, who was also the target of physical plays the entire time.
“They really love Luka. You can feel that energy,” said Tobey, who finished with 8 points and 6 rebounds.
As big of an icon as he was, Canada simply had all the weapons in its arsenal to overwhelm Doncic and Slovenia and nab the last final four slot in the tournament co-hosted by Japan and Indonesia.
But with the fifth spot still at stake, expect Luka to still go at it the way he always does in the classification match on Thursday.
“Tomorrow, we have another game so hopefully we get the win,” he said.