San Antonio Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan felt the love from Filipino fans during his visit to the vivo Basketball Challenge Year 3 Grand Finals last 9 May at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall.
Sochan even shared some advice with aspiring players in attendance as they chase their basketball dreams.
"There's a lot of advice, but I think the main thing is don't skip steps. It's not always going to be easy, there's going to be a lot of ups and downs, but you want to be in those moments,” Sochan said.
“You want to learn about yourself and figure it out as a human, as a player, and just have joy with it. That's the main thing.”
After the meet-and-greet, Sochan also had a chance to connect with fans as he signed autographs.
Vivo 3x3 tournament director Eric Altamirano said Sochan’s presence in the competition was a treat not only for the players but also for mallgoers who happened to pass by.
“It adds a lot of prestige and glamour to the event. Seeing an NBA player come to the Philippines and grace the event of vivo here at the 3x3 is very memorable, especially for all the participants,” Altamirano said.
“It's not very often that you see an NBA player visit Manila.”
The vivo 3x3 Basketball Challenge Year 3 featured intense matchups among 16 teams each in the men's and women's divisions, kicking off on March 29, 2025. The tournament was held across key venues, including SM MOA, Robinsons Manila, SM City Clark, and SM City Fairview.
After two days of competition at the grand finals in MOA, Solaris Power Corporation defeated Sports Flooring Global Knights, 21-13, in the men’s finals while Uncle Drew Pilipinas edged out Uratex Dream, 14-12, in the women’s finals.
The champions took home trophies, medals, vivo phones, adorable vivo stuffed toys, and a cash prize of Php 30,000.
Stay updated with all the action from the 3x3 Basketball Challenge by visiting the vivo website. For real-time highlights, behind-the-scenes content, and winning moments, follow vivo Philippines Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok.