WITH Jonathan "Titing” Manalili's continuous rise in the NCAA Season 101, his highlight reel has reached the radar of MLBB world champion Tristan Cabrera a.k.a. Yawi Esports.
And Yawi didn’t just notice Manalili. He full-on fanboyed.
So hard, in fact, that he pulled up to the Playtime FilOil Center on a random Wednesday just to watch the Letran guard he’s been “streaming” long before he ever saw him hoop live.
“Matagal ko na siyang pinapanood talaga, gustung-gusto ko siya panoorin, invested talaga ako tapos nakita ko sa schedule may laban sila ngayon, minessage ko siya, tinry ko humingi ng ticket, nagreply naman siya agad kaya nakapunta ako,” he told SPIN.ph.
Manalili answered the summons with big shots and being the clip-worthy player that he is -- including one where he slung an impressive behind-the-back to Kevin Santos who slammed it down late in the game.
He even locked in a celebratory ‘gun’ gesture toward Yawi before shaking hands and posing for a photo after Letran’s 87-78 win over Arellano where Manalili finished with 15 points, nine assists and three steals.
READ: In-form Letran forces KO match vs. Arellano with dominant QFs win
For Cabrera, the admiration hits deeper than a casual crossover.
A former competitive hooper himself, he shares the same position as Titing --and knows when someone’s a true “core”.
Even better: Manalili’s handles give him flashbacks of a good friend, Kiefer Ravena.
“Nagustuhan ko sa laro niya, ngayon lang ako nakakita ng true point guard talaga. Nakikita ko din sa kanya laro ni manong Kiefer, and napaguusapan nga namin, si Kiefer din inaacknowledge na hawig sila ng laro ni Titing,” he said.
Despite missing the game a bit, Yawi says he’s sticking to casual runs now.
“Casual na lang talaga siguro, pareho kaming position kaya na-appreciate ko siya pero syempre mas malupit siya, gusto ko magpapicture sakanya,” he said.
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