He was just eight years old when it happened: Dan Andrei Ingco picked up a basketball and started showing off his dribbling skills on the street, for a video that would be posted on social media. His handles were so impressive that the video would go viral, earning him the name “Kalye Irving.” Today, about four years later, he’s a varsity player for the elementary basketball team of Augustinian Abbey School in Las Piñas City.
In this episode of Spin Sidelines, Ingco talks about how he learned to play at such a young age.
“Dati po kasi, ‘yung lolo ko, nakapulot siya ng bola tapos binigay sa akin ng lolo ko hanggang sa nag-dribble-dribble ako,” he said. “Sabi ko, parang ang saya naman nito. Gusto ko matutunan. Tinuruan ako ng tito ko maglaro at mag-dribble.”
Shortly after going viral for his handles, plus a TV guesting on ABS-CBN’s Little Big Shots, Ingco was trained by a local coach. He was eventually granted an athletic scholarship, and went on to play in the semifinals of the NCR Palaro in 2019.
Beyond that, though, Ingco has even bigger dreams. “Gusto ko po makalaro sa NCAA, sa mga ganun po. Gusto ko rin po maging PBA player at makalaro sa Gilas,” he said. And with those dreams, he brings a commitment as well. “Dapat hindi po ako susuko. Practice lang ako ng practice para makapunta ako sa mga ganun na liga po,” he says.
Now that Spin Sidelines is brought to you in a podcast format, listen to our entire conversation with the whiz kid “Kalye Irving.”
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