EVAN Nelle won himself not just a UAAP championship, but also a congratulatory hug from his ‘rumored’ girlfriend, Kitty Duterte.
The two shared a warm embrace on the court after the De La Salle Green Archers outlasted the University of the Philippines, 73-69, to win the school's first men’s basketball championship in seven years.
Nelle is man of the hour
Nelle contributed 12 points, seven assists, and six rebounds while running La Salle's offense in 33 minutes of play before a crowd of 25,192 fans — the most for any basketball game played at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The most special of those in attendance for Nelle, no doubt, was Kitty, the daughter of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte who gave the Green Archers court general a hug in the din of the La Salle celebration after the final buzzer.
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Kitty was also seen joining the sea of Green on numerous game days since the eliminations. Asked about their relationship, Nelle revealed the 19-year-old social media personality played a huge role as his confidante.
“She's been with me through my journey and she's held me down naman. She keeps me sane and happy. So, thank you to her,” he said.
On ‘bravest man on the planet’
While there’s no confirmation about their real status, Nelle shared he’s aware of the memes circulating online, and all he can do is laugh it off.
“It's funny. Every time I open Facebook, there's always something, so you know what, I won't open Facebook na,” he said. “It's funny, but if you see it every day and there's something new, parang, ayoko na, iba naman!”
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