LOCAL stars were out and about as NBA superstar Luka Doncic dazzled Manila for the first time in Slovenia's 89-100 loss to Canada in the 2023 Fiba World Cup quarterfinals on Wednesday.
READ: Canada eliminates Doncic, Slovenia to face Serbia in World Cup semis
From athletes, actors and actresses, social media influencers, and politicians, check out the stars who showed up courtside here:
Alyssa Valdez
Philippine volleyball's 'Phenom' Alyssa Valdez led a vast array of stars who came out to watch Luka's World Cup debut, as well as previous USA and Gilas games in the global showpiece.
Michele and Marco Gumabao
Celebrity siblings Michele Gumabao of Creamline and actor Marco Gumabao were also spotted courtside in the Slovenia-Canada match.
Like Valdez, Michele also watched prior World Cup games live with her fellow Cool Smasher.
Cong TV and Boss Keng of 'Team Payaman'
After amassing their huge fanbase in the USA-Montenegro game, fan-favorite vloggers returned to the sidelines to witness Luka in action.
As of posting time, the 'Team Payaman' YouTube channel has garnered 1.1 billion views in total on top of 11.4 million subscribers.
Julia Barretto and Gerald Anderson
Lovebirds Julia Barretto and Gerald Anderson were once again spotted courtside to watch Luka's Manila debut.
Anderson previously played for Marikina before representing Iloilo in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL).
Meanwhile, the esteemed actress was also in full Luka Magic mode as she donned Doncic's Dallas Mavericks jersey in the game.
Mika Reyes and Lucena City Mayor Mark Alcala
PLDT ace Mika Reyes was also seen in a rare public sighting with her rumored beau Lucena City Mayor and MPBL ace Mark Alcala.
The Quezon Huskers star has previously stayed mum in confirming his budding romance with Reyes.
Richard Gomez
In his full barong attire, Leyte 4th District Congressman Richard Gomez also made an appearance at the World Cup.
The esteemed actor and ex-Ormoc City mayor is no stranger to the world of sports as a fencing gold medalist in the 2005 Southeast Asian Games in Manila.
Zanjoe Marudo
Among A-list actors who were present courtside was Zanjoe Marudo — a well-known hoops fan and former basketball player himself.
Marudo is a regular standout ace in the Star Magic Games as one of the top performing stars in the annual celebrity basketball game.
Aga and Andres Muhlach
The celebrated father-son duo of Aga and Andres Muhlach also did not miss out on the World Cup action.
Hailing from the Muhlach showbiz clan, the two stars are among well-known basketball fans in local showbiz.
Yassi Pressman and Camarines Sur Governor Luigi Villafuerte
Another rumored couple who had recurring sightings in the global showpiece are actress-host Yassi Pressman and Camarines Sur Governor Luigi Villafuerte.
The two are said to be in the early dating stages as they took their budding romance to the sidelines of the World Cup.
Jake Ejercito and Jairus Aquino
Actors and hoopers Jake Ejercito and Jairus Aquino were present to see top NBA stars collide in the global showpiece.
Both stars are big basketball fans and cagers themselves, as seen on their social media pages and in multiple previous stints in celebrity basketball events.
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