16 Dec, 2024
LOOK: Donny Pangilinan poses with NBA icons, international stars
Kapamilya actor Donny Pangilinan had a once-in-a-lifetime experience playing basketball with NBA legends in a celebrity game held at The Venetian Macao in Macau, China.
In a post shared by talent management and production company Media Works APG, Donny was all smiles while holding his white jersey with his name and player number.
“Dreams turned into reality! 🏀✨ @donny steps into the world of the NBA, sharing the court with legends and making unforgettable memories.🌟 #DonnyInNBA #HoopsDreams #BasketballLife #NBA #NBALegendsCelebrityGame,” said in a caption.
The actor also posed with Thai star Bright Vachirawit and NBA icons such as DeMarcus Cousins, Tony Parker, Ray Allen, Stephon Marbury, and Cuttino Mobley. A video of Donny warming up, showcasing his impressive basketball skills, was also posted
NBA Philippines also shared several still shots from Donny’s actual game.
“Donny Pangilinan in the NBA Legends Celebrity Game at the Venetian Macao 澳門威尼斯人 🏀🇵🇭 #celebritygamemacao #TheVenetianArena,” they said.
They also posted a video tribute for Donny’s game, saying, “Thank you Donny Pangilinan for bringing us the happiness of basketball! #VenetianMacao #NBALegendsCelebrityGame #TheVenetianArena.”
Meanwhile, Donny shared highlights from the celebrity game, calling it a “cloud nine” moment.
“WALKING ON A DREAM!!!! 🏀🥹,” Donny first said. “Side quest Macao for a day!! An absolute privilege playing and having fun with LEGENDS I grew up watching.”
He went on: “Seriously most fun I’ve had in a while… still on cloud nine and can’t believe this happened 😂😂 Huge shoutout to NBA Philippines and NBA Asia you guys are awesome 🫡.”
Donny’s mother, Maricel Laxa Pangilinan, couldn’t help but express her pride.
“Love that you can live this dream-Son!! 🙌,” the proud mom said.
Lavender Fields star Jericho Rosales also commented, “Hahahaha yeaaaaahhhhhh 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽.”
Pinoy Big Brother host Bianca Gonzales also chimed in with her sentiments, saying: “Love this for you!!
Fans were equally thrilled about Donny’s unforgettable experience.
“Congratulations, Dons! Aside from living out your own and every basketball player’s dream, you also did an amazing job representing the Philippines 🙌🏻,” a fan said.
Another one added, “Playing with the NBA legends is the one you can tell to your grandchildren in the future and they will surely shock and amaze and mostly proud 😍.”
A netizen also commended the exhibition game, saying, “The atmosphere at the NBA Celebrity Game at the Venetian Macau looked very lively! Every participant was full of energy and showed off their basketball skills. This cross-border interaction added a lot of fun to the fans. I really hope to experience the excitement on the spot. It can be seen that everyone had a lot of fun. It was really an unforgettable game! #wonderfulmoments.”
As per reports, Donny scored four points, with nine rebounds and two assists.
Donny was previously one of the team captains of Star Magic’s basketball team alongside Ronnie Alonte.
In last year’s All-Star Game held at the SMART Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City last June 2024, his team emerged victorious against content creators’ Team Payaman, led by YouTuber CongTV.