Esports crossed paths with basketball on Wednesday as Honor of Kings star Tristan "Yawi" Cabrera made a courtside appearance during the NCAA quarterfinal showdown between Letran and Arellano.
Yawi, who once made waves in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang before bringing his act to HOK, revealed he was at the Filoil Centre to throw support for Knights guard Titing Manaili.
"Opo [first time ko siyang mapanood nang live]. Lagi kong pinapanood sa TikTok ‘yung mga videos niya. Nanghingi po kasi ako sa kanya ng tickets nu’ng nakaraan," Yawi told GMA News Online.
"Sobrang saya panoorin. Gustong-gusto kong panoorin talaga si Titing kasi idol ko po talaga ‘yun. Kung makaabot po sila sa finals, baka manood ako."
Both Yawi and Manalili are stars in their respective fields.
Yawi was a former part of Team Liquid, which he helped win a title in the MPL Philippines and capture the M4 World Championship alongside jungler Karl "KarlTzy" Nepomuceno.
He is now in the Honor of Kings, playing for the WeTrnd Esports alongside fellow former MLBB stars John Paul "H2WO" Salonga and Renejay "Renejay" Barcase.
But while he is in esports, Yawi has always been a fan of basketball, sharing he has been following Manalili's rise in the NCAA.
Manalili, of course, is currently the face of Letran, powering their 87-78 win against the Chiefs to force a knockout match on Friday.
"Sa kanya ko po talaga nakita ‘yung parang point guard talaga. Parang kumpleto talaga siya tapos sobrang bata pa niya. Rookie pa lang siya kaya sobrang nagagalingan ako," Yawi added.
—JKC, GMA Integrated News
