Gerald Anderson plays for Marikina in the Fiba 3×3 tournament. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Gerald Anderson finally made his debut in the Chooks to Go Pilipinas 3×3 on Friday and he showed why he was worth the wait.
Anderson was impressive in his first game with Marikina, leading the Shoemasters to a 17-14 upset of league-leading 1Bataan Risers in the group stages of the third leg at SM Fairview Events Center.
The actor made a good account of himself in his first 3×3 match, which is far different from the usual 5 on 5 game. He had 11 points in the victory, scoring his team’s last seven points to the delight of the sizeable crowd.
The team that Anderson and the Shoemasters beat went on to rule the third stop of the tournament.
Take a l👀k at Gerald Anderson's impressive #ChooksPilipinas3x3 debut for the Marikina Shoemasters 👟#Chooks3x3onESPN5 pic.twitter.com/PMKjotBvbE
— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) March 1, 2019
“It was a good game, pretty intense. This was my first 3×3 game,” Anderson said. “The team is okay, we just fell short in the last game but it was a learning experience.”
Anderson also plays for the Shoemasters in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.
Anderson said that he is honored to get the chance to play at an elite level in the Chooks to Go 3×3 tournament, which is geared toward helping the country make it to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
“It’s privilege for me to get to play with the best players in the Philippines. Just to be able to compete, it’s just a good feeling and such a big fullfilment for me,” he said.