Rene “The Challenger” Catalan might have his hands full in his upcoming bout against former ONE Strawweight World Champion Yoshitaka “Nobita” Naito at ONE: REIGN OF VALOR on 8 March, but that does not mean he is missing out on his first love — basketball.
With the NBA All-Star weekend just days away, the Makati City resident is making sure that he won’t miss the annual exhibition match of the best basketball players on the planet.
He has no doubt which team will win the annual game.
“I’m a big fan of Lebron James,” Catalan said, as he chose the team of the Los Angeles Lakers star over the team of leading MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo.
“Other than his skills inside the court, I think he also drafted better teammates in this year's All-Star game.”
James is set to team up with the likes of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and Kawhi Leonard, while Antetokounmpo will be joined by Steph Curry, Joel Embiid, Paul George, and Kemba Walker on the starting line-up.
An avid fan of former Philippine Basketball Association MVP Johnny “The Flying A” Abarrientos, basketball always has a place in the heart of the streaking Filipino martial arts veteran.
Catalan even sees some resemblance on the playing style of his two favorite basketball stars.
“Just like other kids, I also grew up playing basketball in the streets. Then I go home and watch PBA basketball at home with my family,” Catalan shared.
“I like Abarrientos a lot because of his intelligence inside the court. He can score and distribute the ball to his teammates without any problem. I saw a big similarity of Abarrientos’ game with Lebron. They’re both smart and a scoring threat inside the court.”
Catalan is certain that he is not the only one in the country who is excited for the showdown, knowing fully well how crazy his countrymen are when it comes to basketball.
“Basketball is a part Filipino lives, especially the youth in this generation,” Catalan stated. “I’m sure that all eyes will be on their TV screens this weekend to watch the NBA All-Star game.”