Batang Gilas standout Gian Mamuyac got more than just meeting two-time reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry.
Mamuyac made headlines here and around the world yesterday after the blocking Curry’s three-point attempt during the Golden State Warriors star’s tour in Taiwan.
A video posted by ABS-CBN’s TJ Manotoc that immediately made viral showed the block that left the crowd at the Xinzhuang Gymnasium in New Taipei City in stunned amazement and Curry smiling in disbelief.
His block during one of Curry’s Under Armour-backed event of the toucreated hundreds of reaction on social media, even garnered the attention of ESPN show Pardon the Interruption in the United States.
“If you are this kid, you should just walked off the court. It’s a ‘drop the mic’ moment,” said Pardon the Interruption co-host Michael Wilbon. “You should just walked off and say ‘Steph, thanks for the opportunity, I’m out of here now’, ‘coz his career is likely not gonna get any better that. You blocked Steph Curry, it’s on TV and we’re showing it all over the place.”
The 17-year-old guard was thankful with the once in a lifetime opportunity.
“The recent happenings are so far the best souvenirs which I would treasure throughout my lifetime,” Mamuyac said on his Instagram account.
Three years ago, Kobe Paras also created buzz when he dunked over LeBron James during the NBA star’s first tour in Manila.
While the dunk happened during one of the drills held by James, Paras capitalized on that moment by winning the FIBA U-18 3×3 dunk contest and earned a scholarship in the US at Creighton University.
