While his team Mahindra does not necessarily equal the following of the PBA’s crowd darlings and super teams, wing man Karl Dehesa has found a niche in 3×3 basketball, and it has helped put himself into the consciousness of many basketball fans.
“It helped out. A lot of people were trying to follow my game, it helped by cofidence a lot, I knew one-on-one. The fans who cheered for me in the 3-on-3, I guess they ended up following me in Mahindra. So it helped not just me individually but my team gain more fans,” Dehesa said.
The 28-year-old Waldorf College alum says 3×3 basketball has helped him get the attention of more observers in the local scene. As part of the Manila North squad with Calvin Abueva, Vic Manuel, and Troy Rosario, Dehesa felt the support of the basketball-loving country even more.
“It felt overwhelming because I haven’t really played in front of that many people especially in the Philippines. That was the first time I experienced being in such a big crowd. It was overwhelming at first but when I was able to knock my first few shots in and we got our wins, I adjusted to it. It was fun, with how the crowd worked and the support we had from SBP,” Dehesa said of the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Manila Masters last August at Robinsons Manila.
Dehesa also played in front of the Filipinos in Abu Dhabi during the World Tour Final last October, and he relays the experience was crazy.
“Robinsons Manila times 10,” he said. “Everywhere we went, it was crazy. People were asking us for pictures. It was crazy seeing Calvin like, everywhere he went he’ll get stopped.”
Looking ahead in 2016, and with the Philippines gaining a slot in the 2016 FIBA 3×3 World Championships — the official national team competition of the sport — Dehesa targets to be part of the national team which shall be joining the event next year in China.
“It’s like the World Cup of 3-on-3 right? That would be a huge honor to be part of that team,” Dehesa shared. “I don’t know how they are going to do it but if they choose me again to play, I’ll gladly join for sure.”
Unlike in 5-on-5 competitions, the only requirement for player eligibility in the 3×3 discipline is participating in at least two FIBA-endorsed events and holding a passport.
Dehesa has surely made a name in the 3×3 scene, and he hopes to fulfill even more dreams in the discipline in the years to come.
