With cheers and high-fives, Gilas Pilipinas Boys returned the favor to their mentor — showing up in full force to support Coach LA Tenorio in his PBA semis showdown.
The national youth team proudly took their seats at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Wednesday to witness Game 1 of the 2025 PBA Philippine Cup semifinals between Barangay Ginebra and San Miguel.
Gab Delos Reyes, Andwele Cabanero, Jhustin Hallare, Prince Cariño, CP Miranda, Jolo Pascual, Travis Pascual, Ethan Tan-Chi, Jhello Lumague, Everaigne Cruz, Jeremiah Antolin, John Restificar, Brian Orca, Dwayne Khobuntin, Sacred Toring, Goodluck Okebata, Samuel Esomchi, and Rajver Sidhu all joined in the fun.
Before tip-off, the Gilas Boys waited outside the locker room lobby to greet Tenorio with a round of high-fives as he made his way out.
(C) SBP
At halftime, the PBA took a moment to honor the Gilas Boys for their recent qualification for the 2025 FIBA U16 Asian Championship, set for August in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for the young stalwarts, who were warmly acknowledged by their basketball heroes from Ginebra and San Miguel during the brief ceremony.
Tenorio was not fielded in Game 1, but his Ginebra squad held on for a thrilling 73-71 victory to take the early edge in the best-of-five series.
As for the Gilas Boys, the road to Mongolia begins soon.
Training camp kicks off next month as the squad gears up for their continental campaign — and a shot at qualifying for the 2026 FIBA Under-17 World Cup in Turkey.
