Photos: Rashleigh-Paolo Rivero on Instagram
Doha, Qatar: NBA superstar Luka Doncic surprised a Filipino family with a generous gift after Slovenia's 89-85 victory against Italy on Saturday, September 9, 2023.
In a roaring crowd of over 10,000 fans at Mall of Asia Arena, Luka Doncic, who won the TCL Player Of The Game title, spotted the family of former La Salle player Rashleigh-Paolo Rivero holding a banner that said, "Luka I was named after you".
In a video going viral on social media, Doncic was seen pointing to the family in the crowd after the game. He then asked a staff to hand the TCL Player Of The Game trophy to the couple whose son, Luka Vicente Paolo Martinez Rivero, was named after the Dallas Mavericks superstar.
Luka gave his TCL trophy to little Luka. #FIBAWC #WinForSlovenia #FIBA2023 #FIBABasketball pic.twitter.com/qYkzR6H464
— Luka Doncic Manila ???????????????????? (@doncicmanila) September 9, 2023
In several photos and a video, Rivero also shared the moment on his Instagram page saying, "What an experience for me and my family. Never gonna forget this."
He added: "@lukadoncic with the assist to @lukavicentepaolo THANK YOU LUKA! Definitely saving up for a @dallasmavs NBA game"
Doncic played his final game of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup as Slovenia faced Italy on September 9, securing seventh place with an 89-85 victory. Doncic also finished with 29 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists.
Apart from his electric performance in the tournament, Doncic also bagged another impressive milestone in his first-ever World Cup appearance as he joined the prestigious 200-point club.
"The 24-year-old has officially scored at least 200 points in this World Cup, joining a list of only 11 players (13 occasions) to do so in a single World Cup campaign," stated FIBA.
