A dream come true for Andy Gemao as only Filipino in NBA BWB Global Camp

Photos from andy.gemao/Instagram

In September 2023, young Filipino baller Andy Gemao packed his bags and set off on his American basketball odyssey. Since then, it’s been nothing but net for the young hoopster as he pursues his NBA dreams.

After snagging the title of NCAA Season 98 Juniors Finals MVP, Gemao aimed higher, shooting his shot at securing a spot at Veritas Academy National Prep in California.

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But the real slam dunk moment came when he found himself rubbing shoulders with basketball elites at the NBA 2024 Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Global camp during the All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, Indiana. And get this – he was the only Filipino in the mix!

Taking a trip down memory lane on Instagram, the NBA Academy student-athlete shared a post about his beginnings in the Jr. NBA Asia program in the Philippines, captioned, “it was just a dream…”

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Then, with a swipe, he revealed himself proudly donning his NBA BWB jersey, turning that dream into reality.

Gabe Norwood, Fil-Am professional basketball player for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters of the Philippine Basketball Association, summed it up perfectly with a “full circle” comment on Gemao’s post.

One user even predicted Gemao’s future NBA draft pick, envisioning him as the 29th pick of the 2026 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Letran Squire’s team, the Pistons, fell short in the BWB camp’s championship match against the Pacers, with a score of 39-31. But Gemao still stole the show, showcasing his hops with a max vertical jump of 40.5 inches, topping his peers.

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Last year, the young athlete was part of the BWB Asia camp at York University in Abu Dhabi.