Donny Pangilinan lives the dream at NBA Legends Celebrity Game

Photo from NBA Philippines/Facebook

“Walking on a dream” perfectly captured Filipino actor Donny Pangilinan’s excitement as he stepped onto the court for the NBA Legends Celebrity Game at the Venetian Macao.

The event, held at the recently renovated Venetian Arena, brought together sports icons, pop stars and influencers for a night of basketball, entertainment and camaraderie.

The “Can’t Buy Me Love” star made an impression, contributing four points, nine rebounds and two assists to the game while sharing the spotlight with basketball legends such as Tony Parker, Tracy McGrad and DeMarcus Cousins. 

Reflecting on the once in a lifetime experience, Pangilinan took to Instagram with a post:

“WALKING ON A DREAM!!!! Side quest Macao for a day!! An absolute privilege playing and having fun with LEGENDS I grew up watching. Seriously most fun I’ve had in a while… still on cloud nine and can’t believe this happened.”

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A post shared by Donny Pangilinan (@donny)

He added, “Huge shoutout to NBA Philippines and NBA Asia you guys are awesome.”

The NBA Legends Celebrity Game, presented by Sands China, highlighted the intersection of sports and entertainment, reinforcing Macao’s growing reputation as a premier sports-entertainment destination.

During the game, fans packed the arena, cheering for a dynamic roster that included six NBA legends alongside celebrities and influencers.

The game divided participants into Team Fire and Team Ice, each led by three NBA icons. Team Fire featured Stephon Marbury, Tracy McGrady and DeMarcus Cousins, joined by Pakho Chau, Shawn Yue and more. 

Team Ice, on the other hand, included Ray Allen, Tony Parker and Cuttino Mobley, with Pangilinan, Keung To and Wu Chun among the lineup.

In the main game, Team Ice triumphed over Team Fire with a commanding 109-83 victory.

However, Team Fire bounced back during the Shooting Challenge, outscoring Team Ice 4-0.

The competition remained intense in the Skills Challenge, where Team Ice edged out Team Fire with a time of 50 seconds compared to their opponent’s 51 seconds.

The “How to Spot a Red Flag” actor’s participation marked a personal milestone for him, as an NBA enthusiast and a celebrity basketball player in the Philippines.