by Monch Paluay

San Antonio Spurs forward, Jeremy Sochan, is in Manila to support the NBA Rising Stars Invitational – Philippines Qualifiers from May 7 to May 10.

Drafted by the Spurs with the 9th pick of the 2022 NBA draft, Sochan quickly showed his potential and was selected as part of the All-Rookie 2nd team. He was mostly coached by the legendary Gregg Popovich, who recently retired. 

“Truly blessed and honored to be coached by someone who has the most wins in the NBA, you can say he is the best coach ever. I’m just happy that he’s still part of the organization,” Sochan said of Coach Popovich.

The 21 year-old, known for his colorful hair and one-handed free throw, is excited to meet the players and share his experiences and knowlege learned from the NBA’s winningest coach. 

“Pop is a person who sees basketball, but also is the ultimate human being. And it’s about growing and learning and having fun with the process. It’s no way going to be easy.” 

Also a member of the Poland Basketball National team, Sochan understands the feeling of playing in these games as he was in the same situation a few years back, playing in Europe. 

“When I look into my childhood, being in high school, being invited to these tournaments, they can be stressful, they can be nerve-wracking, but at the end of the day, the most important thing is to have fun, work hard, do the little things and enjoy it”.

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