Sins of the Father star Gerald Anderson recently stepped into a new role—as one of the coaches for Star Magic’s basketball team, Shooting Stars, during the much-anticipated Star Magic All-Star Games 2025, held last July 20 at the Araneta Coliseum.
Sharing a glimpse of how he worked in a different role on the basketball court, Gerald expressed pride and excitement for the game he and his fellow stars worked hard for in the past months.
“Today is the day! It's D-day today at magkaalaman talaga tayo kung ang mga boys natin if nakapagready talaga sila. Today is a big Araneta Day ng All-Star Games natin. It's exciting. Ang bilis na talaga ng isang taon. It's been one year since the last one,” Gerald reminisced.
Having led his team to victory in previous years, Gerald was thrilled to mentor the new batch of stars.
“We've come in to enjoy, play hard and give the fans what they came to see and have a good time so let's go guys!” he expressed.
Joining Gerald on the coaching bench were Ian Pardo and JJ Española. Coach JJ shared, “We're all ready! Just like our players, coaches here are excited as well. Hopefully it's in our favor.”
Inside the Star Magic dugout, the players showed not only determination but also strong camaraderie after months of training.
“Pinaghandaan ko ito. Apat na buwan and nandito na tayo ngayon,” Ashton Salvador expressed.
Argel Saycon added, “Game day na and heto na kami Cong TV. Partida hindi pa maglalaro iyon (Gerald). Kami na bahala. Kaya namin kayo! Boss Cong TV, kawawa naman yung monitor sa inyo, nababanatan niyo. Di bale paghihiganti namin yang monitor na iyan.”
Tristan Ramirez also expressed, “Ito na iyong pinaghandaan namin. Dito namin ipapakita yung aming natutunan na tinuro ni Coach Ge.”
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Before the game, Gerald delivered a heartfelt message to the team.
“First of all, ito na. We saw the bond na mayroon kayo kahit yung iba busy, yung iba galing pa sa loob ng bahay but you guys made it. Para sa akin, panalo na ito because of the commitment na ibinigay niyo. Alam nila Argel iyan on how big I am pagdating sa commitment basta pagdating sa team, doon pa lang panalo na tayo. But of course, we want na tayo ang lamang sa scoreboard by the end of the day,” Gerald said.
He emphasized the importance of sportsmanship, reminding players to stay composed and focused.
“Let’s enjoy the game. Madaming tao, the crowd, they are here to see us, to see you guys so let’s have a good game. But you know, sportsmanship, of course. Kapag lamang na tayo, after the game na tayo magcelebrate. Let’s keep the sportsmanship and iyong respeto andoon but let’s go out and show it to them. Let’s do this as a team,” he expressed.
He also warned about the excitement that can become overwhelming: “Ito inevitable mangyayari ito. Mae-excite kayo and it might be out of control sa dami ng tao, libo-libo ang nasa labas. I’ve been through that, it happened to me. Don’t be here (points up), don’t be here (points down), just be here (points in the middle) kasi ngayon you guys feel good but before we start kakabahan din and may excitement and then mawawala.”
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“Just play your game. No out-of-control moments. Stay in your game.”
As they entered the arena, Gerald showed how happy and excited they were seeing the fans and finally taking on the court. He also shared how he had fun watching content creator Cong TV’s Anibilibabol basketball team’s grand rebuttal performance, making him want to play with them too.
“That was nice. Ang galing. Nagsisisi tuloy ako. Dapat sumali rin ako sa performance. Ang galing,” he expressed.
Right before tip-off, he gave one final reminder: “It’s your game, make your shots. Don’’t be afraid na gumawa ng mali kasi ganoon talaga ang basketball. We win as a team, we lose as a team.”
True to their hopes, the Shooting Stars team dominated the first half, leading by six points.
“Stay focused, boys. Mamaya tayo magcelebrate. The first half is great. Ang ganda ng energy. You guys are playing as a teammate so it's good,” he commended the team. “Kaya, keep running. Gamitin natin yung advantage niyo as youth.”
Team captain Donny Pangilinan also shared his thoughts on the game’s intensity: “Everyone’s physical but you can really feel the energy. Yung competition from last year nagtimes two or times three. Okay iyong improvement ng lahat. Everyone wants to win. The competition is good.”
In a close match, the Shooting Stars successfully defended their title, defeating the Anbilibabol team with a final score of 73–70.
“Good game. Everybody played with their heart and everybody enjoyed it. Galing di ba and ang ganda kasi lumaban ang team nila Cong TV,” Gerald remarked.
“What a game! What a night! Everyone enjoyed and kami nag-enjoy. Close game at humabol team nila Cong TV. Sobrnag thankful kami kina Cong TV for giving us a good game. Lahat kami ay talagang nahirapan,” he added.
Catch the exclusive videos and fancam of the Star Magic All-Star Games 2025 only on SUPER KAPAMILYA via the ABS-CBN Entertainment YouTube Channel.