Fil-Aussie teen sensation makes Jr. NBA selection

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

 

Filipino hoopers can be found all over the world, carrying the banner of the Philippines every time they set foot on the hardwood.

With Ken Tuffin, Thirdy Ravena, Jack Animam, Kai Sotto, and Cholo Anonuevo headlining the PH hoopers who decided to play overseas amid the pandemic, one teen sensation is also making noise in Australia.

Andrei Kyle Honrada, a 5’5’’ point-guard pure Filipino raised in Australia, is breaking ankles and scoring at will as a basketball varsity player at Oakhill College in Sydney.

Shifty, smart, a deadly shooter, and an excellent ball-handler, the Pinoy teen wonder helped his basketball team win the U-14 Australian Club Championships.

His performance during the tournament caught the attention of the basketball scene, including the NBA.

Honrada was one of the two players in his varsity squad who was picked by Basketball Australia to be a part of the Jr. NBA team.

Originally slated to happen in Florida, Honrada wasn’t able to fly due to the COVID-19 pandemic but the Jr. NBA team turned the event into a virtual one.

“I felt like I was getting recognized for my ability to play basketball and felt happiness that I got chosen. I’m glad that I made it in as I was hoping for this for a long time and being recognized as one of the top in the country made me feel excited,” Honrada said.