San Antonio Spurs rising star Jeremy Sochan. Photo handout/NBA Philippines.MANILA — San Antonio Spurs rising star Jeremy Sochan has been finally introduced to the basketball-crazy country that is the Philippines.

The 6-foot-8 forward from Poland is in town to share his prowess with the youth in the NBA Rising Stars Invitational Qualifiers which runs from May 7 to 10. 

Though he has been in Manila for less than 24 hours, Sochan has already experienced plenty of what the metro has to offer

“I never knew that Manila was going to be this huge,” said Sochan, who turns 22 on the 20th, during his media availability on Wednesday at the NBA Philippines office in Taguig City.

“The traffic, too. I was somewhere for like, two hours? And it was only seven miles. It did not make any sense,” he quipped. “But no, it’s a new experience. It’s crazy big, it has good vibes, I’ve eaten good food — it’s been great.”

The 2022 NBA Draft’s 9th overall pick has been one of San Antonio’s pillars as it continues to rebuild itself as one of the league’s powerhouses.

Alongside the likes of Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle, with the leadership of Chris Paul and De’Aaron Fox, and with new head coach Mitch Johnson at the helm, Sochan has shown continuous growth in his career.

He normed 11.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.8 steals, and half a block in his third year in the league, providing a steady presence for the young-laden Spurs team.

And just like how he was formed not only by their veterans, but also their former mentor and now president Gregg Popovich, it’s now the turn for Sochan to pay things forward — this time for Filipino kids.

READ: New Spurs president Gregg Popovich ‘best coach ever,’ says Jeremy Sochan

“It's all about growing, learning, and having fun with that process,” he pointed out. “It's not always going to be easy. Even when I look at 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, I think the most important thing is to have fun, work hard, do the little things, and just enjoy it,” he furthered.

But while this is going to be his first time meeting with Pinoy hopefuls, what is not new to Sochan is going up against Filipinos as he previously played against Gilas Pilipinas as a part of the Philippines’ and Poland’s respective preparations for the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

“It's crazy. I didn't really know what to expect, but one of my best friends, Carl, he's half-Filipino,” he shared.

“He used to tell me a lot about the basketball culture here, and how crazy it is, but I'd never really seen it in person. And then, I was warming up, going onto the court, and half the arena was from the Philippines. I was like: ‘Okay, this is crazy.’ It was loud,” he added.

Sochan put up eight points in their 82-80 victory wherein Gilas almost stormed back after being down by 14, and that served as a glimpse for him of what the sport means to the Philippines.

“Basketball, it's a big part of their culture,” he said. “It's super cool to see. I also see a lot of stuff on Instagram. Even I didn't know that I have so many fans from the Philippines, so it's been a blessing.”

“We played in Paris for the NBA Global Games, and I feel like this would be a perfect spot for an NBA game one day. Maybe we will see,” continued Sochan, who is also known for his colorful hairstyles on the court.

But with his new-found love for the Philippines, will he eventually rock the country’s Blue, Red, and White as his newest hair color?

“If there’s a game here, and our team is here, maybe I’ll do that,” said the 2022-2023 All-Rookie Second Team member.

Sochan’s stay in the country is expected to conclude on Saturday, May 10, when the country’s Rising Stars Qualifiers reach its Finals round at the Araneta Coliseum.

RELATED VIDEO: