Reel to real: How TikTok gem Goodluck Okebata brought his act to UAAP junior hoops

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Standing at 6-foot-3 at just 14 years old, UE find Goodluck Okebata of Iloilo shows how a social media video can kickstart a career in UAAP junior high school basketball

MANILA, Philippines – It is not every day a coach would find a budding star while scrolling through social media. Yet, that was exactly how University of the East Junior Warriors under-16 head coach Andrew Estrella found a gem in 14-year-old Goodluck Okebata.

Standing at 6-foot-3 with fast feet and impressive motor, Okebata caught Estrella’s attention while browsing on TikTok prior to UAAP Season 87 as the Filipino-Nigerian, then playing for St. Peter the Apostle School in Manila, towered over opponents in local interschool basketball leagues.

“I saw him on social media, and then I messaged him privately,” said Estrella. “It was actually a blessing he replied to me.”

On the same day, Okebata worked out with the Junior Warriors, impressing in his first few tryouts.

He eventually made the junior high school basketball lineup for Season 87, becoming a key cog in UE’s unbeaten start after five games.

Estrella noted Okebata’s fine physical tools and basketball IQ to be his best traits so far, as he put him under his tutelage to start his UAAP career.

“He is intelligent. He adapts well and learns pretty quickly. He picked up our sets well, and has been very coachable,” Estrella said of Okebata.

“Most importantly, he is very hardworking,” he added.

In UE’s first five games this season, Okebata averages 8.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game as the team’s starting center.

Okebata was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to a Nigerian father and an Ilongga mother. Like most Iloilo kids, Okebata played football as his first sport before his uncle swayed him to switch to basketball to capitalize on his height and athleticism.

While he has been thriving as an inside operator against smaller competition when he moved to Manila, Okebata wants to see himself playing a more versatile role in the future — perhaps even transitioning to a guard, like his basketball idol Lamelo Ball.

“I want to hone my game similar to Lamelo Ball. I’ve always wanted to be a shifty player,” Okebata said.

Estrella vows to maximize Okebata’s potential as plans to train him into a more versatile player are now underway.

“He is on the right path. Well, he is young and still has a lot of things to work on. We’re here to help him work on those because that was what we promised him,” said Estrella.

Among the things they will try to develop is his outside shooting, which Estrella said would unlock a lot in his game in the future.

“The shooting, of course,” he said when asked what aspect they plan to prioritize in Okebata’s development.

“It’s always a process,” added Estrella. “We are not going to hurry his growth. Then again, we’ve always believed in this guy.” – Rappler.com

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