For one basketball fan from Banawe, Quezon City, years of closely following the NBA finally paid off in a big way.
The 39-year-old salesman emerged as one of the winners in ArenaPlus’ NBA Playoffs MVP: Battle for the Most Valuable Predictor campaign, taking home a life-changing ₱5 million prize from the promotion’s ₱50 million shared prize pool.
Launched in March, the free-to-play prediction contest challenged fans to test their basketball knowledge by forecasting the outcome of the 2026 NBA Playoffs. Participants were given two entries to predict the winners of all playoff series, from the opening round through the NBA Finals.
At the heart of the competition was a familiar challenge for avid basketball followers: accurately completing an NBA Playoffs bracket. To qualify, entries had to be fully KYC-verified and submitted before the playoffs began.
One participant with the highest number of correct predictions secured the guaranteed ₱100 million MVP Bracket grand prize, while those with the next-best results shared the ₱50 million prize pool. The Quezon City salesman was among the top-performing participants recognized for his accurate picks.
He was formally awarded during an episode of All In sa Arena, ArenaPlus’ original Facebook and YouTube program, following the New York Knicks’ 94-90 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 5 of the 2026 NBA Finals on June 14. Additional winners are expected to be announced after the completion of verification procedures.
A longtime NBA follower, the winner said his passion for basketball dates back to the Chicago Bulls dynasty of the 1990s before later becoming a supporter of the Boston Celtics during the era of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce. This season, however, he found himself backing the New York Knicks.
Drawing from years of watching the league, he carefully studied team matchups, playoff experience, roster depth, and player form before submitting his predictions. One of his entries projected a San Antonio Spurs-Cleveland Cavaliers Finals matchup, while his second bracket correctly anticipated the Knicks reaching the championship series and ultimately winning the title.
Among the other winners recognized during the awarding ceremony was 38-year-old Matt Rivera, who received ₱10,000 worth of ArenaPlus betting credits after correctly predicting a Spurs-Knicks Finals matchup, although he selected San Antonio as the eventual champion.
ArenaPlus Head Erick Su congratulated the winners and highlighted the depth of basketball knowledge among Filipino fans.
“This contest showcased the passion and understanding Filipino fans have for the game,” Su said. “The winners made their predictions based on careful analysis, season-long observation, and confidence in their basketball instincts. That’s exactly what the NBA Playoffs MVP: Battle for the Most Valuable Predictor campaign was designed to celebrate.”
The campaign forms part of ArenaPlus’ continuing efforts to engage basketball fans through interactive experiences that bring them closer to the sport they love.
