Gearing for his first attempt in the Manila Hustle 3x3 dunk contest earlier in the month, FIBA professional dunker David Carlos asked his girlfriend, Uratex Dream mainstay Kristina Deacon, to hold a ball behind her neck and stand underneath the rim.

Having a penchant for leaping over other people to execute his signature dunks, the 2018 FIBA 3x3 World Cup bronze medalist had Deacon exactly where he wanted her to be. The two practiced the routine many times before, so errors weren’t necessarily expected.

As he backpedaled, Carlos then grabbed a microphone – still a part of what the two used to perfect before the contest – so it did not come as a surprise for Deacon.

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“Before the contest, he said tatawagin niya lang ‘yung teammates ko. When he took the mic, I thought tatawagin niya lang sila,” Deacon explained.

But when the crowd inside Robinsons Magnolia started to erupt with cheers and Carlos knelt behind Deacon, that’s when the latter knew his partner went off the script.

“When it happened, sabi ko, parang naghihiyawan mga tao and then I saw the screen, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh’. I never expected it but I am happy to move on to this next chapter of my life,” Deacon said.

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That Carlos pulled off the now viral marriage proposal to Deacon in the only stage fit for such life milestone is incredible, given how their lives shouldn’t even have been intertwined had some variables not gone in their favor.

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Carlos had thought of retiring from his profession when the COVID-19 pandemic struck and affected countless livelihoods.

“Noong pandemic, hindi ko na alam anong mangyayari. I gained weight, may mga injuries … to the point na bandang kalahati rin nasabi ko, talagang magre-retire na ako,” the now 34-year-old shared.

“Pero when basketball slowly opened up again, sabi ko, ta-try ko lang makabalik sa top shape and I will pick it up from there. Noong andoon na ako, nakita kong kaya ko pa pala so pinipiga ko na lang what’s left in the tank. Sobrang overwhelming.”

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On the other hand, Deacon had thought of migrating to Australia as early as 2018 to leave basketball, begin a corporate job, and embrace adulthood.

“I was already telling people I was leaving, na kailangan ko na mag-work,” the former Ateneo Blue Eagle recalled. “But opportunities just kept coming in. Nag-Gilas (Women) ako in 2019, SEA Games, then nag-pandemic, I think it’s just God’s will.”

On the day Deacon was supposed to leave for Australia in July 2021 amidst the pandemic, her flight got cancelled. She had been invited to join the Uratex women’s 3x3 program started by team owner Peachy Medina prior, and from there, her basketball career continued.

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“I started online training for Uratex the next day. Coach Kat (Quimpo) invited me a few months before,” she added. “Anything can happen. It was all God’s will. I am really grateful because I was given so many opportunities and so many people who gave me so much blessings to get me to where I am now.”

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Carlos and Deacon’s paths would intersect in 2022. A resident dunker of the Chooks-to-Go 3x3 program, Carlos has been training regularly in a sports facility in Mandaluyong City. As the situation in the country eased, Uratex would eventually conduct their practices in the same venue too as they prepared for various tournaments.

“It just so happened na we were both training at Activate (Sports Center). We were just focused on basketball, kami during that time, trabaho lang,” Deacon said.

“When we met, we started out just as friends, but siguro doon lang talaga nag-build ‘yung relationship namin. Him being able to help me off as a better athlete, even my teammates.”

Carlos is also a certified trainer, so he and Deacon decided to work on being the best versions of themselves together.

“He has so much love in his heart and I’m grateful I’ll get to experience that for the rest of my life,” Deacon said of her now fiancé.

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Carlos would often take his supportive partner with him to his FIBA 3x3 events, though Deacon usually remained just a spectator during these instances. This is why when the opportunity to propose to Deacon in a grand occasion popped up, Carlos did not let it pass.

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“Alam mo naman ako, showman ako, kahit anong gawin ko, marami kayong makikitang gimmick from me. I just grabbed the opportunity for my personal life to express my relationship with Tina. I am just happy I pulled it off,” he said.

Carlos wound up winning the dunk contest that day with relative ease. Deacon delighted in having a women’s basketball event of such magnitude. Yet as that Sunday concluded, the basketball parts proved to be irrelevant; what mattered more was the first day towards the road to forever for both.

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“Perfect situation siya. I don't think magagawa ko ito sa (FIBA 3x3) World Tour (abroad). Hindi ko maisasama si Tina roon. And para sa kanya, malaking stage ‘to for her. I believe this is her second to the last tournament before she retires. I grabbed the opportunity in front of many people and in front of the community to propose to her," Carlos said.