100 BEST CAREERS IN THE PBA (FULL EDITION)

Hi! Welcome! You might have seen this article on my www.sydrified.blogspot.com website. Yes, this site is my new escape to stresslandia and I am taking the articles that made my sleep hours revert from seven hours to five.

And sometimes four.

Anyway, this is my 100 Best Careers in the PBA list... the COMPLETE edition.

I am not going to mess up your time because I really think this is a very big read.

By the way, if you have violent reactions with regards to the list, you can always check out...  

THIS LINK!

By the way, this list is fresh as of the end of the 2010-11 PBA season.

Game starts now!

100 BEST CAREERS IN THE PBA

1 RAMON FERNANDEZ

EL PRESIDENTE

1975 – 94

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

4x MVP

13x Mythical Five

3x Mythical Ten

Hall of Fame

Played in the 1974 Puerto Rico FIBA World Championship 

25 Greatest Players of the PBA

4x All-Star

15,000 Points

5,000 Defensive Rebounds

2,000 Offensive Rebounds

2,000 Assists

1,000 Steals

1,000 Blocks

1,000 Games Played

2,000 Free Throws Made

Top 10: Scoring Average

Top 10: Rebounding Average

Top 10: Assist Average

Top 25: Free Throw Percentage

1x Season Champion: Total Points

2x Season Champion: Scoring Average

2x Season Champion: Free Throws Made

6x Season Champion: Defensive Rebounds

5x Season Champion: Total Rebounds

2x Season Champion: Total Assists

2x Season Champion: Total Steals

3x Season Champion: Total Blocks

2x Season Champion: 2-Points Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

The words you just browsed are not El Presidente’s to-do-list. Those stats are real and seriously hard to break. One of Fernandez’ best attributes is his ability to win. Aside from his grand slam run with San Miguel at the tailend of his career, Don Ramon played for the legendary Toyota squad. He also played for Beerhausen which in some ways ended up as the Purefoods Hotdogs. His hook shot is a shot filled with brilliance and his ability to play multiple positions despite having the size of a center makes him an asset to any team he plays.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Wow. Is the number one spot low? Anyway, the only problem I can ever see with Fernandez’ career is that he stayed too long which eventually lowered his scoring and rebounding average. Nonetheless any PBA player would kill to have his career.

2 ALVIN PATRIMONIO

THE CAPTAIN

1988 – 2005

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

4x MVP

10x Mythical Five

1x Mythical Ten

3x Best Player of the Conference

1x Finals MVP

Hall of Fame

25 Greatest Players of the PBA

1x All-Star MVP

12x All-Star

15,000 Points

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

1,000 Offensive Rebounds

1,000 Assists

500 Blocks

2,000 Free Throws Made

Top 10: Scoring Average

Top 10: 3-Point Percentage

Top 10: Free Throw Percentage

Top 25: Rebounding Average

1x Season Champion: Total Points

3x Season Champion: Scoring Average

4x Season Champion: Free Throws Made

3x Season Champion: Defensive Rebounds

3x Season Champion: 2-Points Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

There is truth in the saying that great things can happen if you stay loyal. The Captain for 17 years is the anchor of the Purefoods franchise. He was charismatic and he was a player that can either pound his way to the basket or all of a sudden unleash a wicked triple. Patrimonio is a 4-time MVP that almost broke Ramon Fernandez’ record for most MVP titles! He was a sought after reinforcements for PBA-sponsored international tilts and he ranks arguably second to Sonny Jaworski in terms of being the foremost PBA ambassador.

RANKED THIS LOW:

He had a dominating career. The problem with Patrimonio is that he stood under 6’5. When the Fil-Ams entered the scene, he couldn’t go inside so he had to adapt and play the small forward position. While he had an accurate three-point shot, his rebounding stats faltered. Also, he was often a forgotten man at the Purefoods’ bench when Ryan Gregorio started coaching the squad since Gregorio leaned more on the young guys rather than opting for the veterans.

3 WILLIAM ADORNADO

BOGS

1975 – 87 

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

3x MVP

7x Mythical Five

1x Mythical Ten

Hall of Fame

Played in the 1972 Munich Olympics

Played in the 1974 Puerto Rico FIBA World Championship 

25 Greatest Players of the PBA

10,000 Points

2,000 Free Throws Made

Top 5: Scoring Average

Top 10: Free Throw Percentage

3x Season Champion: Total Points

5x Season Champion: Scoring Average

4x Season Champion: Free Throws Made

4x Season Champion: 2-Points Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Part of the Crispa Redmanizers’ first grand slam, Adornado is also the league’s first MVP winner and the first back-to-back MVP winner. Bogs epitomized what a scorer should be. He shoots long balls even before the three-point line was suggested and he never attempted a shot he didn’t like. During his days with the U-Tex Wranglers, Adornado scored 64 points. There are only five “real” locals (since Chip Engelland is an American playing for Northern Consolidated Cement) to score 60 points and more in the history of the league. 

RANKED THIS LOW:

Adornado was a scorer. He has a high-octane ability to fire at will but arguably shooting is his only bread and butter. In his 13 seasons in the league, he was never a great rebounder and he was never really a great facilitator either. He was also injury prone. He almost retired at the start of the PBA when he suffered a near-career ending injury. That is why he had those big and bulky pads to protect his knee.

4 ABET GUIDABEN

THE PIONEER

1975 – 95

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

2x MVP

5x Mythical Five

Hall of Fame

Played in the 1974 Puerto Rico FIBA World Championship 

25 Greatest Players of the PBA

3x All-Star

15,000 Points

5,000 Defensive Rebounds

2,000 Offensive Rebounds

1,000 Assists

500 Blocks

1,000 Games Played

2,000 Free Throws Made

Top 10: Rebounding Average

Top 25: Scoring Average

Top 25: Free Throw Percentage

1x Season Champion: Total Points

1x Season Champion: Free Throws Made

6x Season Champion: Defensive Rebounds

2x Season Champion: Offensive Rebounds

5x Season Champion: Total Rebounds

2x Season Champion: 2-Points Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

If there was one guy that can go one-on-one with Ramon Fernandez, then look no further. Fernandez may rank higher against Guidaben when it comes to awards but when the clash, The Pioneer will never back down in one-upping his counterpart. Abet Guidaben made his PBA debut with Crispa and it resulted with him winning two grand slams and a MVP award. But the buck doesn’t stop there for Abet who claimed his second MVP plum playing for the San Miguel Beer. Guidaben’s long career spanned for 21 seasons with stops with Tanduay, Manila Beer, San Miguel, Purefoods, Pepsi, Alaska, and Shell.    

RANKED THIS LOW:

Guidaben’s career peaked during the late 70’s and the in the 80’s. At first he played a Poch Juinio-type role for his more talented Crispa teammates. When injuries happened and when Adornado played elsewhere, he was given a chance to succeed. Crispa is also a significant team for Guidaben because this was the squad that gave him his longest tenure. Guidaben was a journeyman throughout his career. Guidaben was traded twice for Fernandez and one of those trades happened a year before his then-team San Miguel won a grand slam... which could have made him the only player to win three grand slam titles.

5 ROBERT JAWORSKI

THE LIVING LEGEND

1975 – 98  

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x MVP

3x Mythical Five

2x Mythical Ten 

Hall of Fame

Played in the 1968 Mexico Olympics

Played in the 1974 Puerto Rico FIBA World Championship 

25 Greatest Players of the PBA

4x All-Star

2x All-Defensive Team

10,000 Points

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

1,000 Offensive Rebounds

2,000 Assists

500 Blocks

500 3-Points Made

2,000 Free Throws Made

Top 10: Assists Average

1x Season Champion: Total Points

4x Season Champion: 3-Points Made

2x Season Champion: Defensive Rebounds

1x Season Champion: Offensive Rebounds

2x Season Champion: Total Rebounds

6x Season Champion: Total Assists

1x Season Champion: 2-Points Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

When you say PBA, you’ll probably think of The Big J. Jaworski is the most popular PBA player of all-time whether or not people love him or hate him. So let’s skip the popularity shtick and let’s go down to the nitty-gritty. Jaworski is probably the yardstick of what a defensive guard should look like. He can rebound, he can steal, and while his tactics might be unpopular to some, he was effective in his role. He was also a great scorer from the outside and he could have been an all-time leader in 3-Points made if the shot was introduced in 1975. And let’s not forget that he is a former MVP.

RANKED THIS LOW:

He was a one-time MVP but what if he didn’t share scoring and leadership duties with Ramon Fernandez in Toyota? Jaworski despite his size was a great all-around player and maybe he could have done a lot more. Also he was the person that introduced the playing coach role in the league but often it was a curse rather than a blessing. While he was a great coach, he’ll rather coach at times than play. There were instances where he’ll play for less than seconds so that the ball can be inbounded well. He could have also played 1,000 games if he didn’t play and coach in the same time.

6 ALLAN CAIDIC

THE TRIGGERMAN

1987 – 99 

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x MVP

3x Mythical Five

2x Mythical Ten 

1x Best Player of the Conference

Rookie of the Year

Hall of Fame

25 Greatest Players of the PBA

Almost played in the 1986 Madrid FIBA World Championship 

1x All-Star MVP

8x All-Star

10,000 Points

1,000 3-Points Made

1,000 Free Throws Made

Top 5: Scoring Average

Top 10: 3-Point Percentage

Top 10: Free Throw Percentage

3x Season Champion: Total Points

5x Season Champion: Scoring Average

7x Season Champion: 3-Points Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Throughout his career, he was feared locally and internationally. He had the privilege to play with the pioneers and play with the new blood. He is almost automatic at the 3-point area and he can torch the net when he gets hot! His 79-point, 17 3-points made game is still on top of the league’s records. He was a 5-time season scoring champion and he had his niche in every scoring record there is.

RANKED THIS LOW:

As great a scorer The Triggerman was, he rarely had a great rebounding or assist game. One can argue that he just waits for the ball to come to him so he could fire away, which is not the same with Larry Bird because Larry Legend had great rebounds and assist stats. He was also injury prone in the latter part of his career although it was momentarily saved when he joined the Centennial Dream Team. He also tried his hand in coaching which in some ways was the reason why he was unceremoniously retired.  

7 BENJIE PARAS

THE TOWER OF POWER

1989 – 2003

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

2x MVP

5x Mythical Five

3x Mythical Ten 

1x Best Player of the Conference

1x Finals MVP

Rookie of the Year

25 Greatest Players of the PBA

2x All-Star MVP

8x All-Star

10,000 Points

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

1,000 Offensive Rebounds

1,000 Blocks

1,500 Free Throws Made

Top 10: Scoring Average

Top 25: Rebounding Average

1x Season Champion: Total Points

1x Season Champion: Free Throws Made 

1x Season Champion: Defensive Rebounds

1x Season Champion: Offensive Rebounds

2x Season Champion: Total Rebounds

4x Season Champion: Total Blocks

3x Season Champion: 2-Points Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

He is the league’s only Rookie MVP. He is called the Tower of Power because he dominated the paint during his 15 years in the PBA. The face of the franchise, Paras is explosive on the inside and can penetrate from the outside to make a vicious slam. He has one half of Shell’s awesome twosome and with Ronnie Magsanoc in his side Shell won a bunch of championships. As he aged, he game matured. He developed an awesome mid-range set shot that is superiorly accurate. That shot reminds me of Chris Webber.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Benjie Paras might be the Tower of Power but he was often injured in the course of his career. This is why it came as a shock that he won his second MVP award after winning his first ten years ago. In his last four years in the league, he was only good for 56 games. He almost didn’t reach 2000 because of this injury. He retired in 2002 because of injuries but returned for a couple of games playing for San Miguel.

8 PHILIP CEZAR

THE SCHOLAR

1975 – 1991

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x MVP

7x Mythical Five

2x Mythical Ten 

Hall of Fame

25 Greatest Players of the PBA

4x All-Defensive Team

2x All-Star

10,000 Points

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

1,000 Offensive Rebounds

1,000 Assists

1,000 Blocks

500 Steals

2,000 Free Throws Made

Top 25: Rebounding Average

1x Season Champion: Total Blocks

RANKED THIS HIGH:

He is the league’s Original Tapal King. The guy has the knack to score (he has a decent mid-range jumper), rebound, and defend. He gained two grand slam stints playing for the Crispa Redmanizers and is a proven champion. When the league was young, a mythical selection wouldn’t be complete without his name at the power forward spot. Arguably he is one of the best forwards to play in the PBA.  

RANKED THIS LOW:

Unlike some of his contemporaries, Cezar never really had a chance to represent the Philippines in international tilts. Also, if you check out the names ahead of him, Cezar never really became a statistical champ in his years with the league. It also didn’t help his cause that he had to share the spotlight with five other top guys in the Crispa Redmanizers roster.

9 ATOY CO

THE FORTUNE COOKIE

1975 – 1988

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x MVP

9x Mythical Five

Hall of Fame

25 Greatest Players of the PBA

10,000 Points

1,000 Assists

1,500 Free Throws Made

Top 10: Scoring Average

Top 25: 3-Point Percentage

Top 25: Free Throw Percentage

4x Season Champion: Total Points

1x Season Champion: Scoring Average

2x Season Champion: 3-Points Made

3x Season Champion: 2-Points Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Fortunato “Atoy” Co Jr. was one of the best scorers the league has ever seen. A former MVP, he was part of the Mythical Five for nine straight seasons. He was also the first player to hit 5,000 and 10,000 points. Co was of course a vital part of the legendary Crispa Redmanizers and he has a career scoring average of 17.3 points per game.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Just like Cezar, Co never represented the country in world tilts. With a fate almost identical with The Scholar, he and five other Crispa stars had to share the spotlight. Because of the talent overload in the 10er (Atoy also had to contend with this with Great Taste), Co was relegated mainly on scoring chores which is why his other main stats aren’t that highlighted.

10 RICKY BROWN 

THE QUICK BROWN FOX

1983 – 1990

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x MVP

5x Mythical Five

1x Mythical Ten

Rookie of the Year

Hall of Fame

25 Greatest Players of the PBA

5,000 Points

1,000 Assists

Top 5: Scoring Average

Top 10: Assists

Top 10: Free Throw Percentage

2x Season Champion: Total Points

3x Season Champion: Scoring Average

1x Season Champion: 3-Points Made

2x Season Champion: Free Throws Made

2x Season Champion: Total Assists

1x Season Champion: 2-Points Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Ricardo Brown is one of the best players to hit the scene. He was the first Fil-Am to win the MVP in 1985. He had an all-around game with a great knack to score. He was also a great playmaker and also a pretty annoying defender. Playing for Great Taste and San Miguel, Brown’s 23.1 points currently stand as first in the all-time scoring average list.

RANKED THIS LOW:

He had monster stats. Unlike Willie Pearson, Ricky Brown had a great career going throughout his run. Unfortunately his PBA stint is a bit short. Ever imagined if he played more than eight years in the PBA? One reason why his tenure was cut short was because of an injury. This injury robbed him of playing prominently in the 1989 San Miguel grand slam.

11 JOHNNY ABARRIENTOS

THE FLYING A 

1993 – 2010

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x MVP

6x Mythical Five

1x Mythical Ten

2x Finals MVP

25 Greatest Players of the PBA

5x All-Defensive Team

6x All-Star

5,000 Points

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

1,000 Assists

1,000 Steals

1,500 Free Throws Made

Top 10: Assist Average

Top 10: Free Throw Percentage

3x Season Champion: Total Assists

8x Season Champion: Total Steals

RANKED THIS HIGH:

He was the chief on-court architect of Alaska’s 1996 Grand Slam and frankly one of my favorite players of all-time. It was also in 1996 that the former FEU hotshot scored a MVP award making him the shortest player ever to win the plum. His stop and pop and fadeaway jumpers may be part of his impressive skillsets but The Flying A will make people cry with his precision playmaking and shackling defense. He led the league in steals per season eight times! His skills were so good that he almost played for the NBA via the Charlotte Hornets.

RANKED THIS LOW:

The importance of Tim Cone really kicks in especially when it comes to Johnny A. He found success playing for him and his career deteriorated when he left the squad. Actually his career declined even before he left Alaska. Suffering from some sort of depression, he was released to Pop Cola where his career got some sort of stride under former Alaska assistant coach Chot Reyes. His scoring never reached double-digits again though and he ended his career as a seldom-used point guard in Ginebra. 

12 JERRY CODINERA

DEFENSE MINISTER

1988 – 2005

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

3x Mythical Five

5x Mythical Ten

2x Best Player of the Conference

2x Finals MVP

25 Greatest Players of the PBA

Almost played in the 1986 Madrid FIBA World Championship 

1x Defensive Player of the Year

9x All-Defensive Team

11x All-Star

10,000 Points

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

2,000 Offensive Rebounds

1,000 Blocks 

2,000 Free Throws Made

Top 10: Rebounds Average

1x Season Champion: Total Defensive Rebounds

1x Season Champion: Total Offensive Rebounds

3x Season Champion: Total Rebounds

3x Season Champion: Total Blocks

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Codinera is one of the best offense-defense players to ever hit the league even if he just played second fiddle for Alvin Patrimonio in Purefoods. Sure, he averaged in double figures in his first decade with the league but defense is his forte. He was a poster child for swats in that era and was a 9-time All-Defensive Team member. He was also part of the All-Star Team eleven times. 

RANKED THIS LOW:

He is the highest-ranked player in the list that never won a MVP award. He almost won the MVP once but he lost to teammate Alvin Patrimonio. The ironic thing here is that when he got separated with The Captain, the Defense Minister’s game fell apart. This was evident when he was traded to Mobiline for Andy Seigle and when he was sent to FedEx where he drifted out of spotlight and retired with little buzz.

13 ASI TAULAVA

THE ROCK

1999 – present

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x MVP

3x Mythical Five

2x Mythical Ten

1x Best Player of the Conference

1x Finals MVP

1x All-Defensive Team

2x All-Star MVP

11x All-Star

5,000 Points

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

1,000 Offensive Rebounds

1,500 Free Throws Made

Top 10: Scoring Average

Top 10: Rebounds Average

1x Season Champion: Total Points

4x Season Champion: Scoring Average

2x Season Champion: Free Throws Made

1x Season Champion: Total Defensive Rebounds

2x Season Champion: Total Offensive Rebounds

1x Season Champion: 2-Points Made

1x Season Champion: Total Blocks

RANKED THIS HIGH:

The Rock debuted as a dominant force. The Fil-Tongan rocked the nation with his bleached hair and his inside goodness. He is virtually unstoppable in the paint and this led him to various accolades locally and internationally. While playing for Talk N Text, the Lava Man won the MVP award and because of his popularity, he is now an 11-time All-Star.

RANKED THIS LOW:

He is ranked high on the list but in some ways, I think he can’t be ranked any higher... unless he’s with a winning team where he returns to his former 20-point, 11-rebound self. With his age taking its toll, maybe he needs a checklist to cash in on three achievement awards – 10,000 points, 5,000 defensive rebounds, and 2,000 offensive rebounds. Early in his career he also suffered from citizenship issues that made him miss a lot of games.

14 DANNY ILDEFONSO

THE DEMOLITION MAN

1998 – present

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

2x MVP

2x Mythical Five

3x Mythical Ten

5x Best Player of the Conference

3x Finals MVP

Rookie of the Year

1x All-Star MVP

7x All-Star

5,000 Points

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

1,000 Offensive Rebounds

1,500 Free Throws Made

Top 25: Rebounds Average

1x Season Champion: Total Defensive Rebounds

2x Season Champion: Total Offensive Rebounds

1x Season Champion: Total Rebounds

1x Season Champion: Total Assists

2x Season Champion: 2-Points Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

He basically fed off Danny Seigle’s constant injuries to get the nod as the MVP... twice. But not to downplay his ability to play the “big” game, Ildefonso is the first and only player to win the Best Player of the Conference award five times and a Finals MVP thrice. He is a clutch player with range and has the ability to clinch crisp passes. His Raise the Roof dunk was one of the most popular taunts last decade.  

RANKED THIS LOW:

The Raise the Roof kid is lucky because in SMB’s last 90’s to early 2000’s glory days, Seigle was the prime contender for the two consecutive MVP awards. This is why people feel that Danny I. does not deserve the MVP citations despite proving his self time and again. Also, during the mid and late 2000’s, Ildefonso’s playing time is MIA because of nagging injuries.

15 WILLIE MILLER

THE THRILLER

2001 – present

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

2x MVP

3x Mythical Five

2x Mythical Ten

2x Best Player of the Conference

1x Finals MVP

1x All-Defensive Team

1x All-Star MVP

9x All-Star

5,000 Points

500 3-Points Made

Top 25: Scoring Average

Top 25: Assists Average

Top 25: 3-Point Percentage

RANKED THIS HIGH:

He was the first MVP to come from the MBA. Dubbed “The Spinner”, he transformed into “The Thriller” when he helped Red Bull claim a remarkable 2002 season. After a run with Talk N Text, he moved to Alaska where he claimed his second MVP title and cemented his status as one of the league’s best. He is a very streaky shooter that has the body to post up and the athleticism to split the defense.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Willie Miller is a heat magnet because of his jolliness – just ask Rosell Ellis and Diamon Simpson. He is a superstar despite this with his two MVP’s to spite his critics. He needs to shore up his achievements though. With his playing style, some of the records he could break are 10,000 points, 2,000 assists, and maybe 1,500 free throws.

16 JOJO LASTIMOSA

JOLAS

1988 – 2002

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

3x Mythical Five

3x Mythical Ten

1x Finals MVP

Rookie of the Year

25 Greatest Players of the PBA

1x All-Defensive Team

1x All-Star MVP

8x All-Star

10,000 Points

2,000 Assists

500 Steals

500 3-Points Made

2,000 Free Throws Made

Top 25: Scoring Average

Top 10: Free Throw Percentage

1x Season Champion: Free Throws Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Dubbed The Fourth Quarter Man because he raises his game a notch during the payoff period, he is one of the beloved players of his era. He started out as a high-flying dunker at Purefoods but then he switched gears and became a sweet-shooting clutch performer. One of his most important exploits was when he engineered the 1996 Grand Slam.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Jolas played behind Alvin Patrimonio and Jerry Codinera at Purefoods. When he was in Alaska, he played behind Johnny Abarrientos and Bong Hawkins. The entry of Jeffrey Cariaso and eventually Kenneth Duremdes will also take a gander of Jolas’ touches. He will be then shipped to the Pop Cola Panthers where his numbers diminished. When he returned to the Aces, he just saw limited action.

17 VERGEL MENESES

AERIAL VOYAGER

1992 – 2006

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

Ix MVP

2x Mythical Five

1x Mythical Ten

3x Best Player of the Conference

1x Finals MVP

Rookie of the Year

25 Greatest Players of the PBA

4x All-Star MVP

10x All-Star

Most Improved Player

5,000 Points

2,000 Assists

1,500 Free Throws Made

Top 25: Scoring Average

Top 25: Assists

2x Season Champion: Total Points

1x Season Champion: Scoring Average

1x Season Champion: 2-Points Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Vergel Meneses is one of the best high flyers to ever play in the PBA. Packed with a skill to soar, he can nail the shots people think are impossible. He was also a gifted passer – dropping the dime the second he sees the foes collapse on him. He is a former MVP and he holds the record for more All Star MVP’s with four. He almost took Swift/Sunkist to a grand slam in 1995.

RANKED THIS LOW:

If there was a flaw in Meneses’ career, it has to be that he was a journeyman. He was the main man of every squad he’s on but this streak ended when he went to Ginebra. In his final year with the squad, he met a rookie that upstaged him from the Kings’ SG spot. That rookie is Mark Caguioa. After the Ginebra stint, he had his moments in FedEx but his career went downhill afterwards.

18 FRANCIS ARNAIZ

MR. CLUTCH

1975 – 86

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

3x Mythical Five

Hall of Fame

Played in the 1974 Puerto Rico FIBA World Championship 

25 Greatest Players of the PBA

10,000 Points

2,000 Assists

1,500 Free Throws Made

Top 10: Scoring Average

Top 25: Assists

1x Season Champion: Total Assists

1x Season Champion: 3-Points Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Francis Arnaiz is a revered presence in Toyota and Ginebra. He is one of those players that can wheel and deal shots no matter the time and situation. He can hit the long toms and sink in the driving layups. When placed in a bind, he can ably feed the ball to teammates Robert Jaworski or Ramon Fernandez. His Mr. Clutch moniker suits him perfectly. 

RANKED THIS LOW:

I wonder if he’s not part of the Toyota franchise. I wonder if he’s not with Robert Jaworski at Ginebra. Fact is, Arnaiz had the talent to lead a team but he chose to play second fiddle for Jawo (third if you count his Toyota stint where there is also Ramon Fernandez). Also, he is more of a backcourt person which eliminates him from grabbing other stats to further pad his legacy.

19 NELSON ASAYTONO

THE BULL

1989 – 2006

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

3x Mythical Five

4x Mythical Ten

2x Best Player of the Conference

9x All-Star

10,000 Points

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

1,000 Offensive Rebounds

2,000 Free Throws Made

Top 25: Scoring Average

Top 25: Free Throw Percentage

3x Season Champion: Total Points

1x Season Champion: Scoring Average

2x Season Champion: 3-Points Made

2x Season Champion: Free Throws Made

1x Season Champion: Total Defensive Rebounds

RANKED THIS HIGH:

There is a reason why Nelson Asaytono is called The Bull. Do you remember that commercial? The former UM Hawk is a bully inside the shaded area and during his time he can maul people and making them pay for scoring or defending against him. Do you remember when he was the lone scoring threat of San Miguel where almost had a 30-point average? If you don’t, maybe it’s because you remember when him and Meneses were leading the Swift/Sunkist squad to a lot of championships!

RANKED THIS LOW:

Asaytono despite not getting enough recognition is high on this list because he was that good. He lacks the respect of the award-giving bodies though. He lost two MVP races to Alvin Patrimonio and he was snubbed at the 25 Greatest Players ceremony. In his later years, he fell victim to the rise of the Fil-Ams which robbed him of his inside game and made him rely on his three point shot more. In his later years in the PBA he was more of Red Bull’s sub guy. 

20 ERIC MENK

MAJOR PAIN

1999 – present

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x MVP

1x Mythical Five

1x Mythical Ten

3x Best Player of the Conference

3x Finals MVP

1x All-Defensive Team

9x All-Star

5,000 Points

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

1,000 Offensive Rebounds

1,500 Free Throws Made

Top 25: Scoring Average

Top 10: Rebounding Average

2x Season Champion: Scoring Average

1x Season Champion: Free Throws Made

1x Season Champion: Total Defensive Rebounds

2x Season Champion: Total Offensive Rebounds

2x Season Champion: Total Rebounds

1x Season Champion: 2-Points Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

When Tanduay Rhum returned to the PBA, they brought Eric Menk with them. Major Pain as he was called quickly made an impression as a blue-collared workhorse that has the strength of a bear and the flight of an eagle (Bravestarr!). The smooth operator was then traded to Ginebra where he became a crowd favorite and won himself his only MVP title.

RANKED THIS LOW:

He is nearing retirement and the awesomeness has faded. And if you backtrack on his achievements a bit, you’ll find that he could have done more had not for the citizenship issues. Just like any other Fil-Am, Menk suffered on this ordeal and maybe by this time he could have had 10,000 points and 5,000 defensive rebounds. Also, he hasn’t had a complete season for quite a while with all the injuries he has suffered.

21 JIMMY ALAPAG

THE MIGHTY MOUSE

2003 – present

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x MVP

3x Mythical Five

2x Best Player of the Conference 

2x Finals MVP

Rookie of the Year

1x All-Star MVP

9x All-Star

2,000 Assists

500 3-Points Made

Top 10: Assist Average

Top 10: 3-Point Percentage

5x Season Champion: Total Assists

3x Season Champion: 3-Points Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

You see, this is what a MVP trophy can do to a player’s worth. I think Alaska trading Alapag for Don Camaso is one of the worst decisions the Aces has ever made. Alaska missed out of a great playmaker that has the ability to knock down a fast break three. Alapag stabilizes Talk N Text whenever he is on the court and most of the time, his great work result in victories. It really helped Alapag’s career that TNT really, REALLY trusts him.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Undoubtedly, Alapag moved up because of his recent MVP win. Before he scored a ton of accolades, Alapag was virtually snubbed especially in the early part of his career. Also, if you look at his achievements, there are a lot of missing awards that he can add in his list like 5,000 points, 1,500 Free Throws Made, and a bunch of All-Star citations and season-leading stats.

22 RONNIE MAGSANOC

POINT LAUREATE

1988 – 2002

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Five

3x Mythical Ten

25 Greatest Players of the PBA

7x All-Star

5,000 Points

2,000 Assists

500 Steals

1,000 3-Points Made

Top 10: Assist Average

Top 10: 3-Point Percentage

Top 10: Free Throw Percentage

1x Season Champion: 3-Points Made

2x Season Champion: Total Assists

1x Season Champion: Total Steals

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Magsanoc... three points! Whenever The Point Laureate ignites a booming triple, everybody is at their feet! His stroke is a thing of beauty that in some ways shadow his amazing playmaking qualities. With him and Benjie Paras, Shell became a contender. It was the trio of him, Paras, and Bobby Parks that helped the Turbo Chargers in numerous finals appearances and championships.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Throughout his career he was Benjie Paras’ sidekick. This is not bad and all because in some ways, this is the PBA’s version of Stockton to Malone. However, his career started to fizzle after he was traded to Sta. Lucia for Chris Jackson and Gerry Esplana. He was then traded to Purefoods where he juggled player duties with coaching duties. After he left Shell, he never averaged in double figures in scoring again.

23 JAMES YAP

BIG GAME JAMES

2004 – present

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

2x MVP

2x Mythical Five

1x Mythical Ten

1x Best Player of the Conference

1x Finals MVP

8x All-Star

5,000 Points

500 3-Points Made

Top 10: Scoring Average

2x Season Champion: Total Points

1x Season Champion: Scoring Average

2x Season Champion: 3-Points Made

1x Season Champion: Free Throws Made

1x Season Champion: 2-Points Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Without any doubt, Yap inherited cornerstone status from Purefoods (now B-Meg) poster boy Alvin Patrimonio. The team lives and dies with his thunderous troikas. This early in his career, he has already posted a lot of accolades. As of this writing he has yet to reach 30. If he continues to play at this rate and stays healthy, I can see great things for the sniper from Escalante.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Like I said, Yap can still pad his stats. As long as he is the main scorer of the squad, expect him to rise up and perhaps be in the Top 10-15 range in five years time. With the rate he is playing, he can score 10,000 points, 2,000 free throws, and 1,000 3-points! Hell, I do not doubt the possibility of him potentially earning another MVP award!

24 ATO AGUSTIN

THE ATOM BOMB

2004 – present

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x MVP

3x Mythical Five

1x Mythical Ten

25 Greatest Players of the PBA

Most Improved Player

6x All-Star

5,000 Points

2,000 Free Throws Made

Top 25: Scoring Average

Top 10: Free Throw Percentage

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Playing for Swift in the PABL, Ato Agustin had the unfortunate task of playing behind Samboy Lim when he got drafted eleventh (?) by San Miguel in the 1989 Draft. However, instead of sulking he made it a mission to not get misplaced in Norman Black’s lineup. He was a big time player in his San Miguel days where he became a multiple time Mythical Five member and in 1992, he won the MVP award.

RANKED THIS LOW:

It all started downhill for Agustin when he was traded to Sunkist for Nelson Asaytono. He didn’t fit the Juicers’ system and then he moved to the Metropolitan Basketball Association. The move, while fruitful because he led the Pampanga Dragons to the first MBA title, caused him to miss a lot of achievement awards. When he returned to the PBA via Sta. Lucia and Red Bull, he wasn’t the same player he once was.

25 FREDDIE HUBALDE

1975 – 90

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x MVP

3x Mythical Five

Hall of Fame

25 Greatest Players of the PBA

5,000 Points

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

1,000 Offensive Rebounds

1,500 Free Throws Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Freddie Hubalde is one of the best small forwards to strut his stuff in the PBA. In his 16 years, he won 16 titles, most of which came from the Crispa Redmanizers. He played for two grand slam teams and would have won another for Tanduay in 1986 had not for the Billy Ray Bates-led Ginebra. He won MVP honors in 1977. He was a low-key scorer with his patented “dukot” shot and he was a very capable defensive powerhouse with his patented “backtap”.

RANKED THIS LOW:

While Hubalde is a superstar, his stock rose only when Bogs Adornado suffered an almost-career ending injury. He was also an injury prone player especially when his playing career was nearing its end. He also ended his career as a grizzled vet playing in limited minutes for Shell and Ginebra. While most of his contemporaries had at least 10,000 points and 5,000 rebounds, he didn’t which sucks considering he played 16 years in the league.

26 DANNY SEIGLE

DYNAMITE DANNY

1999 – present

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

3x Mythical Five

1x Mythical Ten

2x Best Player of the Conference 

4x Finals MVP

Rookie of the Year

1x All-Star MVP

5x All-Star

5,000 Points

1,500 Free Throws Made

Top 5: Scoring Average

Top 25: Rebounding Average

Top 25: Free Throw Percentage

3x Season Champion: Total Points

4x Season Champion: Free Throws Made

1x Season Champion: 2-Points Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

His brother Andy was a center but he was a slasher. That can’t be good for his opponents because he is almost the same height as his bro. Danny Seigle upgraded the shooting guard/small forward spot owned usually by small player that are too offensive-minded to play point guard but too “perimeter” to play power forward. Dubbed The Dynamite, he is a scoring machine. He can hang in the air to unload his rarely blockable, high-arching fadeaway jump shot. He is also a 4-time Finals MVP.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Let’s face it – if Danny Seigle wasn’t always injured, he could have been a two-time MVP right now. While Danny Ildefonso is a hall of famer in his own right, Danny Seigle always led the Beermen in points and was a decent rebounder as well. Ildefonso just filled what Seigle lacked. Because of Seigle’s injuries he missed out a lot of awards and citations. Arguably he is the 2000’s version of the 90’s version of Samboy Lim.

27 KENNETH DUREMDES

CAPTAIN MARBEL

1995 – present

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x MVP

2x Mythical Five

2x Mythical Ten

2x Best Player of the Conference 

2x Finals MVP

25 Greatest Players of the PBA

9x All-Star

5,000 Points

500 3-Points Made

Top 25: Free Throw Percentage

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Because of a then-recent MVP win, Duremdes was named the youngest player to join the 25 Greatest Players of the PBA club. The high-flying Captain Marbel was with the Alaska squad that conquered the league with their numerous championships. In fact he was the MVP when Alaska almost had their second grand slam but they opted to sacrifice the feat to back the 1998 Centennial Squad. 

RANKED THIS LOW:

Kenneth Duremdes is a star but his star shown the brightest under Tim Cone. During his rookie season, he was merely a sub to Vergel Meneses. He was saved in this task when he was sent to Alaska for Dwight Lago. After establishing his stardom, he was suddenly sent to Sta. Lucia for Brandon Cablay. During his stint with Sta. Lucia (eventually to Coca-Cola), Captain Marbel is often injured which led to his first retirement.

28 HECTOR CALMA

THE DIRECTOR

1986 – 94

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

3x Mythical Five

Hall of Fame

25 Greatest Players of the PBA

Almost played in the 1986 Madrid FIBA World Championship 

3x All-Star

Top 10: Assists Average

Top 25: Free Throw Percentage

1x Season Champion: Total Assists

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Dubbed The Director, Hector Calma is one of the best point guards to ever play for Philippine basketball. Making a name as a Philippine team member (Northern Consolidated Cement), Calma went on to give the San Miguel Beermen a grand slam in 1989. He was hailed by the PBA as the most important player of the 1980’s in their All-Decade Team – joining Caloy Loyzaga, Narciso Bernardo, Robert Jaworski, and Alvin Patrimonio.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Definitely, Calma is a great player. However, he has more accolades playing for the National squad rather than in his actual pro career. Sure, he is a 3-time Mythical Five member but during his nine careers in the league, he could have done more. He was also not a big-time scorer and if you compare his PBA achievements with the other people in this list, his awards could have been more.

29 BONG HAWKINS

THE HAWK

1991 – 2006

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

2x Mythical Five

2x Mythical Ten

1x Best Player of the Conference 

1x Finals MVP

Most Improved Player

1x All-Defensive Team

4x All-Star

5,000 Points

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

1,000 Offensive Rebounds

500 Steals

1,500 Free Throws Made

Top 25: Rebounding Average

2x Season Champion: Total Defensive Rebounds 

2x Season Champion: Total Offensive Rebounds

3x Season Champion: Total Rebounds

1x Season Champion: 2-Points Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

The son of a former PBA player, The Hawk is known for his great rebounding ability and his awesome side shot, despite the fact that he isn’t really a big leaper. He played a major role when Alaska dominated the 90’s which was highlighted by a 1996 grand slam. In fact he got his first and only Best Player of the Conference award at the Commissioner’s Cup of that year.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Hawkins, just like Abarrientos and Duremdes, played his best years as an Alaska Milkmen. Sure, he also averaged in double figures with Presto/Sta. Lucia for three seasons but his efforts were recognized as part of this squad. After he was traded out of the Aces (and his comeback leading to his retirement), his averages declined and injuries surfaced. He had two chances to win the MVP award but it was foiled by Patrimonio and Abarrientos.

30 KELLY WILLIAMS

MACHINE GUN

2006 – present

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x MVP

2x Mythical Five

2x Mythical Ten

1x Best Player of the Conference 

Rookie of the Year

1x All-Defensive Team

4x All-Star

3x Season Champion: Total Defensive Rebounds 

1x Season Champion: Total Rebounds

RANKED THIS HIGH:

The high-leaping, slam-dunking Fil-Am was discovered by Chot Reyes. He would then play for Reyes in Talk N Text but before that he was picked first in the 2006 PBA Draft by Sta. Lucia where he electrified the crowds. He was the chief instigator of Sta. Lucia’s success in the 2007-08 PBA Season which gave the team its second and last title and for him a MVP award.

RANKED THIS LOW:

There is nothing bad in his stats right now. At this stage of his career, he is getting the accolades most players do during their tenth year. However, one thing Kelly needs to check is his declining offensive game. Talk N Text is a team full of scoring options that he sometimes gets lost in the shuffle.

31 DANNY FLORENCIO

DAREDEVIL DANNY

1975 – 83

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

Hall of Fame

25 Greatest Players in the PBA

Played in the 1968 Mexico Olympics

Played in the 1972 Munich Olympics

5,000 Points

Top 10: Scoring Average

Top 25: Free Throw Percentage

2x Season Champion: Scoring Average

1x Season Champion: 2-Points Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

He is perhaps the most decorated scoring arsenal the league has ever seen in the PBA’s early years. Standing 5’9, Florencio is the only player to average 30 points in a season (32.3ppg in 1977). Also, he once held the highest point total record with 64 points while playing for U-Tex in 1977. Before Caidic, Samboy, Caguioa, and James Yap took over the game, Danny Florencio was the man.

RANKED THIS LOW:

In the official record list of the PBA, Florencio never qualified to any Mythical selection. Florencio was involved in two separate game-fixing incidents in the 70’s playing for Crispa in the MICAA and Toyota in the PBA. Banned from joining Crispa after the 1973 incident, imagine if he stayed on to join this fabled squad in the PBA and claim two grand slams? He also bounced from team to team for eight seasons before finally playing his last with the extremely manly Galerie Dominique Artistas in 1983. In fact, Wikipedia listed Florencio for being part of the first ever trade in PBA history.   

32 MARLOU AQUINO

THE SKYSCRAPER

1996 – present

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

2x Mythical Five

1x Mythical Ten

1x Best Player of the Conference 

1x Finals MVP

Rookie of the Year

1x Defensive Player of the Year

4x All-Defensive Team

1x All-Star MVP

6x All-Star

5,000 Points

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

1,000 Offensive Rebounds

1,000 Blocks

1x Season Champion: Total Points

1x Season Champion: Free Throws Made

1x Season Champion: Total Offensive Rebounds

5x Season Champion: Total Blocks

1x Season Champion: 2-Points Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

To the chagrin of many, being 6’9 has its perks. Aquino was twice considered for the MVP award because of the dominance he imposed while playing for Ginebra. His jolens shot was a move so awkward; people are still confused on its effectivity. Aside from being an offensive threat, he also captivated the people with his epic swatting, leading the season in that category five times. He helped Ginebra to top-tier status in the late 90’s and gave Sta. Lucia its first title in the early 2000’s.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Of course people will riot on how high he is on this list. Fact is however, the goggled giant could have been higher had not for his attitude. Because of his inability to stay focus (to the point that people are saying he is too indolent), his scoring gradually dropped in the late 2000’s. It also didn’t help his cause that he overstayed in the PBL when he could have joined the league as early as 1995 (on the plus side, he won a PBL grand slam at Stag). 

33 JEFFREY CARIASO

THE JET

1995 – 2010

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

3x Mythical Five

2x Mythical Ten

1x Best Player of the Conference 

1x Finals MVP

Rookie of the Year

4x All-Defensive Team

9x All-Star

5,000 Points

2,000 Assists

1,500 Free Throws Made

Top 25: Free Throw Percentage

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Cariaso was drafted sixth by the Milkmen in 1995 and he was just what the doctor ordered for Alaska. He is one of the most durable and productive shooters to ever play in the PBA. Talking about productive, sans his last two seasons in the PBA, he averaged in double figures. Talking about durable, he played for 16 years in the league despite almost suffering a harrowing injury at the hands of Rudy Distrito.

RANKED THIS LOW:

He is always a team player... which is unfortunate. In Alaska, he was the fourth scoring option behind their main guns. When he was signed then traded to Mobiline, he shone the brightest because he was the only marquee in their lineup. However this was short-lived following the entry of Andy Seigle... and then Asi Taulava. The strong ensembles continue when he was at Coca-Cola and in his return stint with Alaska.

34 MARK CAGUIOA

THE SPARK

2001 – present

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

2x Mythical Five

2x Mythical Ten

1x Best Player of the Conference 

1x Finals MVP

Rookie of the Year

6x All-Star

5,000 Points

500 3-Points Made

Top 10: Scoring Average

Top 25: Free Throw Percentage

1x Season Champion: Total Points

2x Season Champion: Scoring Average

RANKED THIS HIGH:

At the early part of his career he starts off the bench to detonate aerial mortars hence the name The Spark. The flashy and flamboyant Caguioa has the capacity to throw punches in bunches. In no time, he became the 2000’s reincarnation of Robert Jaworski – the guy the people either love or hate because of his words but has the tools to back his words up.

RANKED THIS LOW:

While Caguioa has had a lot of championships and accolades with the Kings, The Spark has yet to gain respect from the PBA people. Caguioa is not getting any younger and the opportunities for him to have a MVP are growing thin. Add also the fact that Caguioa figured in an injury that sidelined him in the latter part of the 2000’s. If he can continue to score well, he’ll likely break the 10,000-points mark.

35 JAYJAY HELTERBRAND

HELTERSKELTER

2000 – present

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x MVP

2x Mythical Five

2x Best Player of the Conference

1x Finals MVP

2x All-Star MVP

7x All-Star

500 3-Points Made

Top 25: Assists Average

Top 25: 3-Point Percentage

1x Season Champion: Total Assists

RANKED THIS HIGH:

One half of the Fast and the Furious tandem of Ginebra, his biggest break came when Mark Caguioa got injured and he was forced to carry the Kings on his back. The results were successful for Helterskelter as he became the second Ginebra player to win the MVP award. Helterbrand is a top notch orchestrator that leads the way for the execution of Ginebra’s run and gun attack.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Let’s face it – the only reason why Jayjay got the MVP award is because his fellow Bandanna brother wasn’t there to share his spotlight. Jayjay also started as a backup for Bal David and in his tenure he has missed a lot of games. In 2003, he sat out for a season because Ginebra refused to offer him the max pay given that he is just The Flash’s backup.

36 SAMBOY LIM

THE SKYWALKER

1986 – 97

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

2x Mythical Ten

Hall of Fame

25 Greatest Players in the PBA

Almost played in the 1986 Madrid FIBA World Championship 

4x All-Star

5,000 Points

Top 25: Scoring Average

Top 25: Free Throw Percentage

1x Season Champion: Free Throws Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

It was every kid’s dream to soar and fly a la Samboy Lim. Also called “The Dragon”, the former Letran Knight would master the art of floating and jamming which at that time, was rare for us “little people”. Coming from the awesome Northern Consolidated Cement RP squad, Lim would later on help the also Cojuangco-owned San Miguel squad to a grand slam in 1990.

RANKED THIS LOW:

There are a lot of fanboys that would rip this article out which is why I said BEST CAREERS and not GREATEST PLAYERS. The thing is – Ato Agustin, despite all of his talents – will never be breathe in the same league as Samboy and yet Agustin has won one MVP and three Mythical Five citations while Samboy could only show two Mythical Tens in his resume. There is a simple explanation for this thought – staying power. Throughout his PBA career, Samboy was rarely healthy. Because of his eagerness to fly, players would grab the chance to ground him. Sometimes, opposing defenders wouldn’t do anything to Samboy and we will still see him slip and hurt himself in the process. In my honest opinion, if Samboy Lim wasn’t injury prone, the Atom Bomb wouldn’t be ranked this high in the list.

37 ARWIND SANTOS

THE SPIDERMAN

2006 – present

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

4x Mythical Five

1x Mythical Ten

1x Best Player of the Conference 

1x Finals MVP

Rookie of the Year

1x Defensive Player of the Year

5x All-Defensive Team

3x All-Star

RANKED THIS HIGH:

By ranking Samboy Lim low and by rating Arwind Santos, again people will shit on this list. However, with four Mythical five citations and a slew of major achievements, Arwind has done more in so little time than what others did in the course of their career. Just when people thought his game will slow down when he got traded to San Miguel/Petron, he made people think otherwise.

RANKED THIS LOW:

If you check out his stats, you’ll see that he has at least one point, rebound, assist, steal, and block per game. Unless the injury bug bites Arwind (i.e. The Penny Hardaway Syndrome), sky’s the limit for The Spiderman. With the rate he is playing, he’ll easily grab 5,000 points, 2,000 defensive rebounds, and other achievement awards in no time.

38 OLSEN RACELA

RARA

1993 – 2011

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

2x Mythical Five

3x Mythical Ten

1x Finals MVP

6x All-Star

5,000 Points

2,000 Assists

500 Steals

500 3-Points Made

Top 10: Free Throw Percentage

Top 25: 3-Point Percentage

RANKED THIS HIGH:

He was fast, he organized the plays, and he can electrify. This pass-first point guard was once hailed as the best point guard in the PBA during the early 2000’s because of his gung-ho plays that gave San Miguel multiple championships. Despite him also remembered for the debacle that happened in Busan, Racela is a well-known clutch performer and momentum defuser.

RANKED THIS LOW:

He wasn’t the big time quarterback at the start of his career. He played second fiddle for Dindo Pumaren during his early years playing for Purefoods. He also cherished the role as the support for the Two Dannys when San Miguel was title-hunting in the early 2000’s. Perhaps the best sign that he was on his way out was the carousel of point guards San Miguel kept on claiming that stopped when Alex Cabagnot came to the squad. 

39 MANNY VICTORINO

THE MAIN MAN

1981 – 96

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

3x Mythical Five

Most Improved Player

5x All-Star

5,000 Points

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

1,000 Offensive Rebounds

500 Blocks

1,500 Free Throws Made

1x Season Champion: Total Blocks

RANKED THIS HIGH:

The early 80’s never really produced marquee men (with the exception of the pioneers) but if there are notables, then you have Manny Victorino. Playing for Great Taste/Presto, Victorino proved to be a prolific scorer that could have presided the likes of Jun Limpot and Dennis Espino. He is also a hard-nosed defender as well as a big-time rebounder. 

RANKED THIS LOW:

Manny Victorino no doubt is a marquee player. However after his Great Taste/Presto stint, Victorino became the marquee player for cellar-dwelling squads. This fact made it difficult for Victorino to score achievement awards. After stints with Pepsi and Ginebra, Victorino had his final pit stop at Purefoods where he became a role player.

40 RUDY HATFIELD

THE H-BOMB

2000 – 11

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Five

2x Mythical Ten

1x Best Player of the Conference

1x Finals MVP

1x Defensive Player of the Year 

2x All-Defensive Team

3x All-Star

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

Top 10: Rebounding Average

1x Season Champion: Total Defensive Rebounds

1x Season Champion: Total Offensive Rebounds

1x Season Champion: Total Rebounds

1x Season Champion: Total Steals

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Rudy Hatfield is one of the best rebounders the league has ever seen. Despite his size, he can outplay bigger opponents when it comes to hauling boards. He rose to fame as Jeff Cariaso’s tag team partner when they led the Coca-Cola Tigers to numerous titles in the 2000’s. When he was traded to Ginebra, Hatfield also produced great numbers despite being in a star-studded squad.  

RANKED THIS LOW:

Technically Hatfield is a 12-year pro. However, he didn’t exactly have an ideal career. When Hatfield was at his peak, he was severely hounded by the Bureau of Immigration. The ordeal was too rough for Hatfield that even his mother was placed under scrutiny. Also, as exemplified by his actions, Hatfield has settling issues. Had not for his fireman/wrestling aspirations fused with his citizenship problems, he could have been a MVP in the league.

41 MANNY PANER

1975 – 86 

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Five

Hall of Fame

25 Greatest Players of the PBA

Played in the 1972 Munich Olympics

Played in the 1974 FIBA World Championships

5,000 Points

1,000 Offensive Rebounds

Top 25: Rebounding Average

1x Season Champion: Total Defensive Rebounds

3x Season Champion: Total Offensive Rebounds

1x Season Champion: Total Rebounds

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Paner is known as a monster inside the paint. Basically he is Dennis Espino and Jun Limpot during the Pioneer Era. He will terrorize opponents by owning the boards and convince people to get wary at his extremely accurate hook shot. He is a Hall of Famer and was part of the last team to represent the country in worldwide tourney.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Despite his accolades Paner never really had a meaty PBA career. Sure he carved his niche but he only had one Mythical selection in his entire career. Blame this on his injuries and the fact that the San Miguel franchise is not the strong franchise it is now. He could have been a MVP if he just played for top-tier squads.

42 DENNIS ESPINO

THE MENACE

1995 – present

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

2x Mythical Five

1x Finals MVP

1x Defensive Player of the Year

1x All-Defensive Team

7x All-Star

5,000 Points

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

1,000 Offensive Rebounds

2,000 Free Throws Made

Top 25: Rebounding Average

1x Season Champion: Total Defensive Rebounds

3x Season Champion: Total Offensive Rebounds

1x Season Champion: Total Rebounds

RANKED THIS HIGH:

He basically is the Manny Paner of his generation. He can muscle his way inside the lane and is not afraid to bang bodies against the imports and the Fil-Ams. While he is mainly a defensive player, for a decade he averaged in double figures. Until Sta. Lucia’s closure he is the Realtors’ poster boy and he led the “devotees” to a couple of championships.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Dennis Espino is powerful inside the shaded area but throughout his PBA career he was part of a twin tower combo (Jun Limpot, Marlou Aquino, and Kelly Williams). Aside from his twin titles, Sta. Lucia had seasons where they played one of the fewest games because they can’t get past the quarterfinals. Also for the last four or five seasons, his playing time and dominance had decreased.

43 ALI PEEK

MAN MOUNTAIN

1998 – present

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Five

1x Mythical Ten

1x Best Player of the Conference

4x All-Star

5,000 Points

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

1,000 Offensive Rebounds

500 Blocks

Top 10: Rebounding Average

RANKED THIS HIGH:

This mammoth force is a not an easy target on the shaded lane. He parks himself in the paint like an immovable object and it will hurt once you engage with him on a rebounding battle. He is also a big time blocker which is divine since he can’t hardly expect a guy that looks like a bulldozer could leap and swat shots. His best scoring years were when he played a couple of seasons with Alaska.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Peek can lead a team contrary to what people think. Like I said, he was the main man during his stint in Alaska. Unfortunately, he failed to give a championship to the squad. Since then Peek is more of a vital ingredient off the bench for title-hungry squads. He got the second lease in his career when he got out of second-string hell to got a Mythical ten spot for the TNT Tropang Texters.

44 JUN LIMPOT

THE REAL DEAL

1993 – 2007

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

2x Mythical Ten

Rookie of the Year

1x All-Defensive Team

8x All-Star

5,000 Points

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

2,000 Free Throws Made

Top 25: Scoring Average

Top 25: Free Throw Percentage

1x Season Champion: Scoring Average

RANKED THIS HIGH:

The guy is definitely a marquee name. When he was selected top pick in the 1993 Draft by the Sta. Lucia Realtors, he was instantly named as the team’s savior. He had a superb inside game and as the seasons progressed, he fine-tuned a very dependable jump shot. He went on to play for Ginebra before hanging his boots with the Purefoods TJ Giants.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Limpot’s career is tainted on the sole fact that it took a long time for him to win a championship. When he won a title, he was already past his prime and is a benchwarmer. Sta. Lucia won its first title the year he was traded to Ginebra and the Kings had the same fate when they dealt him to Purefoods. And then there is the issue of him being soft and is afraid to muscle people in the paint. These factors could have been vital as to why he failed to win the more important awards.

45 LIM ENG BENG

1975 – 86

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Five

25 Greatest Players of the PBA

5,000 Points

1,500 Free Throws Made

Top 25: Scoring Average

Top 25: Free Throw Percentage

3x Season Champion: Free Throws Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Lim Eng Beng was one of the best players in the history of the NCAA. In fact, the La Salle alumni respect his accomplishments that they retired his #14 jersey. Fortunately for Lim he carried his talents to the pro level with gusto. In a time where Crispa and Toyota players rule the individual and team feats, he snagged a Mythical five selection. 

RANKED THIS LOW:

Lim Eng Beng, despite his skills, failed to claim one thing that ended up ruining his chances further cement his legacy in the PBA. He was a superstar journeyman in his twelve seasons in the league. He strut his wares to six teams and it didn’t help that injuries slowed him down. He then brought his game down to the PABL in 1988 as the player-coach of Agfa until 1990. Had played from one or two teams that took care of his career, who knows what he could have had accomplish.

46 BERNIE FABIOSA

THE SULTAN OF SWIPE

1975 – 91

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Ten

25 Greatest Players of the PBA

5,000 Points

2,000 Assists

1,000 Steals

Top 25: Assists Average

Top 25: Free Throw Percentage

1x Season Champion: Total Assists

7x Season Champion: Total Steals

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Only one man could facilitate a team spearheaded by five potential Hall of Famers. Fabiosa is an excellent playmaker packed with intelligence, craftiness, and defensive prowess. If there was an All-Defensive Team at the peak of his career then he would have been a perennial member. Fabiosa is a seven-time season steals champ! 

RANKED THIS LOW:

Fabiosa’s Hall of Fame stint gets derailed always because fact is – he is the “weakest” member of the Crispa superstar core. He can’t be a scoring threat with Bogs Adornado, Atoy Co, and Freddie Hubalde at the wings and he gives up the rebounding chores to Abet Guidaben and Philip Cezar. And as for assists, his numbers could have been more but since Baby Dalupan’s plays require the team to swing the ball makes it difficult for him to score those dimes.

47 YOYOY VILLAMIN

THE BICOLANO SUPERMAN

1981 – 98

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Five

3x Mythical Ten

Most Improved Player

3x All-Star

7x All-Defensive Team

5,000 Points

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

1,000 Offensive Rebounds

500 Blocks 

1x Season Champion: Total Defensive Rebounds

1x Season Champion: Total Offensive Rebounds

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Elpidio “Yoyoy” Villamin is a very, VERY big time power forward during the 80’s and late 90’s. This is why he is called “The Bicolano Superman”. He can score at will, rebound without fear, and swat shots. He enjoyed the best time of his career while playing for Hills Bros/Alaska where alongside Ricky Relosa formed the Bruise Brothers.

RANKED THIS LOW:

It was said that Yoyoy Villamin was the more deserving player to win MVP honors in the year Abet Guidaben won the plum in 1987. Despite the accolades he got, it’s hard to batch Villamin from the pioneers and the late 80’s wonder bunch. He spent a lot of his prime injured and he played his last years as a benchwarmer that greatly messed up his averages.

48 JAY WASHINGTON

J-WASH

2005 – 10

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

3x Mythical Five

1x Mythical Ten

2x Best Player of the Conference

2x All-Star

RANKED THIS HIGH:

A steady dose of J-Wash for the years to come will certainly give this guy a boost to the top spot. The guy had a lot of accolades and the scary thing about him is that he can certainly give more. After getting picked first by Air21 (then sent to Talk N Text) his averages soar when he was traded to San Miguel. I’m going to liken his stay with Petron/SMB as the second coming of Danny Seigle.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Here’s the thing about the Seigle mention – Jay Washington is often injured. He was plagued with injuries at the start of his PBA career and he hasn’t had a no-DNP season since. He should have been a Mythical Five in the 2011 Leo Awards because he won the Best Player of the Philippine Cup but since he missed a lot of games, he was relegated to the Mythical Ten.

49 ABE KING

THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD 

1977 – 94

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Five

1x Mythical Ten

3x All-Defensive Team

5,000 Points

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

1,000 Offensive Rebounds

500 Blocks 

1,500 Free Throws Made

Top 25: Rebounding Average

3x Season Champion: Total Offensive Rebounds

RANKED THIS HIGH:

He had the pleasure of playing alongside the pioneers and the stars of the new generation. The Chairman of the Board looked gruff and gallant way past his prime but he is a ferocious rebounding mestizo during it. He was also a dependable scorer averaging 10 points per game in his 18 active seasons. He was also durable with an average of 42 games per season.

RANKED THIS LOW:

King started his career in 1977 in Toyota where he played support to the superstar trio of Mon Fernandez, Francis Arnaiz, and Sonny Jaworski. The squad will be later joined by another talented scorer in Arnie Tuadles in 1979. I would have liked to see leading a squad rather than supporting it because he has the tools to do it. He spent his final years in the PBA in a Bill Walton-like role for Alvin Patrimonio and Jerry Codinera in Purefoods.

50 MACMAC CARDONA

CAPTAIN HOOK

2005 – 10

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Five

2x Mythical Ten

1x Best Player of the Conference

1x Finals MVP

4x All-Star

Top 25: Scoring Average

Top 25: 3-Point Percentage

2x Season Champion: Total Points

1x Season Champion: Scoring Average

2x Season Champion: 2-Points Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Captain Hook’s rise to glory started when DLSU and TNT teammate Renren Ritualo was loaned to Chot Reyes’ FIBA-Asia 2007 squad. When Ritualo returned, his spot was already infiltrated with Cardona asserting his self on the position. Dubbed Captain Hook because of his unblockable hook shot, he has averaged 16 points per game and more in his last five seasons. 

RANKED THIS LOW:

One thing Cardona lacks that James Yap has are two MVP trophies that are currently filling up King James’ mantle. Cardona had one chance to covet the award but Jayjay Helterbrand beat him to it. Anyway, the only way Cardona can win the MVP award is by propelling the Meralco Bolts to a championship. He can up his seeding if he continues with his stellar play. 

51 DORIAN PENA

THE FRUTTIEST NAME IN PHILIPPINE BASKETBALL

2001 – PRESENT

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

2x Mythical Five

1x Mythical Ten

2x All-Star

1x All-Defensive Team

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

1,000 Offensive Rebounds

Top 10: Rebounding Average

2x Season Champion: Total Offensive Rebounds

2x Season Champion: Total Rebounds

RANKED THIS HIGH:

He is called Big Dawg by the rest of the league but I like his other moniker better. Anyway, Pena was the wall that catapulted San Miguel to many championships in the early 2000’s. With his frame, it was hard for him to get trounced on the inside and while his rebounding is his forte, he can score when needed.

RANKED THIS LOW:

There are a lot of people weirded at the fact that he is placed this high. San Miguel won a lot of titles with him as just the “other” starter of the squad. Some say that he was carried by his SMB teammates to claim those Mythical selections. Others can’t factor in why his “Negros-Slasher-dominating-inside-scoring” left him. Basically he was just lucky to be in this spot.

52 DINDO PUMAREN

THE BULLET

1989 – 2002

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

2x Mythical Ten

10x All-Star

2x All-Defensive Team

5,000 Points

2,000 Assists

500 Steals

Top 10: Assists Average

6x Season Champion: Total Assists

1x Season Champion: Total Steals

RANKED THIS HIGH:

How fitting it was for Sev Sarmenta to coin his moniker because it was dead-on. The Bullet is a pass-first quarterback that has cat-quick reflexes for playmaking and defense. The best part of his career was played with Purefoods. Maybe aside from Alvin Patrimonio, Jerry Codinera, and Rey Evangelista, maybe the Purefoods/B-Meg squad could retire his number. He is also a 10-time All-Star.

RANKED THIS LOW:

The former UE and DLSU coach was never a scorer and was merely a supplementary guy. This was evident even when he briefly played for Pepsi and was dubbed as their superstar. Pumaren was also unfortunate to get snubbed of a Mythical Five citation to give way for Johnny Abarrientos, Olsen Racela, and Al Solis.

53 RUDY DISTRITO

THE DESTROYER

1981 – 1995

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Ten

3x All-Star

5,000 Points

2,000 Assists

500 Steals

1,500 Free Throws Made

Top 10: Free Throw Percentage

Top 10: 3-Point Percentage

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Everyone thinks Distrito is just a defensive-oriented guard. Well, in a way he is but obviously he is more than that. He is a smart player with an impeccable shot selection. He can also deliver in the closing seconds. He was instrumental when Ginebra climbed from a 0-3 bind to win the 1991 First Conference. He completed his career with a satisfactory 11.6ppg.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Distrito is considerably high in the list since he is a mere supplementary star if you think about it. But okay, the almost career-threatening injury he inflicted on Jeff Cariaso while playing for Swift started his hell. He was banned in the league for a span of time and Swift just waited for his contract to expire. His career got the shot in the arm when the San Juan Knights played in the MBA. And the rest? Just check out his Wiki page. 

54 NIC BELASCO

ST. NIC

1997 – 2010

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Five

2x Mythical Ten

4x All-Star

1x All-Defensive Team

5,000 Points

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

1,000 Offensive Rebounds

Top 25: Rebounding Average

1x Season Champion: Total Defensive Rebounds

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Nic Belasco was the second overall pick in the 1997 PBA Draft by Pop Cola. He rose to fame with San Miguel as the upgraded version of Freddie Abuda. I said this because Belasco had Abuda’s defensive tenacity but he also had an amazing knack to unload triples. Belasco was almost a double-double magnet in the 2000’s. This made him a sought-after star.

RANKED THIS LOW:

You have to check out the last statement I made. He was too much of a sought-after star that his final six years in the league were played with six different teams. Belasco also didn’t start hot as a rookie and he was merely a substitute because people thought he was an inside presence. After his stint with Sta. Lucia where he averaged his lowest, the Fil-Am returned to the US.

55 AL SOLIS

ALO

1987 – 2001

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

2x Mythical Five

3x All-Star

5,000 Points

1,000 3-Points Made

Top 10: 3-Point Percentage

2x Season Champion: 3-Points Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

If you check out his accolades and accomplishments, one thing that stands out is his yearning to drum a triple. Al Solis is one of the deadliest 3-point shooters in the history of the league. Initially known as an impact player with Purefoods, Solis had his best years playing for the Swift Mighty Meaties where he scored two Mythical Five citations.

RANKED THIS LOW:

He basically got the starting job at Swift because the team is an expansion squad. The moment the franchise drafted Boybits Victoria, he was displayed. Fact is he was never a point guard. He was a shooting guard that waits for the ball to come to him so that he can shoot it. He is not a lazy though... but merely that’s just the way he needs to operate.

56 ALVIN TENG

THE ROBOCOP

1986 – 2002

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

4x Mythical Ten 

1x All-Star MVP

5x All-Star

1x Defensive Player of the Year

6x All-Defensive Team

Most Improved Player

5,000 Points

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

1,000 Offensive Rebounds

2x Season Champion: Total Offensive Rebounds

RANKED THIS HIGH:

The Robocop is not here just because he spawned two amazing basketball-playing sons. Alvin Teng was a beast for the San Miguel squad of the late 80’s and early 90’s where he often led the squad in rebounds. Frankly, he will never back out of a challenge especially with regards to possession battles. He was also a gifted scorer as evident when he was traded to Pepsi. By the looks of things he was a superstar waiting to happen.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Teng was the top dog in Pepsi because the talent in the squad was thin. He was traded to Sunkist and back to Pepsi (no called as Mobiline) where he was used as a second string power forward. This is the reason why The Robocop left the league to join the MBA in its second season – playing for the Laguna Lakers and the Negros Slashers. When he returned to the PBA via Alaska, he was ready to retire.

57 ESTOY ESTRADA

1975 – 1982

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Five

5,000 Points

Top 5: Scoring Average

1x Season Champion: Total Points

1x Season Champion: Free Throws Made

1x Season Champion: 2-Points Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

The name Estoy Estrada screams monster scorer especially to those who saw him strut his wares. Basing the infos from the Hardcourt book, I got to know that Estrada has the third-best scoring average of all-time with 19.7ppg. His best year in the PBA was during the inaugural season when he became part of the Mythical Five while playing for Royal Tru-Orange.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Checking out the stats and the bios, Estrada only played eight seasons in the league. At that point, the awards are less and the roles of imports were more. Also, he drifted from team to team and at one point he joined the super-souped up Toyota squad in 1978 the same time super-scorer Danny Florencio also joined the squad. Also, he never won the scoring average award despite finishing third in the all-time list.

58 JUN PAPA

THE RIFLEMAN

1975 – 1980 

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Five

Top 10: Scoring Average

Played in the 1968 Mexico Olympics

Played in the 1972 Munich Olympics

RANKED THIS HIGH:

I never saw him play but online accounts praise him as one of the deadliest shooters to ever set foot in the PBA. He averaged 17.5 points in six seasons and alongside Danny Florencio, they were the only PBA players who played in the Summer Olympics twice. Before entering the PBA he was also a standout at the MICAA version of the Crispa Redmanizers.

RANKED THIS LOW:

He was about to celebrate his 30th birthday when the PBA started. If he was younger, he would have played more. Also, Papa went bye-bye from the MICAA version of Crispa because he served a lifetime ban for allegedly game fixing a championship series in 1973. He was one of six players involved in the incident. Why is this important? Undermanned, Baby Dalupan had no choice but to get young players to beef up his Crispa squad. Imagine if Papa was part of the PBA Crispa squad and not the players that were taken to fill up the void like Atoy Co, Philip Cezar, Abet Guidaben, Freddie Hubalde, and Bernie Fabiosa? (Note: Bogs Adornado was part of the 1973 squad but he was proven innocent.) 

59 KERBY RAYMUNDO

THE KID

2000 – PRESENT

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Five

2x Mythical Ten 

1x Finals MVP

8x All-Star

Top 25: Rebounding Average

1x Season Champion: Total Rebounds

1x Season Champion: 2-Points Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

He has been Purefoods/B-Meg’s primary offensive option on the inside for almost a decade now. His low post attack is his bread and butter but through the years his range has widened. In 2006, he almost won the MVP award had not for James Yap. In some ways I see him as the Abet Guidaben of his generation.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Raymundo’s career started slow. As a Red Bull direct hire, he got benched by the PBA office for almost a year because of falsification of documents. When he returned to the squad he played behind Davonn Harp. Also, The Kid is currently suffering from a bunch of injuries that is scary considering that most of the SMC teams are severely talent-laden.

60 BONG ALVAREZ

MR. EXCITEMENT

1989 – 2005

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Five

1x Mythical Ten 

4x All-Star

5,000 Points

Top 25: Scoring Average

1x Season Champion: 2-Points Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Mr. Excitement was the epitome of awesomeness when it comes to scoring. He can shoot anywhere at great ease and he can solve a defense by displaying his acrobatic skills. He has this epic back to the basket mid-range shot that can be frequently seen on PBA’s Dunkin Donuts Anything Goes halftime segment. He holds the second-highest points total in a game with 71 points.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Mr. Excitement loves to change kits every time he feels like it. In his PBA career, he played for Alaska, Sta. Lucia, Shell, San Miguel, Ginebra, Air21, Red Bull, and Talk N Text. His journey also took him to the MBA via Pasig Blue Pirates and Pampanga Dragons. The problem of becoming a journeyman is that the coach would rather rely on a player who knows his plays than a player who just got there. Since, he is a superstar in terms of skills and mindset, playing as a second fiddle would eat him and this will lead to management spats. At the tailend of Alvarez’s career, his minutes dropped to the point that he is forced to accept one conference deals with the uncertainty of renewal. 

61 ARNIE TUADLES 

1979 – 1992 

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Five

1x Mythical Ten

Rookie of the Year

5,000 Points

1,000 Offensive Rebounds

2,000 Assists

Top 25: Free Throw Percentage

RANKED THIS HIGH:

He is a power forward trapped in a shooting guard’s body. Arnie is one of the most versatile players to play in the league and in some ways, the luckiest. He was able to play alongside Ramon Fernandez and Robert Jaworski during his Toyota days and in the course of the 80’s he was able to unite with the other Crispa legends. 

RANKED THIS LOW:

Tuadles owns a career average of 13.6 points. Playing for 14 seasons, those stats acquired by Tuadles aren’t fluke numbers. While playing with a slew of Hall of Famers is great and all, Tuadles could have been on a team that will treat him as the top dog. He is a small forward that can score, pass, and rebound and with those traits in one player, that basically translates to legendary material.

62 VICTOR PABLO

VICTOR THE CONQUEROR

1993 – 2008

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Five

1x Mythical Ten

3x All-Star

5,000 Points

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

1,000 Offensive Rebounds

Top 25: Free Throw Percentage

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Pablo is a dominating inside presence. Back then when 6’4 power forwards are considered as “towers”, he made a living to humiliate defenses. His best years were played with Shell where he got most of his achievements. Through the years, he added a powerful weapon called the three-point shot in his bag of tricks. 

RANKED THIS LOW:

Pablo’s dominance was halted when the Fil-Am invasion took place. When he returned to Mobiline (he started his career with Pepsi) he lost his big man spot to Asi Taulava and Jerry Codinera (via the Andy Seigle trade). Five years before calling it quits, he became a second string option. He retired averaging 11.3ppg – but that stat should have been a tad higher.

63 CHRIS JACKSON

STONEWALL JACKSON

1995 – 2005

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

3x Defensive Player of the Year

7x All-Defensive Team

3x All-Star

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

1,000 Offensive Rebounds

500 Steals

Top 10: Rebounding Average

RANKED THIS HIGH:

The guy played all five positions with ease. Picked fourth in the 1995 PBA Draft (Purefoods then traded his rights to Sta. Lucia), Jackson proved to everyone that defense can score accolades. Whenever, he is sent to the scorer’s table, expect him to give the opposing star player hell. It was in Shell where he became a household name. He also has a decent 3-point shot that he uses when the situation arises.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Back then, high calibre Fil-Ams are known scorers and not supplementary stars. At some point, people were expecting Jackson to put up massive scoring feats but that didn’t happen. Jackson’s season best happened in 2001 with him hitting 7.1ppg. Also, Jackson played eleven seasons but retired at age 39 – which means that Jackson was more or less 29 when he came to the league.

64 ENRICO VILLANUEVA

THE RAGING BULL

2003 – PRESENT

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Five

1x Best Player of the Conference

7x All-Star

1x All-Defensive Team

Most Improved Player

Top 25: Rebounding Average

1x Season Champion: 2-Points Made 

1x Season Champion: Total Rebounds

RANKED THIS HIGH:

His playing style personified what Red Bull is all about. Nelson Asaytono should be envious at Rico because this could have been Asaytono if Red Bull happened in the early 90’s. He was bullish in the paint and he will charge at anything just to score a dunk or to grab a board. Whenever he pulls his shirt after a devastating dunk, people rise to the feet. He almost won a MVP award during their storied rivalry against Kerby Raymundo and the Purefoods Chunkee Giants.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Red Bull’s financial problems proved instrumental as to why Villanueva lost his edge. He was the third player in the history of the PBA to play in all SMC franchises (San Miguel/Petron, Purefoods/B-Meg, and Ginebra). It is very, very hard to maintain a top-notch career by drifting from team to team. Holding the same distinctions are Cris Bolado, Romel Adducul, and Paul Artadi. Of the four, Villanueva is probably the most successful.

65 WILLIE GENERALAO

THE GENERAL

1980 – 91 

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Ten

Rookie of the Year

2,000 Assists

500 Steals

Top 10: Assists Average

1x Season Champion: Total Assists

RANKED THIS HIGH:

It was evident that Generalao would be a coach someday in both the majors and the minors because of his commanding presence every time he sets foot in the court. He is a pass-first player and would rather set up his teammates that devise scoring opportunities for himself. But that does not mean that he is not a decent scorer though.

RANKED THIS LOW:

He finished his career with 7.9ppg and 5.9apg which are productive numbers if you look at a typical PBA landscape. In the 80’s the league was lucky to have six teams and Generalao had to share the spotlight with other quarterbacks in their chores. He was forced at times to become a backup point despite being at the peak of his career. 

66 DONDON HONTIVEROS

THE CEBUANO HOTSHOT

2000 – PRESENT

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Ten

11x All-Star

5,000 Points

500 3-Points Made

Top 25: 3-Point Percentage

RANKED THIS HIGH:

One of a handful of MBA veterans who can safely say they enjoyed a great PBA career, the Cebuano Hotshot has the ability to shoot the lights out from all angles. And even if he is a scorer, coaches like him because of his impeccable defense. He has never averaged less than 10 points per season since joining the league in 2000. Up until his trade to Air21, he was the only SMB star player of the early 2000’s to retain his starting spot despite the influx of young superstars joining the team (he has since returned with his mother club).

RANKED THIS LOW:

Hontiveros’ career is quickly winding down and I think he missed out on a bunch of Mythical selections. The guy is always with a team with a winning season but he can’t seem to get a break. Sure, in his PBA start, he was a fourth option but as the years go by, we know the calibre of this ex-Cebu Gem. Like I said, Honti showing up with one Mythical Second Team citation is just surreal. Can we blame his frequent National team inclusions?

67 SONNY THOSS

THE BOSS

2004 – PRESENT

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

2x Mythical Five

1x Mythical Ten

7x All-Star

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Thoss is a bigger and a more refined version of Poch Juinio. This is why he was Tim Cone’s main frontline find up until his departure to B-Meg. The Fil-Papuan is a terror on defense and this is why he is constantly tapped to represent the country in RP Team events. He is the only Alaska center to win the Mythical Five award twice.

RANKED THIS LOW:

He is an almost double-double magnet. While this is good in terms of rebounds, by this time, his points need to level up. With the Aces, he is a sure 30 minutes per game player and in the current PBA landscape, he is the perfect combo of size and skill. Once he develops a consistent scoring formula, expect greatness from The Boss.

68 GARY DAVID

MR. PURE ENERGY

2004 – PRESENT

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Five

2x All-Star

1x All-Defensive Team

Most Improved Player

Top 25: Scoring Average 

Top 25: Assists Average

1x Season Champion: Scoring Average

2x Season Champion: Free Throws Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

If Manny Pacquiao has Freddie Roach, then Gary David should thank Bo Perasol for coaching guidance. Whenever Perasol coaches a team that Gary David is in, Mr. Pure Energy becomes the focal point of the offense. But to give acclaim to Gary’s skills, his ability to find the points in dire situations are enough reasons why he is placed in this spot. He is also an underrated defender.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Have you seen David play outside Perasol? David looks lost when placed in a spot he didn’t like (*cough* Yeng Guiao in Burger King *cough*). Also, David needs to play for a title contender. He has already played in too many cellar dwelling squads. When Air21 almost scored a championship, he was voted in the Mythical 5. This is why if he wants to have a crack on another citation, he needs to play for a winner.

69 TERRY SALDANA

PLASTIC MAN

1982 – 2000

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

2x Mythical Ten

Most Improved Player

5,000 Points

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

1,000 Offensive Rebounds

2x Season Champion: Total Offensive Rebounds

1x Season Champion: Total Rebounds

RANKED THIS HIGH:

If Michael Jordan had two comebacks well... so did Terry Saldana! Saldana was a defensive demon up until an injury prematurely ended his career. Before the injury though, he had the mold a la Arwind Santos. He returned in the 90’s where he played for Swift and Ginebra before he went to the MBA. He returned for a one season stint with Red Bull before folding up his career.

RANKED THIS LOW:

In the 80’s, he was a scorer who did his damage by hauling offensive rebounds and translating it into putbacks. When he returned in the 90’s, the scoring part of his game lessened especially since he became nothing more than a reliever. His scoring also went AWOL. Despite the injuries that ruined a potentially great career, he finished with career averages of 8.3 points and 5.9 rebounds. 

70 YOYONG MARTIREZ

1975 – 84

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

Played in the 1972 Munich Olympics

Played in the 1974 Puerto Rico FIBA World Championship

500 Steals

Top 25: Assists Average

3x Season Champion: Total Steals 

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Younger people should know him as Vic Sotto’s sidekick during his Pipoy and Ritchie D’ Horsie days but when it comes to the league’s all-time best pointguards, he ranks high on the list. He finished his career with 6.4 points per game but his claim to fame is in his defense. He has a career average of 2.3 steals per game – which if the PBA counted it, is perhaps the best steals average in history (500 total steals and above). He also has a 4.4 assist average which helped Manny Paner and Estoy Estrada claim points.

RANKED THIS LOW:

A factor why he is ranked this low is because he played outside Toyota and Crispa – which alongside with U-Tex, are the only teams that mattered then. Also, had he played a few more conferences, he could have at least obtained another achievement award (2,000 assists). And like I said earlier – he only scored a weak 6.4ppg.

71 WYNNE ARBOLEDA

THE SNATCHER

2000 – PRESENT

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Ten

1x Defensive Player of the Year

4x All-Defensive Team

500 Steals

Top 25: Assists Average

2x Season Champion: Total Steals

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Despite being the team owner’s son-in-law, this former MLQU standout is a feared defender. The former MBA vet is known for his stealing prowess and offensively, he can post up on smaller guards a la Gerry Esplana. And also returning to the son-in-law tag, think is a reason why Arboleda enjoyed success in the PBA. Basically he is the Triple H of the PBA.

RANKED THIS LOW:

He only averaged 1.6 points during his PBA debut with Tanduay. Actually it’s hard to find Wynne this high on the list because he like Gary David, he shone the brightest under Bo Perasol and now both David and Perasol are working alongside elsewhere. Also, he was almost banned from the league after bringing pain to a heckler. By the way, he has been part of the All-Star game. Why is that?

72 CHITO LOYZAGA

THE DYNAMITE

1981 – 93

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Ten

4x All-Star

7x All-Defensive Team

5,000 Points

500 Steals

1x Season Champion: Total Steals

RANKED THIS HIGH:

The guy can score a mere two points, two rebounds, and two assists and yet become the game’s best player. Son of former national team standout and perhaps the greatest Philippine basketball player ever Caloy Loyzaga, Chito was known for his scoring as well as his superb import-stopping defense. Donning his trademark #41 jersey and headband, he can play all five positions with ease.

RANKED THIS LOW:

He has been Robert Jaworski’s right hand man since their Toyota days like Francis Arnaiz. But unlike Arnaiz, Chito is a leader more than a scoring provider. He would often settle in playing defense than getting stats and you can blame his selflessness for that. He finished his career with a 9.3 scoring average and 4.4 assist average. I believe he could have done more if he was more assertive to do more.

73 MICK PENNISI

THE SLICK

2000 – PRESENT

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x All-Star MVP

2x All-Star

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

500 3-Points Made

Top 10: 3-Point Percentage

RANKED THIS HIGH:

The 6’9 sniper was an asset to Yeng Guiao’s Red Bull because he knows when to hit the big shots. Additionally, Mick will never back down from a fight. He was actually the last key Red Bull star to leave the team when financial woes begun to set in. He has one of the best three-point percentages in the history of the league and that ability has garnered him numerous nominations to the national squad.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Mick doesn’t really use a post-game to score and that’s disappointing because he has height. Also, when the Red Bull core was being replaced by bench warmers during the late 2000’s, instead of raising his scoring average, his points begun to decrease. In the brink of retirement, the Slickster never really became a big-time scorer. Basically he is a better version of Mike Hrabak.

74 MARC PINGRIS

PING

2004 – PRESENT

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Ten

1x Finals MVP

1x All-Star MVP

4x All-Star

1x Defensive Player of the Year

4x All-Defensive Team

Most Improved Player

Top 25: Rebounding Average

1x Season Champion: Total Offensive Rebounds

1x Season Champion: Total Rebounds

1x Season Champion: Total Blocks

RANKED THIS HIGH:

He reminds me of a more successful version of Yves Dignadice. He is a bundle of energy that specializes in scouring rebounds. He is also known for his shackling defense. Since playing for Purefoods/B-MEG, he has become an asset in their surge for supremacy. Whenever the situation arises, he will do well, just like when he became the Finals MVP of the 2005-06 Philippine Cup.

RANKED THIS LOW:

He is still relatively young and can still go. He needs to come out of the shadows of James Yap and Kerby Raymundo because he has the tools to level up with his performances. He scored in double figures for the first time in the 2010-11 season because Raymundo was injured so that means he is capable of such feat. Also, he needs to stay healthy since he is frequently injured.

75 REY EVANGELISTA

1994 – 2008

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Ten

1x Best Player of the Conference

5x All-Star

3x All-Defensive Team

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

1,000 Offensive Rebounds

Top 25: Rebounding Average

RANKED THIS HIGH:

His hustle on the floor and defensive presence are the key arsenals of his productive PBA career. He is a rebounding demon who knows how to work his magic in the land of giants. His best PBA season could pretty be the 2002 PBA season where during that year’s Governor’s Cup, he was named the Conference’s Best Player.

RANKED THIS LOW:

To begin with, he was not athletic and he was too slow to be a small forward and too small to be a power forward. If not for his hard work, dedication, high basketball IQ and craftiness, the 1994 Draft’s second pick overall could have been a bust. His outputs slowed down when Ryan Gregorio became coach and insisted to use guys like James Yap and Kerby Raymundo instead of him.

76 DON ALLADO

THE DON

1999 – PRESENT

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Five

1x Mythical Ten

3x All-Star

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Joining Alaska at the middle of the 1999 PBA season to finish his commitments with DLSU, this big-time athlete slowly became Alaska’s focal point in the middle. When the 1996 Grand Slam roster were slowly getting eased out, he became one of Tim Cone’s main guys. It is with the Aces where he will get a bunch of awards and contest the fact that he is one force to be reckoned with.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Allado only average 10 points or more twice in his career – one was in 2003 and the other is in the 2005-06 season. After Allado was traded to TNT for Willie Miller, his career began to sag. He bounced from team to team and it didn’t take long to figure out that Allado’s starting days are over. It’s a shame really since he had the tools to become successful.

77 NOY CASTILLO

THE GOLDEN BOY

1998 – 2008

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Ten

3x All-Star

Most Improved Player

500 3-Points Made

Top 10: 3-Point Percentage

1x Season Champion: 3-Points Made

RANKED THIS HIGH:

One of the league’s finest gunners, he strut his wares initially at Shell but then moved on to Purefoods. As a Turbo Charger, he shot the lights out of his opponents but as a TJ Hotdog, his outside sniping became tools for ascension to championship glory. At one point in his career he averaged 17.4 points in one season.

RANKED THIS LOW:

The problem with Castillo is after his breakout year that earned him a Mythical spot, he missed a ton of games due to injury. During his final season, he was bumped off from his spot by Roger Yap and then-Hotdog Chico Lanete. The entry of James Yap and the emergence of Peter June Simon also did not help his cause. He was a forgotten man when he retired.

78 ALEX CABAGNOT

CRUNCH TIME

2005 – PRESENT

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x PBA All-Star

Top 10: Assists Average

1x Season Champion: Total Assists

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Alex Cabagnot is slowly becoming one of the most popular guards in the PBA. He started in the league with a rivalry with Mark Caguioa but in reality, his position prompts him to go mano y mano with Jayjay Helterbrand. He can orchestrate the ball well and he can deliver the crucial baskets to seal the fates of their opponents. He proved to be the right guard to replace Olsen Racela in the Petron/SMB lineup.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Cabagnot’s high assists average will give him a fast rise to accomplish 2,000 assists and maybe he’ll end his career with 5,000 points. However, he needs to claim a seat in the Mythical spot. I don’t if what’s keeping him was his once intolerable attitude that pissed Buddy Encarnado when he was still with Sta. Lucia but the only way he will score such feat is by taking Petron to numerous finals appearances.

79 VINCE HIZON

THE PRINCE

1994 – 2003

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Five

2x All-Star

Top 10: 3-Point Percentage

RANKED THIS HIGH:

The Prince in his prime was one of the league’s best outside shooters. Picked by Purefoods, he was traded to Ginebra and after that, he became Coach Robert Jaworski’s chief gunner. Whenever he hits a three, the commentators would exclaim “Hizon Fire” which is a take from “He’s On Fire”! He played a major role in the rise of Ginebra in the late 90’s because of his scoring. With his looks and his playing style he can probably be the 90’s version of Francis Arnaiz. 

RANKED THIS LOW:

Let’s face it – he had a good thing going for himself until he moved to the MBA. Vince was doing hosting chores for Sports Unlimited which paved the way for his entry to the IloIlo Megavoltz – automatically making him the poster boy of the league. Unfortunately for him, MBA went bankrupt and when he returned to the PBA via Red Bull, Yeng Guiao was only giving him sporadic minutes. Maybe it’s right to say that Jawo was responsible for his success in the league.

80 PIDO JARENCIO

THE FIREMAN

1986 – 2001

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

3x All-Star

Most Improved Player

5,000 Points

500 3-Points Made

Top 25: Free Throw Percentage

Top 25: 3-Point Percentage

RANKED THIS HIGH:

During the pre-Marlou, post-Chito Loyzaga phase of Ginebra in the early 90’s, the Kings were perennial cellar dwellers. Jarencio used this to pad his stats. All of a sudden, he returned to the offensive powerhouse that he once was back in UST. When Marlou and the others came in, he was a key contributor and it resulted to success.

RANKED THIS LOW:

In his 16 seasons in the league, there were at least three or four seasons he could have lived without. He was a journeyman during his stints with San Miguel, Presto, Purefoods, and Swift before getting big time recognition for his work in Ginebra. Like Popeye is with his spinach, it would have been better for his career if all the PBA games were played in his self-proclaimed home turf, the Araneta Coliseum.

81 RAFI REAVIS

RAPPING REAVIS

2002 – PRESENT

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

Most Improved Player

1,000 Offensive Rebounds

Top 10: Rebounding Average

RANKED THIS HIGH:

He is one of the MBA superstars who did well in the PBA. He is primarily known for his rebounding which is why he holds one of the best rebounding averages in the history of the league. He has played for Coca-Cola, Ginebra, and B-Meg – and all of these teams won a title with him on the roster.

RANKED THIS LOW:

I know he is a rebounder and nothing more but back in the MBA, he was also a post-up threat. His wingspan makes it for him to scour shots in lieu for putbacks. I know he’s likely on his way to slowing down but I guess in two to three years he could claim an achievement award or two.

82 NOLI LOCSIN

THE TANK

1994 – 2005

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Ten

5x All-Star

Top 25: Rebounding Average

1x Season Champion: Total Rebounds

1x Season Champion: Total Defensive Rebounds

RANKED THIS HIGH:

There was a time when Noli Locsin was an unstoppable force. At 6’3, he could bump out the Balingits and the Bolados out of their sweet spots and terrorize the shaded area offensively and defensively. Seven franchises and eleven seasons later, he held a respectable 11.3ppg and 6.2rpg.

RANKED THIS LOW:

When Locsin was traded by Ginebra to Pop Cola for Vergel Meneses, The Tank’s career went downhill. He drifted from team to team that unlike Robert Jaworski, didn’t know how to use him properly. But fact is the biggest reason why his star dropped was because of the towering Fil-Ams that made Locsin vulnerable. And while Alvin Patrimonio and Nelson Asaytono learned to adjust by nailing three pointers, he didn’t. 

83 WILLIE PEARSON

1984 – 1989

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Five

1x Mythical Ten

Rookie of the Year

RANKED THIS HIGH:

He is a scoring machine during his olden days and he finished his career with 12.7 points and 4.8 rebounds. He is the PBA’s first Fil-Am Rookie of the Year. He debuted in 1984 for the Redmanizers which was also Crispa’s last PBA year. He went on to play for Great Taste, Shell, and Alaska before returning to the US in 1989.

RANKED THIS LOW:

I could say that the reason behind the low rank is because he just played for six seasons. However, by this time, players may have already checked his style. Ulitmately, Pearson never thought of the PBA as a viable career because if he did, he would stick around and milk his talents to the fullest just like the late 90’s and early 2000’s Fil-Americans still playing in the PBA.

84 MIKE CORTEZ

THE COOL CAT

2003 – PRESENT

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Ten

1x All-Star

Top 25: Assists Average

RANKED THIS HIGH:

The Cool Cat is the first pick overall in the 2003 PBA Draft besting former MBA MVP Romel Adducul and PBA MVP Jimmy Alapag. He can score and orchestrate with relative ease. He averaged in double figures for five consecutive times. During his Alaska days, Tim Cone calls him out to be his eyes and ears on the court.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Despite his amazing skills, he barely got the nod of the PBA faithful. He is only a one-time all-star while guys like EJ Feihl and Bonel Balingit has three. Also, being used as trade bait took a toll in his stats. If you think about it, before the trade that sent him to San Miguel, he was better than LA Tenorio. He scoring averages also slipped after he suffered an injury in the 2008-09 season.

85 ROGER YAP

THE RABBIT 

2001 – PRESENT

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Five

1x Mythical Ten

4x All-Star

1x All-Defensive Team

RANKED THIS HIGH:

The guy started as a sub for Purefoods, getting minimal fanfare, but after stellar performances playing for Shell and Air21, Purefoods re-acquired the Cebuano ace. He optimizes the team’s effectiveness whenever he is on board and stat-wise, he gets a lot of rebounds, assists, and steals per game.

RANKED THIS LOW:

When he was in PBL’s Chowking, he was a scoring powerhouse who always had the ball during clutch situations. This was the only arsenal that left him when he turned pro. His game changed drastically and he was relegated to his pass-first persona. It’s impossible to jumpstart his offense though considering he plays for a team that’s overloaded with talent and he is on the brink of retirement.

86 LA TENORIO

THE LIEUTENANT

2006 – PRESENT

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Five

2x All-Star

RANKED THIS HIGH:

As his other Ateneo teammates struggle to find their place in the PBA, LA Tenorio is eager to make his mark. Coming from the star-studded 2006 draft class, Tenorio’s career took flight after he was traded to Alaska in exchange for Mike Cortez. He has since blossomed into a marquee point guard and it looks like Alaska has found their second coming of Johnny Abarrientos. 

RANKED THIS LOW:

Tenorio is just starting his career. Actually he wouldn’t be in this list had not for his Mythical Five citation. If Tenorio continues to brace his PBA tenure with Alaska, then he’ll likely retire with a Hall of Fame career. Once he gets traded and loses the minutes he has with the squad, then we might see his successful stint to slip by.

87 HARVEY CAREY

THE BULLDOG 

2003 – PRESENT

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Ten

2x All-Defensive Team

500 3-Points Made

Top 25: Rebounding Average

1x Season Champion: Total Rebounds

1x Season Champion: Total Offensive Rebounds

RANKED THIS HIGH:

The guy is a ferocious rebounder and a dependable performer whether starting or coming off the bench. With his boundless energy, he can get his numbers despite fewer minutes and less shot selections. People have been forgetting that since 2003, Carey has scored in double figures per season thrice. Come to think of it, the guy is blessed because Talk N Text has been treating him well.

RANKED THIS LOW:

While TNT has been giving him the minutes and the breaks, you can’t help but wonder whether or not staying put with the Texters is such a good idea. With the talent load the Texters have right now, sometimes you can’t notice his game. Perhaps in another team he can have more minutes, more plays, and more achievements.

88 DONDON AMPALAYO

THE MAGIC MAN

1986 – 95

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

2x Mythical Ten

Rookie of the Year

2x All-Star 

2x Season Champion: Total Offensive Rebounds

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Cresencio Ampalayo was groomed to become Ginebra’s next top dog following the retirement of Francis Arnaiz. The Magic Man can pull off playing all five positions thus the “Pinoy Magic Johnson” tag. He can run the floor, hit the long range bomb and claim the board when it misses. He winded up his career with 10.0 points and 5.7 rebounds per outing.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Despite playing for ten seasons, The Magic Man was injury prone throughout his PBA career. When Ginebra lost faith that he will have a healthy career, he was sent to Alaska and his career when downhill from there. If he had more healthy seasons, he could have been one of the best forwards the league has ever produced.

89 EDWARD JUINIO

POCH

1994 – 2008

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

2x All-Star 

Most Improved Player

2,000 Defensive Rebounds

1,000 Offensive Rebounds

500 Blocks

1x Season Champion: Total Rebounds

1x Season Champion: Total Blocks

RANKED THIS HIGH:

He was the towering presence in Alaska’s vaulted triangle offense in the 90’s. He is unafraid to mix it up with imports especially when it comes to rebounding opportunities and given the chance, he would score a lot. He was also a gifted passer which is why he was important in Tim Cone’s rotation.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Sure, Juinio won a grand slam with the Aces. However, remember when he was traded alongside Johnny Abarrientos for Ali Peek and Jon Ordonio? He had his best offensive season with the squad where he posted 13.3ppg. The way he played for the Pop Cola Panthers was like mixing Jun Limpot’s savvy with Dennis Espino’s inside dominance! Who knows what would happen to his career if he didn’t have too many seasons with Alaska.

90 RENE CANENT

1975 – 80

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

Top 25: Assists Average

RANKED THIS HIGH:

He was one of the players in this list that I haven’t seen play. When I checked his stats, he played for Tanduay for six seasons and he checked in with a career average of 13.8 points and 4.6 assists. When I asked my dad about his game style, he said Canent was a speedster with a very smart basketball IQ. He once dished 19 assists while playing for Tanduay during the early 80’s.

RANKED THIS LOW:

If he played for another 2 or 3 seasons, he could have had 5,000 points and 2,000 assists. Instead, he chose to end his career with just six seasons. Fact is, he pioneered the PBA at 29 and his good ol’ days were seen playing for the MICAA. And yeah during those days, there were less awards given to players.

91 ELMER CABAHUG

1989 – 97

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Ten

1x All-Star MVP 

5x All-Star

5,000 Points

RANKED THIS HIGH:

He was the epitome of a typical Southern gunner. He was once involved in a one-on-one trade for Alaska to get the services of Jojo Lastimosa... and Purefoods agreed. Yes, he was that good. He would then be sent to Pepsi where at one time became the team’s franchise player.

RANKED THIS LOW:

One beef I have with the playing style of Boy Cabahug is that he was just a scorer. Sure, whenever his team needs a booming triple, he will be there but as far as his other stats, they are pretty much nonexistent. If he did more, he might be placed a few spots higher.

92 GERRY ESPLANA

MR. COOL

1990 – 2002

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Finals MVP

Rookie of the Year

4x All-Star

5,000 Points

2,000 Assists

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Apet Jao was Presto’s top pick but instead, their second round selection won the Top Rookie Award. That’s nice. His career went on auto pilot until it hyper drove when he was traded to Shell. It is Shell where his popularity rose. One of his fave moves is when he posts up smaller guards to perfection.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Like I said, he was a good player in his pre-Shell days but it seems his career then was on auto pilot. As a testament to this, he was traded to Shell alongside Rob Wainwright for the legendary Ronnie Magsanoc. Teaming up with Benjie Paras and Chris Jackson was good for his career.

93 ANDY SEIGLE

THE EAGLE

1997 – 2007

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

Rookie of the Year

4x All-Star

Top 25: Rebounding Average

1x Season Champion: Total Offensive Rebounds

RANKED THIS HIGH:

His entry instigated the influx of Fil-Ams in the late 90’s. At 6’8, Seigle was also named Kangaroo because most of his points come in dunks. He was involved in two high profile trades – one with Jerry Codinera sending Seigle to Purefoods and one with Jun Limpot to send him to Ginebra. 

RANKED THIS LOW:

Unlike his brother, his scoring skills are limited. His offense concentrated on post ups, putbacks, and dunks and he wasn’t really a great passer. Perhaps the biggest flaw of his career is that he is often injured. From top draw, he was relegated to bench-warming. 

94 RUDY KUTCH

1975 – 80

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

Top 25: Scoring Average

RANKED THIS HIGH:

I never really saw Kutch in action but he ranks 21st in the All-Time Scoring List with 15.5ppg. At 6’3 he played center-forward for U-Tex, Filmanbank, and CDCP. During his stint with the league, he was one of the key players to outside Crispa and Toyota.

RANKED THIS LOW:

He was 27 during the first PBA season. He was probably a MICAA guy that would have loved the PBA to come in early. Had he played for a few more seasons, he could have at least had a couple of achievement awards. Also for a center, he never really registered a high amount of boards.

95 MARTE SALDANA

1982 – 90

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

Rookie of the Year

Top 25: Assists Average

Top 25: 3-Point Percentage

RANKED THIS HIGH:

He was the first San Miguel player to win Rookie of the Year honors. He was a speedster of sorts that can hit the long range bombs and at the same time attack the basket. He ended his 9-year career with an 11.3 scoring average finishing it with the Alaska Air Force.

RANKED THIS LOW:

When he played for Alaska he shared point guard duties with Frankie Lim but eventually Lim got the better in the minutes. Saldana took a backseat for his other teammates like Lim, Bogs Adornado, Ricky Relosa, Yoyoy Villamin, Dong Polistico, Rey Lazaro, and Biboy Ravanes. Saldana managed to squeak in stints with Presto and Pop Cola but he was now a shadow of his former self.

96 LARRY MUMAR

THE FOX

1975 – 81

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

Top 25: Scoring Average

RANKED THIS HIGH:

He was one of the all-time greats of Philippine basketball even at the time when the PBA has yet to exist. He is an insanely prolific scorer with a career average of 14.0ppg despite the fact that in his seven seasons, The Fox played for five different teams.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Mumar was 29 when the PBA started which in a way shortened his stint in the PBA (although Jaworski was the same age as his). Also, the five teams he played for were not championship squads. If you think about it, he’s kinda like the Bong Alvarez of his generation.

97 REY CUENCO

1986 – 95

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Ten

Most Improved Player

1,000 Offensive Rebounds

1x Season Champion: Total Offensive Rebounds

RANKED THIS HIGH:

He was one of the most feared power forwards of his generation. He was a big man who was big enough to post up people but at the same time was quick enough to elude the raised hands poised to block him. He also had a decent range and was an efficient rebounder.

RANKED THIS LOW:

He was the first and only Arellano Chief to become first pick overall. He was an amazing athlete for Shell but it took him time to shine in the PBA. After he blossomed, he was sent by Shell to Ginebra for the draft rights of Romy dela Rosa where his game slowly deteriorated.

98 BAL DAVID

THE FLASH

1996 – 2005

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Ten

1x All-Star MVP

4x All-Star

Top 25: Assists Average

RANKED THIS HIGH:

One of the most beloved Ginebra superstars in the 90’s, his halfcourt heave was enough to send Asi Taulava to tears. Aside from his great clutch shots, he is a selfless orchestrator who would rather playmake than score. It helped that he started and finished his career with one squad.

RANKED THIS LOW:

He started his career sharing PG duties with Pido Jarencio. When Jarencio left the squad, he had to contend with Jayjay Helterbrand. He could have earned more achievements but his career ended abruptly in 2005 when the Kings opted to not give him a contract renewal after he was sidelined for a season.

99 CYRUS BAGUIO

SKYRUS

2003 – PRESENT

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

1x Mythical Ten

1x Finals MVP

4x All-Star

Most Improved Player

1x Season Champion: Free Throws Made 

1x Season Champion: Total Steals 

RANKED THIS HIGH:

He is one of the best open court finishers the league has ever seen. What’s nice about Baguio is that he can do it on offense as well as in defense. He is also a proven leader as he led Red Bull one time to consecutive semifinal finishes despite Red Bull’s lack of decent bench support.

RANKED THIS LOW:

He is still relatively young and he’ll probably pad his stats more with Alaska. He also had to earn his way in Red Bull. During his rookie season, he only played 4 games and a total of 34 minutes. A couple of achievement awards could also help his cause.

100 OMPONG SEGURA

1975 – 83

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

Top 25: Scoring Average

RANKED THIS HIGH:

Seven seasons tucked in his belt, Ompong was a delight to watch. I got to check a bunch of old tapes of his work and he was a big-time scoring threat. Despite playing alongside the likes of Fernandez, Jaworski, Florencio, and Arnaiz, he still kept a 14.4 career points per game.

RANKED THIS LOW:

Economic instability and the fact that the PBA is a young and unstable league led Segura to ditch the PBA. He would return in 1983 but the comeback for the then-31 year old Ompong was only good for a season. Had he played more, he would have been part of the 25 Greatest Players list.

If you enjoyed what you saw, well good for you.

I will again repeat that this is a best careers list – which basically means the popular players doesn’t really mean that they will be ranked high on the list.

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