THE 10 PLAYERS WE HOPE TO SEE ADDED TO 'PBA GREATEST' LIST

Picking a 'best' list is always a tricky proposition. One's choices do not always conform with what others think. And in a country like ours where basketball is what people eat for breakfast, we expect a vigorus debate as we come out with our list of 10 players who we thought ought to be added to the 40 Greatest PBA Players earlier chosen.

Our list is a selection that we will release, one player at a time, while the PBA itself is trying to form its own list of 10 to be selected by a committee formed by PBA commissioner Willie Marcial to complete the 50 Greatest in time for the league's 50th Anniversary celebration next month.

The selection committee is composed of league greats, former commissioners and select mediamen from different outlets.

We assure our readers that our selection is not influenced by what is deliberated closed doors by the committee whose members, including one from SPIN.ph, have vowed not to divulge any part of the discussion or voting procedure.

HERE ARE OUR CHOICES:

ARNULFO 'ARNIE' TUADLES 

Frankly, we don't expect Arnie Tuadles' name to be called when the PBA announces the new additions to its Greatest Players list.

We get it. His body of work in a career that started at Toyota in 1979 and ended with Presto in 1992 doesn't have enough championships won, career milestones or individual awards to nudge him past others deserving of the ultimate honor.

READ: Glenn Capacio names his six toughest defensive assignments

But fans who saw him play when the PBA was in its infancy and trying to gain traction as Asia's first professional basketball league, will agree that the Cebuano forward was a complete offensive player. He scored in a variety of ways - facing the basket, with his back to the basket; from the perimeter, from long range; from under the basket; from everywhere, actually.

He made scoring look easy; and for him, perhaps, it was.

For much of his 14-year career, he looked a little flabby in the middle, yet can outmuscle anyone at the post where he was tough to stop. He was no more than 6-foot-2 and can jump just about as high as a can of sardines, but got more than 1,000 offensive rebounds in his career.

Natural-born scorer

If there ever was a natural-born scorer, Tuadles was it. He entered the pro league in 1979 and, as a rookie, more than held his own in a star-studded Toyota team that had Mon Fernandez, Robert Jaworski, Francis Arnaiz and Abe King.

And as an affirmation of his talent, Tuadles was named to the Mythical First Team, the first rookie to earn the distinction. When Toyota disbanded, Tuadles brought his distinct talent to various teams with stops at Great Taste, Ginebra, Alaska, Shell, and Presto.

READ: Asaytono, fellow snubs get another shot at 'Greatest' list

Glenn Capacio, an eight-time PBA All-Defensive Team selection, lists Tuadles among the players he found toughest to defend alongside Allan Caidic, Vergel Meneses, Ato Agustin, Jojo Lastimosa, and the late Samboy Lim.

"Akala mo ang bagal, pero ang hirap depensahan," said Capacio, remembering one finals game Purefoods played against Presto which an injured Caidic missed, only for the Hotdogs to be burned by Tuadles' 30-plus points. 

In 1996, he died under controversial circumstances at the age of 40 and just years after his retirement. He is hardly mentioned in any 'Greatest' conversations since, but he's very much a part of it in our book. 

Arnie was tough to stop and so much fun to watch. 

2) Nelson Asaytono

JUST a quick rundown at the credentials of Nelson Asaytono in a 17-year PBA career gives someone the impression that he’s certainly one of the greatest to ever come out of Asia’s first ever play-for-pay league.

Unfortunately, he’s not.

The personal accolades that eluded him during his prime years continues to do so even in his retirement as the player known as ‘The Bull’ has been overlooked not just once but twice already on the list of the league’s all-time greatest players.

Now that the PBA is set to turn 50 this year and in the process of adding 10 more to its Greatest List, we’re one in aspiring to see him finally be given the honor he truly deserved.

Asaytono was brute power and grace personified during his playing years, an unstoppable force in the middle with his talent and sheer physical strength.

He can score no doubt as the pride of Oriental Mindoro finished No. 5 on the all-time scoring list with a total of 12,268 points to rank only behind such greats as Ramon Fernandez, Abet Guidaben, Alvin Patrimonio, and Atoy Co.

The 6-foot-4 product of University of Manila personified the word power forward when he entered the league as the No. 2 overall pick by the Purefoods franchise in the 1989 draft in what would be the start of a stellar career that also saw him suit up for Swift, San Miguel, and Red Bull.

Despite coming off the bench in a star-studded team then owned by the Ayala family, Asaytono still managed to shine playing behind a lineup consisting of Patrimonio, Jerry Codinera, Jojo Lastimosa, Al Solis, and Dindo Pumaren.

His potential as a franchise player was unleashed in 1992 when he landed at Swift under coach Yeng Guiao, and then with San Miguel in 1997 with the late legendary mentor Ron Jacobs, a stretch that saw him rise to become one of the league’s superstars who added four more championships to the two he already had with Purefoods.

It was also at around that time when Asaytono strongly contended for the MVP award thrice – losing in all three of them – and clinched a berth in the Mythical First Team thrice, Mythical Second Team selections four times, two Best Player of the Conference awards, became a scoring champion, and a 10-time All-Star.

When he arrived at San Miguel to become Jacobs’ main offensive weapon, Asaytono added a three-point shooting to his arsenal, leading him to become the PBA’s scoring champion (23.1 points) in 1997 and winning the BPC award of the Philippine Cup back-to-back in 1997 and 1998.

Asaytono returned to the RFM franchise late in his career before ending up with Red Bull where he won a final championship in the 2002 Commissioner’s Cup.

It was under Guiao that he played his last game in the PBA, and while Asaytono was just a mere shadow of his old deadly self, there was no doubt in his coach’s mind that he was one of the greatest ever to play in the PBA.

"Nelson wasn’t given the proper recognition he deserves despite his greatness. Talaga namang magaling," said Guiao of Asaytono in an ABS-CBN interview, describing his former player of producing import-like numbers during his heydays.

"There’s no question that Nelson is one of the greatest players ever, and for me, his non-inclusion in the all-time Greatest List is long overdue."

We say Amen to that.

PHOTO: Sherwin Vardeleon

3. JUNE MAR FAJARDO

THERE are a few reasons cited on why June Mar Fajardo should NOT be included in the list of 10 to be added to the PBA’s 40 Greatest Players.

Or, at least, not yet.

For one, Fajardo is still an active player, and it can be argued that those retired should be considered before the 35-year-old big man. The eight-time PBA MVP, who is well ahead on this list surpassing four-time winners Ramon Fernandez and Alvin Patrimonio, will eventually get there and be on the ‘Greatest’ list.

There could also be an argument that the 11-time PBA Best Player of the Conference winner had little to no worthy challenger since being selected No. 1 overall in the 2012 draft. With Fajardo’s brute strength and 6-foot-10 frame, there is no one until now who can handle him especially when he is in the paint. In short, the competition is totally unfair in his favor.

PHOTO: Jerome Ascano

Those same physical qualities made it hard for teams to score or rebound over Fajardo, resulting in even All-Defensive Team selections, just three short of the record set by ‘The Defense Minister’ Jerry Codinera.

There are also those who argue that Fajardo is ‘lucky’ to be in powerhouse teams surrounded by great teammates his entire career. He has won 10 PBA championships so far, and one could say that he got a lot of help to do so being a part of San Miguel’s Death 5 with Marcio Lassiter and Chris Ross, Arwind Santos, and Alex Cabagnot. Yet the four Finals MVP awards he won during those championship runs are proof that he was the cornerstone in each of those winning teams.

PHOTO: Sherwin Vardeleon

So good was Fajardo, in fact, that he also won a Comeback Player of the Year in 2021 by the PBA Press Corps upon his recovery from a broken tibia in 2020. That year, San Miguel didn’t win a championship during the Clark bubble without Fajardo. After winning the comeback award, Fajardo won his seventh MVP in 2023, and his team got back to winning titles again.

There is no question that Fajardo deserves to be on any 'PBA Greatest’ list - be it yesterday, today, or tomorrow.

Any 'PBA Greatest' list will be incomplete without the GOAT.

4. BONG HAWKINS

JOHNNY Abarrientos. Jojo Lastimosa. Sean Chambers. Tim Cone. Those were the immediate names you’d recall when the Grand Slam-winning Alaska Milkmen squad back in 1996 would be brought up in conversations. 

Almost always lost in that discussion is one Bong Hawkins, probably one of the most underrated players not only in that era, but in all of PBA history.

But being underrated does not mean that he should be underappreciated, and that’s why Hawkins – a man fondly called as "The Hawk" by the Milkmen faithful of the '90s – is part of the 10 players we want to see included in the upcoming 50 greatest list. 

If there was a ‘Tim Cone guy’ before the word ‘Tim Cone guy’ got thrown around – it was Hawkins, the engine behind that vaunted triangle offense. 

His ability to spread the floor as a stretch four, dish out good passes from the pinch post, put the ball on the floor, and make good reads off the ball makes his contributions to Alaska’s dynastic run in that era invaluable. 

For kids who were too young, or weren’t even alive at that time, to witness Hawkins play – think Joe Devance in his heyday with the B-Meg/San Mig Coffee days. Now add that highly-recognizable jumper where he cocks the ball over and beyond his head, as well as some much-welcome physicality, and there you’d have it. 

Now that we’ve laid down his impact for his squad – let’s talk about achievements. 

Hawkins is a nine-time PBA champion. He was the Best Player of the Conference, and the Finals MVP in the 1996 Commissioner’s Cup, the season when they eventually completed the rare Grand Slam.

For that entire year, he put up averages of 15.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and a steal per game. 

He made the Mythical First Team twice, and the Second Team twice as well. He was the Most Improved Player in 1994 in his first year with the Milkmen, and it didn’t really come as a surprise after leading the team both in points and rebounding during that season. 

He also made the All-Star selection thrice, made the All-Defensive team once, and his number 16 jersey was deservingly retired by the Alaska franchise promptly after his highly-illustrious 15-year PBA career ended.

A multi-time champion, a former Best Player of the Conference, finals MVP, a multi-time All Star, and a guy who’s averaged nearly 14 and 7 for his entire career should’ve made the cut 10 years ago when the PBA named its 40 Greatest Players list in 2015. 

Leaving him out now would certainly be a travesty. 

PHOTO: PBA Images

5. LEWIS ALFRED 'LA' TENORIO

We understand that the selection committee tasked to pick the 10 players to be added to the PBA's 50 Greatest Players list will unlikely go for another active player outside of June Mar Fajardo and Scottie Thompson, who are both expected to be seeded as league MVPs.

But we hope they make an exception in LA Tenorio.

Plain and simple, Tenorio deserves a spot on that PBA 50 Greatest Players list regardless of how you look at it, or whatever barometer you use. The only tiny detail that disqualifies him is that he's still active, as if it's his fault that he's so tough and so disciplined that he once played in an all-time record 744 successive games, and continues to play into his forties - notwithstanding a cancer scare and several injuries.   

Tenorio is in fact more deserving than some of the players added to the 40 Greatest List in haphazardly fashion in 2015 that prompted no less than legend Robert Jaworski, who was a part of the selection committee then, to ask that the selection process of future 'Greatest' lists be institutionalized.

READ: Jaworski calls on PBA to institutionalize 'Greatest' selection process

Since the process was never institutionalized in the first place, and even if it was, this is one time when making an exception won't be wrong.

Besides, LA is already at a stage where he's rounding out a legendary career adorned by 10 PBA championships, four PBA Finals MVP awards, one Best Player of the Conference honor, 10 All-Star selections, a Most Improved Player plum and a Comeback Player award in 18 memorable seasons.

PHOTO: Jerome Ascano

Overwhelmed yet? Well, we haven't even started talking about his accomplishments with Gilas Pilipinas, where he played a big part in the national team's resurgence with his title-winning heroics in the 2012 Jones Cup in Taipei and, a year later, the runner-up finish to Iran at the Fiba Asia Cup that got Gilas back to the World Cup.   

Agree, Tenorio will be a first-ballot nominee to the PBA 60 Greatest Players list 10 years down the road. But we can cut to the chase and hand him the honor now.

6. ABRAHAM COLUMBUS 'ABE' KING JR

À PBA Greatest List without a Chairman of the Board?

The first 40 players in the PBA"s Greatest players was missing the name of Abe King Jr. and netizens were freaked out. How can they miss him, said many, when his record of excellence is so obvious.

This one record alone should have been enough to put him in the first 25: 13 PBA championships with three teams in 18 years.

Surprisingly, that's not what King is known for, it's his rebounding, his ability to outhustle bigger rivals in the shaded area, it's why he is called 'Chairman of the Board.' And he's not even a center, he was a power forward.

The OGs of Asia’s first ever play-for-pay league certainly know the moniker belongs to King who played during an era when the position reflected the real meaning of the words.

His forte was defense long before the cliché ‘defense wins championships’ became a byword, something which he brought and specialized in when he joined a stacked Toyota offensive machine as an untested but talented 19-year-old who was deemed big and highly developed for his age.

READ Norman Black names the two toughest PBA defenders he faced

A proud product of San Beda, the now US-based King was considered one of the fiercest rebounders in PBA history, battling players and imports bigger than him notwithstanding that he stood just 6-foot-3.

Though he held his own against some of the best big men in the league, the now 67-year-old forward was unfortunate to have played in the shadows of Ramon Fernandez and Robert Jaworski at Toyota, Allan Caidic at Great Taste, and Alvin Patrimonio at Purefoods - players who almost always sucked all the oxygen when they are on the court.

Three decades since he retired, King hopefully will finally be given due recognition by making it to the additional list of 10 players to the PBA 50 Greatest of All Time. For now, however, SPIN.ph is picking him before the PBA does.

Despite being almost always overshadowed by Toyota’s feared starting unit of Fernandez, Jaworski, Francis Arnaiz, and the late Arnie Tuadles, he is credited for having contributed substantially to the  seven championships Toyota won from the time he joined the franchise in 1977.

But let us also not forget that he could also hold his own in the scoring department such as when he exploded for 60 points during the 1979 All-Filipino conference game against Crispa which unfortunately Toyota lost, 172-142.

That output is No. 6 in the highest individual scoring record among locals as King became the first big man to put up 60 points in a game.

In rebounding, his total of 5,222 put him at No. 10 in the All-Time list, including 10th for most defensive rebounds (3,280), and seventh in most offensive boards (1,942).

Perhaps his two-way impact was what convinced Gold Eagle (now San Miguel) and Great Taste to take him in following the disbandment of Toyota in 1983.

With Great Taste, he won four more titles, providing steady presence and leadership along with Philip Cesar and Atoy Co to a team then bannered by Ricky Brown and by Caidic later on.

The league didn’t name an All-Defensive Team unit until 1985 where King was part of the first batch ever recognized, an honor he could have done more had the award been institutionalized earlier.

King's ability was so respected by his peers such that when the Great Taste franchise disbanded in 1992, Patrimonio, by then already an MVP and the rising superstar of the league, asked Purefoods management to get the services of the veteran power forward who he said, had been a thorn in his side during their matchups.

He played two seasons with the franchise, then owned by the Ayala family, where he won  two more championships before finally fading into the sunset.

King, whose full name is Abraham Columbus King Jr.,  went out as a champion, and here’s wishing he gets to relive that feeling again as part of the PBA’s 50 Greatest List.

7. EARL SCOTTIE THOMPSON

WHEN does a rebound become a highlight play?

When Scottie Thompson does it, of course.

All 6-foot-1 of him, leaping in the air, and just somehow, some way, claiming the possession for himself – against hulking and towering imports or local big men still a head taller than him.

Actually, it’s not somehow, some way. There’s a method to the madness of a point guard turning a board into a big play.

Thompson just has a nose for the ball, so he’s always in the right position. He just has a tireless motor, so he can jump and do a second jump if needed (and keep jumping, truth be told). And it doesn’t hurt either that he has above average hops and wingspan for his position.

That’s how a rebound has become the signature play of the Ginebra playmaker, who’s actually a triple-double threat – meaning, he can stitch together a reel of all his best passes, bravest drives, or biggest threes, as well.

The rebound is also the perfect metaphor for Thompson’s career. He wasn’t supposed to be the most accomplished player from a draft that included the likes of Mo Tautuaa, Troy Rosario, and Chris Newsome. He wasn’t supposed to be the face of the PBA’s most popular team. He wasn’t supposed to be MVP.

But he put himself in position, reached for the stars, and took the ball and ran with it all the way to already-legendary status.

READ Playoff-mode Scottie a lot more aggressive on offense

Now, over a decade into his PBA career, Thompson is a one-time season MVP, two-time Best Player of the Conference, six-time All-Star, one-time Most Improved Player, and most importantly, seven-time champion and two-time Finals MVP.

And at just age 31, he may very well be – and should be – among the 10 new names added when the PBA unveils its 50 Greatest Players for its golden year.

Thompson can do it all, as his career averages of 9.8 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.2 steals put on display, but even better, he’s willing to do anything and everything to help his team.

Ask him to crash the boards, convert easy baskets, or create open looks for his teammates, and he’ll do so. Ask him to work on his shooting – his Achilles heel since his days as an NCAA superstar – and he’ll turn himself into a serviceable sniper whom the defense can no longer sag off of.

That also includes being so iconic that he doesn’t need a moniker. His name itself is already enough. Scottie. Iskati. Thompson. No qualifiers needed.

PHOTO: Mark Cristino

Through his lens when he was awarded the PBA’s top individual player award back in 2022, though, he was just a role player who used hard work and discipline to earn the trust of Gin Kings head coach Tim Cone.

And, indeed, relentless hard work and determined discipline were more than enough to endear him to the league’s winningest shot-caller.

Through heart and hustle, look how far Thompson has come, the talent from Digos, Davao del Sur, the product out of the NCAA’s Perpetual Altas, and the pride of the Philippines when he suits up for Gilas Pilipinas.

To think that all of it started with rebounds.

8. DANIEL CHARLES 'DANNY' SEIGLE

A WALKING mismatch. 

Perhaps there was no better term to describe what Danny Seigle was on the hardcourt in his best years in the PBA. 

Playing at a time when players standing at 6’6 and above were expected to play in the paint with their backs to the basket, the man fondly called "Dynamite Danny" exploded onto the scene for San Miguel with versatility not usually seen in the league at that time.  

Put guys his size on him, and he can just isolate them. He’ll break ‘em down by attacking facing the basket where he’ll either go all the way to the hole for an emphatic finish above the rim, or take a dribble or two before pulling up in the mid-range which almost seemed automatic. 

Should these defenders take a step back and brace for his attack off the dribble, he’s a decent enough shooter from downtown to make ‘em pay by giving him space. 

It’s not like he can’t play with his back to the basket as well. Put a smaller defender on him, and he can back him down and have his way around his man, making the opposing teams pay – and look foolish for making the gamble. 

But it’s not just in the mere eye-test; he got results and accolades to back him up, even though many felt Seigle never really reached his full potential after a ruptured Achilles tendon – a career killer even to this day – derailed what would have been an even more legedary career. 

Enough of the ‘what would have beens’. His career that was is more than enough to get him the shine as one of the greatest players to ever play in the league. 

An eight-time PBA champion, a four-time PBA Finals MVP (still tied for the most to this day, barring another June Mar Fajardo win), a two-time Best Player of the Conference, a three-time PBA Mythical First Team member, an eight-time All-Star, a Rookie of the Year and a Comeback Player of the Year for good measure are achievements you wouldn’t expect from someone who nearly missed two years because of terrible ankle issues. 

Those accolades alone, plus his overall impact on how basketball was played in the country from that era pushing forward should be enough to earn him a spot among the 50 Greatest Players list when the PBA celebrates its 50th anniversary this April. 

Then PBA play-by-play commentator Noli Eala put the Danny Seigle experience best in probably one of the most iconic calls during that era: 

"Susmaryosep! Ikaw na ang maging Danny Seigle!" Eala gushed on air as the high-flying forward soared for one of his rim-rattling dunks against Purefoods in the 2000 PBA Governors Cup Finals.

In today’s parlance, that was Mr. Eala saying that Danny Seigle ‘is him.’  

And yes, Danny Seigle was him, and he deserves to be named one of the 50 greatest players to ever suit up in the league. 

9. JEFFREY JOAQUIN 'JEFF' CARIASO

JEFF Cariaso may not be a household name compared to his contemporaries, but his resume offers overwhelming proof that deserves a place among the PBA's greatest players.

Drafted No. 6 by Alaska in 1995, Cariaso was part of the early batch of Fil-Ams who entered the league in that decade, and he made such an impact with the Milkmen that he captured the Rookie of the Year, beating the likes of first overall pick Dennis Espino and future teammate and PBA MVP Kenneth Duremdes.

Playing alongside Johnny Abarrientos, Jojo Lastimosa, and Bong Hawkins, Cariaso had a key role as a two-way player in Alaska’s 1996 grand slam run, with his two crucial free throws in Game 6 of the All-Filipino Cup Finals against Purefoods capping the Milkmen’s amazing run. He eventually took his first two All-Defensive Team recognitions while with the Fred Uytengsu-owned franchise in 1997 and 1998.

From Alaska, Cariaso was able to spread his wings and blossomed into a top-level scorer and dependable leader over the course of his career.

Cariaso moved to Mobiline via a trade and he flourished as one of the team’s top scorers, landing one of his four Mythical First Team selections in 1999.

Tanduay successfully lured Cariaso out of Mobiline via a trade, determined to make him one of the cornerstones of the franchise. He wound up with back-to-back Mythical First Team awards with two different squads, but still showed his versatility by winning an All-Defensive Team citation in 2000.

READ Cariaso recalls 'wake-up call' that sparked Alaska grand slam

Cariaso was on the move again when Tanduay folded, and ended up at Coca-Cola where he won his first championships after the grand slam era – the 2002 All-Filipino Cup that led to another All-Defensive Team recognition and a first Best Player of the Conference trophy, and the 2003 Reinforced Conference where he picked up the Finals MVP honor.

Both times, he became part of the Mythical First Team.

In all, Cariaso won eight PBA championships, six with Alaska that included the 1995 Governors’ Cup in his first year, and the 2007 and 2010 Fiesta Conference titles during the twilight of his career in his Aces homecoming.

His accomplishments were overshadowed by unforgettable moments in PBA history during his era – Alvin Patrimonio’s fourth and final MVP award in 1997, Benjie Paras’ second MVP in 1999 against a field that included the influx of Fil-Ams in the league, and Danny Ildefonso’s back-to-back MVPs in 2000 and 2001.

But there's no denying that Cariaso was among the very best - regardless of era.

PHOTO: Jerome Ascano

10. RANIDEL DE OCAMPO

THIRTY-FIVE percent.

That’s Ranidel de Ocampo’s career three-point shooting percentage. Not too shabby for a 6-foot-6 forward who rose to prominence at a time when big men were more known to be post presences who had to have back-to-the basket skills.

Make no mistake, RDO can also do what the likes of Danny Ildefonso and Asi Taulava were doing back then. What set him apart from his peers, however, was his marksmanship – the very definition of a sweet-shooting big man.

His career mark, 35.4-percent to be exact, from deep puts him just behind the three players considered to be the Philippines best-ever shooters in Allan Caidic (36.8), Jimmy Alapag, (36.0), and Marcio Lassiter (39.0). Still, the fact remains that he wasn’t a guard – or a small forward in the PBA, even.

READ Chot wishes he had a defender like RDO to throw at Towns

That means that as a stretch four, or nominal five sometimes, de Ocampo also had to take care of the boards and make plays for his teammates if need be. He did those well, too, as he averaged 12.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 27 minutes of play through a 15-year career.

The fourth overall pick in a 2004 Rookie Draft that featured James Yap, Marc Pingris, and later on, Gary David, he was an impact player for a FedEx franchise that was looking for answers in hiring three coaches in Joe Lipa, Bong Ramos, and Bo Perasol in just one year.

RDO was key to the Express’ rise as plucky upstarts, but it wasn’t until he got traded to Talk N’ Text in 2008 that he shone as a bonafide superstar. His skillset was a perfect complement for their 1-2 punch at the backcourt in steady Alapag and speedster Jayson Castro.

PHOTO: Jerome Ascaño

Set the pick for ‘Mighty Mouse,’ and pop to a good look just right outside the arc. Swish. Find a spot from deep and watch ‘The Blur’ slice his way into the paint, sucking the defense into him, and kicking the ball out. Nothing but net.

And the rest, as they love to say, was history, as that trio led the Tropang Texters-turned-KaTropa-turned-Tropang Giga to six PBA championships from 2008-15. Somewhere along those titles, their sweet-shooting big man also nabbed two Finals MVP and one Best Player of the Conference awards, as well as nine All-Star nods and three Mythical First Team selections.

PHOTO: Jerome Ascano

Ahead of his time was what de Ocampo was. And the play – shooting, skilled ballhandling, inside-outside impact - expected from forwards and centers nowadays was exactly what he delivered until his retirement in 2019.

All his accolades make him a strong candidate to be part of the PBA’s 50 Greatest Players set to be unveiled in time for the league’s golden year.

It’s Ranidel de Ocampo’s pioneering play as a modern big, however, that should make him a shoo-in. That’s a swish. That’s nothing but net.

2025-03-11T08:05:50Z