If you
wonder how the rankings are based...
This
will be a long read. It is so long that I’m not going to start in the end. Fact
is, I think everyone knows who will be on top of the list so the question that
surrounds this list is how your favorite players will rank.
By the
way, I seriously suggest that people click the “CLICK THIS” link. This overview
holds key to everything that will happen from here on out. I am not an insider
– I am just a fan with a severe thirst to speak my mind and have the research
to back it up.
This
is why I did not write about the “100
Greatest Players of the PBA” list but a “100 Best Careers in the PBA” list. With the stats... and the
trophies they annexed through the years, you will find out why your bet ended
up in that rank.
Game
starts now.
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 towards the end of the 1970's 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
Should have played for the 1986 Madrid FIBA World Championship
Should have played for the 1986 Madrid FIBA World Championship
25
Greatest Players of the PBA
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.
So I
just made you see the first ten names on my list. Obviously, these names are
obviously going to score a top spot showing.
For
comments, check it here.
The
next ten players (11-20) will be uploaded before the week ends.
Game
over.
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