The Long and Short of It (Local, Part II)

Shortest Filipino Basketball Players

The shortest PBA player currently is Purefoods’ rookie Boyet Bautista. Bautista measures only 5 feet 6 inches but hasn’t allowed anyone to impose their height advantage over him. Prior to his climb to the pros, Bautista was considered one of amateur basketball’s finest point guards alongside Ateneo’s LA Tenorio and PCU’s Jason Castro. He was the finals MVP in the 2005 edition of the NCAA, the reason why he was a first round pick by the Purefoods Chunkee Giants.

Red Bull’s Topex Robinson is also another short guy but compensates his lack of size with tremendous speed and incredible leaping ability. Unknown to anybody, the 5-6 Robinson could dunk the ball like his favorite NBA player Spud Webb. Tonyboy Espinosa and Johnny Abarrientos also belong to this short list of short men. They both measure 5-7 but are smart enough to turn a disadvantage (lack of size) into an advantage (speed, court smarts, playmaking ability).

In the early part of the year 2000, a Filipino-Canadian by the name of Karlo Villanueva created a stir in the Canadian leagues. The pint-sized Villanueva stood only 5’3” as the star guard for the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds. He was dwarfed by most Canadian balers but that did not deter him from displaying his vast arsenal of skills on the floor. The Thunderbirds played three exhibition games against PBA teams and a US selection in June 2004 but didn’t manage to win a single game, losing every contest by an average score of 22 points. Villanueva was a non-factor, obviously fazed by the enormous expectations by the Filipino crowd. If he makes it into the PBA, he would replace Virgilio “Billy” Abarrientos as the shortest player to ever play in the pros. The 5’4” Abarrientos, who is a distant uncle of Brgy. Ginebra’s Johnny Abarrientos, holds the record as the shortest man to ever set foot in the PBA. Abarrientos played a total of 42 games in the pros, averaging 9.2 ppg for Utex and Carrier.

From the list below, I think Jimmy Alapag is the shortest player who can dunk the ball with two hands. Ricric Marata and Johnny Abarrientos could also dunk during his collegiate days but only during warm-ups. At 5'10 Emmanuel "Boybits" Victoria was probably one of the most electrifying dunkers that I have ever seen at less than 6 feet, along with the 5'10" Joey Mente.

Shortest Filipino Basketball Players of All-Time
Note: The height listed here may vary from their actual physical measurements. These were taken from various media sources and we could not ascertain as to its veracity. If you know the actual height of these players please tell me.

Karlo Villanueva 5’3” University of British Columbia (Canada)
Virgilio “Billy” Abarrientos 5’4” Utex, Carrier (PBA)
Epok Quimpo 5'5" Ateneo (UAAP), drafted 23rd overall 2004 PBA Draft TNT
Alejandrito "Dodie" Miego 5’6” San Miguel, Mariwasa (PBA)
Boyet Bautista 5’6” Purefoods (PBA)
Michael Robinson 5’6” Red Bull (PBA)
Tonyboy Espinosa 5’6” Purefoods, Mobiline (PBA)
Mark Anthony Tallo 5'6" Seven Up (PBA)
Warren Ybanez 5’7” Red Bull (PBA)
Tony Torrente 5'7" San Miguel, Galerie Dominique, Tanduay (PBA)
Johnny Abarrientos 5’7” Ginebra, Swift, Alaska (PBA)
Ricric Marata 5’7” Alaska, Sta. Lucia, Shell, Sunkist, Pop Cola (PBA)
Ogie Gumatay 5’7” Red Bull (PBA)
Egay Echavez 5’7 Ginebra, Purefoods (PBA)
Al Vergara 5’7” Montana (PBL)
Eugene Quilban 5'7" Alaska, Pepsi/Mobiline, Pop Cola, Sta. Lucia (PBA)
Gilbert Reyes 5'7" Pepsi, Alaska, Sta. Lucia (PBA)
Felix Duhig 5'7" Alaska (PBA)
Dino Aldeguer 5'8" Purefoods, Alaska (PBA)
Teroy Albarillo 5'8" Sunkist, Gordon's Gin (PBA)
Hector Calma 5’8” San Miguel (PBA)
Rosalio "Yoyong" Martirez 5’8” San Miguel, Countryfair (PBA)
Ernesto “Egay” Billones 5’8” Air21, Purefoods (PBA)
Jesse Sullano 5’8” Mariwasa (PBA)
Ferdinand “Dindo” Pumaren 5’8” Purefoods, Pepsi, Tanduay (PBA)
Franz Pumaren 5’8” San Miguel, Mobiline (PBA)
Jimwell Torion 5’8” Red Bull, Sta. Lucia (PBA)
Jimmy Alapag 5’8” Talk N Text (PBA)
Felix Belano 5’8” Talk N Text (PBA)
Donald Dulay 5’8” Welcoat (PBL)
Jessie Cabanayan 5’8” Pop Cola, Purefoods (PBA)
Derrick Bughao 5'8" Tanduay (PBA)
Jasper Ocampo 5'8" Pop Cola
Billy Reyes 5'8" Pop Cola (PBA)
Ulysses Tanigue 5'8" Purefoods (PBA)