The night Billy Ray Bates shocked the nation

The Crispa Redmanizers was already a potent offensive crew and probably didn't even need an import to compete with the rest of the league but when Billy Ray Bates, a crack veteran of four NBA campaigns, decided to hook up with them, it was a dominant pairing that would touched on a grandslam bid in 1983.

Not since the human fly catcher, that wizard of defense, Cyrus Mann, had a Crispa import caught the fancy of the PBA gallery. Bates was a virtual one-man show. He was shooting from deep threes, sinking almost impossible shots, dunking over people and simply mesmerized fanatics with his derring-dos and exciting brand of play that was never seen before in local hoops circuit as he led the Redmanizers to a 120-119 decision over the Great Taste Discoverers before an enthralled turnout at the Big Dome. It was a smashing debut for the 6-3 then 26-year-old NBA veteran and the individual statistics that he amassed in the course of a game-long brilliance on the hardcourt told it all.


Proving his ability to score in and out, to make it with the long toms as well as with the crunching slams, almost flawless, from the free throw line, Bates, a native of Attela County, Missisippi who’s built like a fullback, top-scored with 64 points, the most ever scored by an import making a maiden appearance in the PBA.

He opened with nine points in the first quarter, pumped in 16 in the second, had 17 in the third and banged in 22 points in the homestretch, and nine of them on a string of three three-point beauties, that had the almost overflow crowd at the coliseum eating out of his hands before the night was over. Of his 64 points, Bates got 16 from the free throw line where he went 15 for 16 in a amazing show of ice-cold nerves and consistency.

Bates’ last two points, however, were no doubt the capstone of the whole outstanding performance. With the time down to seven seconds and a surprisingly tough Great Taste team out front by one point, 119-118, after coming from seven points down three minutes earlier, Bates found himself tasked with playing the role of hero or heel in a key play drawn up by Crispa Coach Tommy Manotoc after a time-out. But as he had been doing all evening, Bates drove in just to the right of the keyhole area, dragged Norman black into a foul, and was rewarded with two, free throws for his foul-baiting play. And he made both gift shots to send Crispa back on top, 120-119.

When on the next play, with just four seconds left in the game clock, Ricardo Brown missed his own turn at playing hero for Great Taste, Crispa had its first victory in the long tournament in the bag and Bates the kind of debut that he probably wished he could have. In addition to firing a game-high 64, Bates also hauled down 12 rebounds, had five assists to almost singlehandedly turn back Great Taste’s big bid to ditch the Redmanizers on opening night.

Bates’ game-winning final two points laid to waste a fine stand by the Discoverers, who with Norman Black as their import, played on almost even terms with the Redmanizers until Bates took matters into his own hands and put together a string of three-points that set the Redmanizers for what looked like a walkaway win in the homestretch.

But it never turned out that away. With the count standing at 116-109 following Bates’ 11-point splurge, Black put on his own one-man show, knocking in nine straight points to grab the lead for Great Taste. the time down to seven seconds.

It looked like Great Taste just might be able to turn the game around until Bates came through with that stint from the free throw line that saved the night for Crispa. Other than Bates, there was only one Redmanizer who had a double digit out put. This was Abet Guidaben who notched 14 points before he fouled out in the last four minutes. Import Norman Black paced Great Taste with 56 points, 17 rebounds and 6 assists but it wasn't enough to prevent a Crispa victory.

Bates was the biggest story of the night. The way he scored those points can only be seen in the galleries of greatness that would bring forth the birth of the "Black Superman" in the PBA. He was more than just an icon. He was larger than life.