PBA's 25 Greatest Players of All-Time

Ramon Fernandez
Without doubt, he was the greatest player ever to strut his stuff in the PBA. A native of Maasin, Leyte, the 6-4½ beanpole mastered ever skill needed to play the game of basketball. He started out his career in the PBA rivalries. He dueled with Alberto Guidaben, was pitted against Philip Cezar and feuded on and off the court with Robert Jaworski. By the time he ended his career with an All-Filipino championship ring with San Miguel in 1994, the guy nicknamed "El Presidente" and the "Franchise" had neatly stuffed his vast trophy case with four Most Valuable Player trophies. He also ended leading the league in just about every statistical category. In 1989, when his spate of triple-doubles anchored San Miguel's grand slam run, he nearly brought home a fifth MVP.

Robert Jaworski
Nowhere in this part of globe has a man been adored the way Robert Salazar Jaworski has. Although loved and hated in an equal mix, those whose loyalty was firmly rooted in the Big J never wavered in their support, even when time and age had eroded what had been one of the most dynamic skills in the game. Ruggedness was his calling card and his volcanic temper was his signature. But when it came to dealing with the masses and dwelling among his minions, nobody exuded more charisma than Jaworski did. Oftentimes in his prime, his public appeal overshadowed his talent. But he definitely could play. Amidst all those jutted elbows and stuck-out legs was the talent to shoot the ball and pass it with enough savvy to stupendify an entire audience. His popularity later translated into a Senate seat.

Alvin Patrimonio
The Captain has ushered his best days to the door, but every now and then, Alvin Patrimonio will deliver a turn-back-the-time performance that will remind everybody just who exactly he is: A Four-time MVP in the league, Patrimonio was named to the list of 25 greatest players ever not just for his skill, but for his unquenchable desire to win and his willingness to put in a superhuman effort into the game. Patrimonio has earned almost every accolade the league has had to offer and has had his share of championships. He has represented the country as an amateur and a professional and was even the league's flagship when Robert Jaworski retired. A study in adaptability, Patrimonio moved his game further away from the basket when the players at the post got bigger and stronger.

Bogs Adornado
Everybody remembers how he would bury his classic jumper without any show of emotion. He was like a hired gun from the perimeter. A dead-serious deadshot. He started his career with Crispa where he established himself as one of the league's premier scorer. He suffered a knee injury late in his career nu came back with a vengeance with Tommy Manotoc and U-tex. It was with the Wranglers, who became famous with that longest 16 seconds in basketball history, that Adornado chalked up a third MVP trophy. And the 6-2 shooter accomplished this feat before anybody had even repeated as the league's best individual player.

Allan Caidic
The 6-2 former national team standout will go down as the cager with the deadliest pair of shooting hands ever. His accuracy from the perimeter, especially from beyond the arc, was a story told and retold in the same hushed and awed tone that one would use in narrating myths. But everything about him from his legendary shooting touch to his undying desire to always win was true. He started his career with Great Taste before making a move to San Miguel Beer. He owns the record for the most triples and the highest score by a local in one game. It is not farfetched to believe that those scoring records will weather the trials of time and it will take ages before anybody like him torches the nets of the PBA hardcourts again.

Abet Guidaben
Often cast as the arch nemesis of Fernandez, Guidaben fuelled their rivalry with a strong inside game and his patented off-the-glass shot from the post. Some say his career may have bloomed even brighter if he had not been involved in heartbreaking - at least on his part - trades with Fernandez. He leads the league in all-time offensive rebounds pulled and games played, and is second to Fernandez in minutes played, defensive rebounds, and total points. The 6-6 center won two MVP trophies, the last with San Miguel, the year before he was traded to Purefoods for Fernandez. He continued his journeyman ways late in his career before finally hanging his jersey after a stint with Shell.

Benjie Paras
There are those who will dispute his first MVP award in 1989, the year San Miguel won a grand slam. In fact, even Norman Black found it funny that the MVP during the triple crown year did not come from the team that accomplished the feat. But what is non-debatable is the fact that Paras is the only player to win the MVP and Rookie of the Year awards in the same season. But his real claim to greatness is his heartwarming comeback story from his self-inflicted downfall. Coaxing himself out of a shell of his self-contentment, Paras won yet another MVP award, 10 Years after the first one launched him to superstardom. And that MVP trophy came in the year when several talented half-Filipinos threatened to duplicate his feat as top Rookie-MVP awardee. The way he defended his sacred space in the record books was truly an inspiring story.

Vergel Meneses
Everybody was shocked when he lost to best friend Bong Ravena in the race for the Rookie of the year award in 1992. But everybody understood why. Ravena's team then, San Miguel, had a lot more success than Meneses Presto. But instead of allowing his morale to sag, Meneses continued his meteoric rise and eventually won the MVP award in 1995. A high leaper blessed with a deft shooting touch, a dozen post moves and an eye for the open man, Meneses has been describe by coaches like Ron Jacobs as the most talented player ever to play in the PBA. His career was rocked with several controversies, the last of which split his partnership with the Conception franchise. But whether he was playing the role of Pop Cola's disgruntled superstar or Barangay Ginebra's resident hero, Meneses is a joy to behold.

Kenneth Duremdes
At first, he was heralded as the second coming of Bog Adornado. Later, he unveiled a leaping ability and a perimeter game that had everybody comparing him to Meneses. But in 1998, Duremdes established his own identity and walked away with the league's highest and most elusive individual award, the Most Valuable Player trophy. Earning a reputation as the most destructive offensive weapon in the amateurs, Duremdes joined Sunkist in 1995 and spent two uneventful seasons there under the shadows of Meneses. His transfer to Alaska two seasons later paved the way for his emergence as a certified PBA superstar and his meteoric rise to MVP heights secured his place among the all-time greats.

Johnny Abarrientos
He loved to dance. That's what he told to anybody who was willing to listen to him at the start of his career. The diminutive Abarrientos incorporated his dancing skills with his basketball talent and emerged as Asia's finest point guard. He could beat opponents with a quick first step or pop up for a jumper. But the 5-8 former Far Eastern standout is at his deadliest when directing Alaska's intricate offense. His ability to spot the open man is uncanny and his defensive awareness is so high, bigger guards have a lot of trouble taking advantages of his size. In 1996, after steering Alaska to only the league's fourth triple crown, he became the shortest player ever to take home the MVP trophy.

Atoy Co
The "Fortune Cookie" told how Crispa would fare in the old days. If he would wax hot from the perimeter, the Redmanizers were unbeatable. He is a member of the 5,000 and 10,000 points club and many feel that if the three-point arc were invented right at the time when the PBA started, Co would have added more points to his all-time total. The one-time MVP capped his career with Great Taste and ventured into movies after his basketball stint. He often played a gun-toting cop or a bad guy firing at will. But the mention of his name will always conjure images of shooting of a different kind.

Ato Agustin
When San Miguel took him in 1989, very few expected Ato Agustin to pierce the elite circle of MVP winners, especially since he was plucked from the draft by a San Miguel team that did not really have any job vacancies. But one by one, the beermen´s stalwarts aged or fell prey to injuries and by 1992, Agustin was thrust into the limelight. The Pampangas cager responded with aplomb, using his shooting skills and one-on-one moves to help San Miguel annex the All-Filipino crown. He spent a couple more seasons with the Beermen before transferring to several PBA teams. He played one season in the rival Metropolitan Basketball Association but came back last year with Sta. Lucia. Unprotected by the Realtors in the dispersal draft this year, Agustin was picked by Red Bull to be its captain during its formative years.

Freddie Hubalde
How he ever found ways to shine in a talent-laden Crispa squad is a proof of Freddie Hubalde's resiliency. He started out as an undersized forward who loved to score from underneath with his patented undergoal stab. Later on, he took his game outside and developed a medium range bank shot. In 1977, when Crispa won two championships but fell short of its grand slam try, Hubalde took home his one and only MVP trophy after playing his finest season. He took his skills to several other teams but he was last a factor for the Tanduay ballclub that later disbanded and sold its franchise to Purefoods. There, teamed up with the likes of Mon Fernandez, Padim Israel and Willie Generalao.

Ricky Brown
Very few players could fire up the imagination of the fans the way the "Quick Brown Fox" did. His low-key demeanor and secretive ways had everybody picturing him as some sort of mercenary who came here like a Soldier of Fortune to earn lots of cash and eventually run back home to the United States. He was a lethal scoring machine who could also play the point and nearly led Great taste to a grand slam in 1985, the year he won an MVP trophy. With his great depth from the perimeter, Brown led the league in scoring averages for three straight seasons from 1985 to 1987. He transferred to San Miguel Beer and helped the Beermen win a couple of championships. He was diagnosed with a heart ailment and had to fly back to the US. He is currently married to a Filipina.

Philip Cezar
He was the original "Sultan of Swat" and the inventor of the stretch lay-up. His extraordinary long arms and his defensive quickness were a nightmarish mix for scorers who he played against during the prime. Despite his size, he was often assigned to guard the likes of Ramon Fernandez. He ranks second in all-time number of shots blocked behind Fernandez and his third in total rebounds and offensive rebounds. In 1980, he won his only MVP trophy with Crispa. He stayed with the Redmanizers until the team disbanded, after which he joined legendary coach Baby Dalupan at Great Taste, where he teamed up with former Crispa teammates Bernie Fabiosa and Atoy Co. He went on to win a seat in public office and had a stint as an assistant to Robert Jaworski at the Ginebra bench.

Manny Paner
He made noise in the early '80s when Royal Tru-Orange awarded him the most lucrative contract in the PBA. He was paid P8, 000 monthly to man the post for Royal. Most of his contemporaries were awed by his monthly paycheck but they believed he deserved it. U-Tex point guard Lim Eng Beng describe Paner as a tough customer under the boards. He finished his career averaging slightly above 12 points per game and ranks eighth in career average rebounds. A member of one Mythical Team selection, Paner had stints with Royal, CDCP and San Miguel Beer.

Jerry Codiñera
For 12 seasons, he was half of the most dominant pair to ever terrorize the All-Filipino hardcourts. But a trade last year split up his partnership with Alvin Patrimonio and saw him wear a new jersey for the first time since joining the PBA with Purefoods in 1988. He succeeded Philip Cezar as "Tapal King" and owns the single game record for blocks at 11. A perennial member of the All-Defensive Team, this University of the East product was given the monicker "Defense Minister" for his tireless manning of the post. In fact, the 6-5 Codinera was also a terror on the offensive end who was blessed with an unerring 18-foot jumpshot not normally found in big men. He came close to winning an MVP award in 1993 but lost to Patrimonio in the tightest race for the prestigious trophy in league history.

Jojo Lastimosa
He had the personality of Robert Jaworski, but in a smaller case. Half of those who knew him loved him. But the Cagayan de Oro-bred cager was never one who would mind. He had a job to do and he made sure as hell that he did it. His clutch jumper was the most feared in crunchtime situations and he was one those players who took his game from above the rim to outside in the perimeter. In 1988, he won the Rookie of the Year award despite not sharing harmonious relationship with the press, who mistook his serious behavior as outright snobbishness. The height of his career came when he skippered Alaska to a rare grand slam in 1996. This season, he took a shift in career when he severed his ties with Alaska to take on the role of team leader for the rebuilding Pop Cola Squad.

Hector Calma
Long before Johnny Abarrientos dominated the battle among the small men, Hector Calma was the king of the court generals. Smart, tough and blessed with a jumper that was complemented by a strong penetration move, the "Director" was at his best when creating situations for the talented San Miguel squad. He was one of the players of the fabled Northern Consolidated team coached by Ron Jacobs which went on to reap honors in the international field. His greatest achievement, aside from the numerous yearend awards he received, was his ability to tale control over a San Miguel team laden with superstars. Oftentimes, his former coach, Norman Black, would sit in wonder and watch the Beermen respond to Calma's quiet leadership.

Samboy Lim
Samboy the "Skywalker." Samboy the "Dragon." The moment he took possession of the leather and streaked downcourt for a fastbreak, excitement would build up slowly among the coliseum audience. Then, the murmur would steadily build up until it would explode into a chorus of screams and cheers. Lim had just completed one of his high-flying acts, most probably a dunk. Observers call him the most successful player never to have won an MVP. But that's only because his gung-ho attitude to the game often resulted to bizarre crashes that would decommission him from active duty. If not for his injuries, Lim could have soared to even greater heights. But he's definitely contented where he stands right now.

Danny Florencio
Now only was he the first player, playing wise. He will go down as the league?s most underrated. That's because for all his scoring prowess. Danny Florencio never go to win even a slot on the Mythical team. A member of the 5,000 points club. Florencio finished his career averaging 16.9 points per game, 15th overall in the league. The high-leaping guard who barely topped six feet played for U-Tex, Seven-Up, Toyota and Galerie Dominique. Those who watched him in his prime believed that he was the founder of the highlight play, an act that the likes of Lim and Menses would follow.

Ronnie Magsanoc
If the history of the point guard in the PBA was an evolution. Ronnie Magsanoc is the missing link. While Hector Calma dominated the 80's, Magsanoc came along to rival the "Director". And as Calma's career slowly ebbed, Magsanoc took over the throne among court generals while the public awaited the arrival of a certain Johnny A. Up until today, the PBA's "Point Laurente" continues to baffle defenders with his playmaking savvy and shooting skills. Magsanoc's best year were in the early '90 when he was part of a shell team that got engaged in heated rivalry with crowd favorite Ginebra. He was half of the Mutt-and-Jeff Shell tandem that also featured Benjie Paras, until both players split ways and Magsanoc ended up with Sta. Lucia.

Bernie Fabiosa
The former Crispa playmaker had several head-on clashes with Robert Jaworski and Francis Arnaiz during the days of the fierce and legendary Crispa-Toyota rivalry. But that wasn't his claim to fame. A relentless defender who tirelessly pursues his man, fabiosa was one of the league's best thiefs. He owns the second-best all-time one-game record for steals, a feat he achieved three times. Fabiosa joined Cezar and Co at Great Taste when the powerful Redmanizers were broken up. He took his playmaking skills there and helped the Coffeemakers win a couple of championships before injuries forced him to call it quits. He now coaches in the Philippine Basketball League.

Lim Eng Beng
Everybody agress that Lim Eng Beng was not your regular naturally-skilled player. The former La Salle standout was never known for his natural talents either. But he was one of the hardest working point guard in the PBA in his prime. He possessed an awkward-looking jumpshot but whenever U-Tex needed him to deliver, he would make his jumpers. Even his coach at U-Tex, Tommy Manotoc, had lots of faith in Lim. Manotoc praised the player for being one of those players who used hard work to get to level that he reached as a player.

Francis Arnaiz
For most of his career, Francis Arnaiz was popular for being half of the most popular tandem to ever play in the league. Starsky and Hutch. Robert Jaworski and Francis Arnaiz. The gutsy guard often played big for his size and was one of those players who would use intimidation to go one up against his opponent. Who wouldn't, if he had an equally tough partner like Jaworski by his side? But even Norman Black said that what made Arnaiz great was the fact that he could take as much as he could dish off. He never backed down from a challenge. Together with Jaworski, Arnaiz was a thrill to watch and pair was one of the top draws of the league way back then.