THE writing was on the wall for Ranidel De Ocampo as early as the last PBA season.
Hobbled by injuries, he hardly played for the Meralco Bolts last year that he realized his decorated playing career was coming to an end.
He was ready for that day. “Buo na ang loob ko,” he said to himself.
But when the moment finally came just a day after Easter, reality sunk in.
“Nakakalungkot pala,” the 38-year-old De Ocampo, owner of six championships in a pro career that spanned 15 years, related to SPIN.ph in a somber voice that one could sense would crack anytime.
“Ang tagal din akong naging bahagi ng basketball kaya kahit papaano yung feeling mabigat.”

Limited to a few games last year, De Ocampo appeared leaning toward retirement by the final quarter of 2019 although his heart and mind were not yet totally into it.
But the uncertainty of the period when the league is currently on an indefinite break owing to the coronavirus pandemic, somehow convinced the native of Tanza, Cavite that this is now the perfect time to walk away from the game which he’s been seriously playing since the age of 14.
“Nakatulong din, kasi nung October hanggang December, nag-iisip pa ako niyan. Pero nitong 2020 na, mas lumamang na yung nag-desisyon na ako," he said.

A first-round pick of FedEx in the 2004 PBA rookie draft, De Ocampo was a tough-playing 6-foot-6 big man whose reliable outside shooting enabled him to redefine the power forward position into the ‘the stretch 4’ as what it has commonly become known today.
Although he formed a deadly triumvirate with Arwind Santos and KG Canaleta at FedEx - long, athletic players who could hit from the outside – RdO, as what he has become known around the PBA, wouldn’t reach his potential until he was traded to Talk ‘N Text.
The former St. Francis of Assisi College stalwart, a three-time Mythical First team selection and once a Best Player of the Conference awardee, proved to be a perfect fit for Chot Reyes’ dribble and drive system that the Texters would go and win a total of six championships during his nine-year stay with the franchise.
But it was during that period when De Ocampo felt his body began to break down as he had to divide his time playing for Gilas Pilipinas and TnT, a team that was always in contention for the playoffs.
“Kaya rin siguro nagka-ganito ang katawan ko, halos buong career ko kasi wala akong pahinga,” said the nine-time All-Star and two-time Finals MVP.
One can tell the decline in his game by the time 2017 came around that TnT decided to part ways with him in a three-team trade that sent De Ocampo to Meralco.
He did provide a semblance of leadership to the young Bolts team that he helped the franchise reach the Governors Cup finals for the second straight year that same season.
Unfortunately, he suffered a strained calf in Game 3 against Barangay Ginebra and never played the rest of the title series.
He was never the same again after that.

“Hindi na ako nakakalaro, e,” said De Ocampo. ‘Hindi na ako nakakapag-practice. Hindi na rin ako makalaro yung talagang pukpukan.”
If there’s any benefit De Ocampo would get out of retirement, it’s the thought he’ll get to spend more time with his family.
“Mas makapag-spend na ako ng mahabang time sa pamilya ko,” he said. ‘And focus na din muna ako sa mga negosyo. At kung may dumating man sa larangan ng basketball o hindi, siguro puwedeng i-grab yung ibang opportunity.”

De Ocampo thanked the Lord for giving him a successful career made possible by the support of his loved ones, coaches, teammates, friends, and most especially the basketball fans.
RdO said he’ll surely miss all of them.
“Mami-miss ko silang lahat and siyempre, yung paglalaro,” he stressed.
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