ARWIND Santos, whose tall presence, silky shooting and defensive prowess earned him several individual honors while helping San Miguel win nine championships during his storied stay with the franchise, will have his No. 29 SMB jersey retired on May 1.
He will become the seventh Beerman to have the honor although, unlike in many major basketball leagues around the globe, there will be no rafter to hang his jersey, as well as the others, since there are no home courts in the PBA.
It will still be an achievement for the 42-year-old forward, who earned the monicker "Spiderman" for his lengthy wingspan, as San Miguel is one of the most successful franchises in the PBA and whose roster, past and present, boast of some of the most formidable players in the league.
He was one of them.
That he was the one who requested his number be retired may be beside the point as it may seem that it would be just a matter of time before his team would eventually do it because of his significant contribution to San Miguel.
But the fact that he had to initiate it did not escape criticism as it would seem San Miguel was pressured to bestow the honor. His record, however, indicates, he deserved it.
Besides the nine championships of which he was a significant contributor, Santos won MVP honors in the league's 38th season in 2014. He captured two Finals MVP, two Best Player of the Conference awards, two All-Star Game MVPs, aside from being one of the PBA’s 40 Greatest Players of All Time.
SMB grants Arwind Santos' wish to have No. 29 jersey retired
The 6-foot-4 forward was also a 12-time All Star, a 10-time Mythical First Team, two-time Mythical Second Team, three-time Defensive Player of the Year, and eight-time member of the All-Defensive Team.
Santos did not finish his career with SMB, though. In 2021, in a move that surprised many, the team traded him to North Port, for Vic Manuel. His stay there was shortlived. Last year he played for Pampanga in the MPBL but he also has since been dropped from the roster.
Santos' record is not totally glossy. Besides suspensions from fighting and unsportsmanlike conduct, he was also famously fined P200,000 by the PBA for mimicking monkey moves in the direction of TNT import Terrence Jones in Game 5 of the Commissioner's Cup Finals in 2019.
Because of this, he was forced to undergo 100 hours of community service and counselling for equality and racial discrimination. He also apologized after the incident and was not suspended.
But his PBA legacy is entrenched, something he said he would be proud to show to his children and grandchildren. In his 17 years in the PBA, he posted career averages of 13.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.
“Isa rin ito sa maipagmamalaki ko sa aking mga anak at magiging istorya ni Arwind Santos,” he said.
He acknowledged that not everyone gets his jersey retired and was proud about it.
“Hindi lahat nabibigyan ng pagkakataon para ma-retire ang jersey,” he added. “At para sa akin ay napakalaking achievement ito sa aking career.”
Santos began his pro career with the Air21 Express, which selected him the No. 2 overall pick in the 2006 draft. But it was at San Miguel where the former two-time UAAP MVP out of Far Eastern University really began to stand out as one of the league’s best forwards.
He won the first of his SMB titles during the pre-June Mar Fajardo era when an underdog San Miguel side upset the grand slam-seeking TNT Texters, 85-73, in the deciding Game 7 of the Governors’ Cup.
Santos was part of what was known as the "Death Five," a mesmerizing and frightening group known for its ruthless domination of the league for many years that included Alex Cabagnot, Fajardo, Marcio Lassiter, and Chris Ross.
With his jersey's retirement, Santos joins former SMB stalwarts Ramon Fernandez, Allan Caidic, the late Samboy Lim, Hector Calma, Yves Dignadice, and Olsen Racela on the select list.
He also expressed his gratitude to the San Miguel management led by President and CEO Ramon S. Ang and to SMB officials Alfrancis Chua, Robert Non and Gee Abanilla
Santos used to wear No. 19 during his playing years as an amateur, but chose the no. 29 when he played for FedEx since Wynne Arboleda was already using the same jersey number.
Upon transferring to San Miguel, Santos carried on the No. 29 as No. 19 had already been retired in honor of Fernandez.
The retirment ceremony will be held on May 1 when the Beermen play Bossing at the Philsports Arena.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
