[Second of a series]
Picking a 'best' list is always a tricky proposition. One's choices do not always conform with what others think. And in a country like ours where basketball is what people eat for breakfast, we expect a vigorus debate as we come out with our list of 10 players who we thought ought to be added to the 40 Greatest PBA Players earlier chosen.
Our list is a selection that we will release, one player at a time, while the PBA itself is trying to form its own list of 10 to be selected by a committee formed by PBA commissioner Willie Marcial to complete the 50 Greatest in time for the league's 50th Anniversary celebration next month.
The selection committee is composed of league greats, former commissioners and select mediamen from different outlets.
We assure our readers that our selection is not influenced by what is deliberated closed doors by the committee whose members, including one from SPIN.ph, have vowed not to divulge any part of the discussion or voting procedure.
Here's the second installment of our series on 50 Greatest.
1) Arnie Tuadles
2) Nelson Asaytono
JUST a quick rundown at the credentials of Nelson Asaytono in a 17-year PBA career gives someone the impression that he’s certainly one of the greatest to ever come out of Asia’s first ever play-for-pay league.
Unfortunately, he’s not.
The personal accolades that eluded him during his prime years continues to do so even in his retirement as the player known as ‘The Bull’ has been overlooked not just once but twice already on the list of the league’s all-time greatest players.
Now that the PBA is set to turn 50 this year and in the process of adding 10 more to its Greatest List, we’re one in aspiring to see him finally be given the honor he truly deserved.
Asaytono was brute power and grace personified during his playing years, an unstoppable force in the middle with his talent and sheer physical strength.
He can score no doubt as the pride of Oriental Mindoro finished No. 5 on the all-time scoring list with a total of 12,268 points to rank only behind such greats as Ramon Fernandez, Abet Guidaben, Alvin Patrimonio, and Atoy Co.
The 6-foot-4 product of University of Manila personified the word power forward when he entered the league as the No. 2 overall pick by the Purefoods franchise in the 1989 draft in what would be the start of a stellar career that also saw him suit up for Swift, San Miguel, and Red Bull.
Despite coming off the bench in a star-studded team then owned by the Ayala family, Asaytono still managed to shine playing behind a lineup consisting of Patrimonio, Jerry Codinera, Jojo Lastimosa, Al Solis, and Dindo Pumaren.
His potential as a franchise player was unleashed in 1992 when he landed at Swift under coach Yeng Guiao, and then with San Miguel in 1997 with the late legendary mentor Ron Jacobs, a stretch that saw him rise to become one of the league’s superstars who added four more championships to the two he already had with Purefoods.
It was also at around that time when Asaytono strongly contended for the MVP award thrice – losing in all three of them – and clinched a berth in the Mythical First Team thrice, Mythical Second Team selections four times, two Best Player of the Conference awards, became a scoring champion, and a 10-time All-Star.
When he arrived at San Miguel to become Jacobs’ main offensive weapon, Asaytono added a three-point shooting to his arsenal, leading him to become the PBA’s scoring champion (23.1 points) in 1997 and winning the BPC award of the Philippine Cup back-to-back in 1997 and 1998.
Asaytono returned to the RFM franchise late in his career before ending up with Red Bull where he won a final championship in the 2002 Commissioner’s Cup.
It was under Guiao that he played his last game in the PBA, and while Asaytono was just a mere shadow of his old deadly self, there was no doubt in his coach’s mind that he was one of the greatest ever to play in the PBA.
“Nelson wasn’t given the proper recognition he deserves despite his greatness. Talaga namang magaling,” said Guiao of Asaytono in an ABS-CBN interview, describing his former player of producing import-like numbers during his heydays.
“There’s no question that Nelson is one of the greatest players ever, and for me, his non-inclusion in the all-time Greatest List is long overdue.”
We say Amen to that.
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