NOT a lot of people knew who Jimmy Alapag was when he first got to the country.
But when he hung up his sneakers for good, 'The Mighty Mouse' was already a household name in Philippine basketball.
Diminutive as he was, the 5-foot-9 Alapag sure showed that his heart was bigger than his size. The Fil-Am court general made an instant impact in his first conference with the Phone Pals, steering the squad to the 2003 All-Filipino Cup title.
There was no turning back from that point on. In Alapag's 12 seasons with the franchise, he won six championships and was also named as the 2011 PBA MVP.
Rightfully so, he became the first and lone player to have his jersey retired by the Talk 'N Text franchise, immortalizing his No. 3 jersey when he first called it a career in 2015.
Even when he served as the Tropang Texters' team manager, success never eluded him as he was part of the 2015 Commissioner's Cup title-winning squad before he made his brief return, albeit for Meralco.
Yet as great as Alapag's career for TNT is, he's not alone.
That's why Spin.ph believes that there are four other KaTropa players who deserve to see their jerseys retired.
Here's our list.

Asi Taulava (88)
Arriving in the PBA as a direct hire in 1999, the Fil-Tongan center was hailed as a game-changer.
Taulava did his fair share for Mobiline, making it a fixture in the playoffs and even helped the Phone Pals nab a runner-up finish in the 2002 Commissioner's Cup.
But it wasn't until 2003 when everything came together for the 6-foot-9 banger as he anchored Talk 'N Text to that season's All-Filipino Cup crown over Coca Cola, where he was named as the Finals MVP. It remains as his lone PBA championship to boot.
Taulava was just on another level that year, logging a career-best 23.4 points en route to being named as the Season MVP.
His time in TNT, though, saw its end in December 2007 when he was shipped to Coke for Ali Peek and a 2008 first-round pick, which turned out to be Jared Dillinger.
More than a decade may have passed since he last wore the KaTropa's blue-and-yellow, but no one even dared to touch the No. 88 jersey of 'The Rock.'

Harvey Carey (4)
Carey's resume may not be as gaudy as that of Alapag's, but the Fil-Am forward is just as big of a staple for the TNT franchise as his batchmate.
Picked fourth in the 2003 PBA Rookie Draft, the 6-foot-3 bruiser is the hard-nosed utility the Phone Pals needed, willing to do the dirty work.
Unsurprisingly, accolades have been rare to come Carey's way in his 17-year run with the franchise, with him only making the Mythical Second Team in his rookie season, the All-Defensive Team in 2007, and the All-Star in 2011.
But what he lacks in his personal trophy case, he made up for with rings as he was part of all seven TNT championships. Unlike Alapag, he played in all of those, making him the winningest player in team history.
Carey may still be pondering on whether he'll call it a career, but when he does, no one should ever wear his No. 4.

Ranidel de Ocampo (33)
Unlike the first two entries in this list, de Ocampo did not start his career at TNT. It was with the team, however, where he saw his career flourish after Air21 traded him in exchange for Don Allado.
RDO was an immediate contributor the moment he got to the Tropang Texters, helping the Chot Reyes-mentored side get the better of Alaska in the 2009 Philippine Cup Finals.
As he established his footing in the Gilas Pilipinas national team, the Tanza, Cavite-born stud also continued to be a key piece in TNT's dynasty in the early 2010s, where it won four crowns in three seasons, with de Ocampo bagging the Finals MVP in the 2013 Philippine Cup.
He did capture his only Best Player of the Conference award in the 2014 Governors' Cup, while also taking home his second Finals MVP award in the 2015 Commissioner's Cup to hike his championship total to six.
De Ocampo was slowed down by injuries as he was soon shipped to Meralco in 2017 and eventually called it a career in April 2020.
RDO did make his return to the franchise as TNT hired him to be an assistant coach for the upcoming season.

Larry Fonacier (12)
Fonacier was a proven winner in every stop he had, and TNT was no exception.
Alaska shipped the 6-foot-2 gunner to the Tropang Texters during the 2010 PBA Draft in exchange for No. 4 pick Elmer Espiritu, and the Ateneo sharpshooter immediately delivered.
His three-point prowess was just what the doctor ordered for Reyes' dribble-drive offense as he quickly earned his spot in the team and helped the franchise bag five titles in five seasons.
Fonacier was even named the Finals MVP in the 2012 Philippine Cup.
His stay ended in May 2017 when he was involved in a complex four-team trade which sent him to NLEX and reunited him with his former Red Bull mentor Yeng Guiao.
Since he left, the only player to wear his No. 12 was Marion Magat in 2019.
Honorable Mentions:
Jayson Castro (17)
This one's a foregone conclusion.
If there's anyone who carried the mantle for TNT after Alapag's retirement, it was Castro, who was part of the last six championship teams of the KaTropa.
'The Blur' has also won five BPC awards, tied for second-most with Danny Ildefonso, and owns two Finals MVP trophies.
He may still be at the peak of his powers, but when Castro decides to hang up his sneakers, jersey retirement shouldn't be that far behind.
Kelly Williams (21)
His career may have been slowed down by thrombocytopenia in the late 2000s, but Williams' trade from Sta. Lucia to TNT was a match made in heaven - one that cemented the franchise's dominant run from 2010 to 2013.
The Fil-Am high-flyer, who was league MVP during his time with the Realtors, was part of five championship teams for the KaTropa, while also bagging a few honors along the way.
He was a part of the Mythical First Team in 2011 and in the Mythical Second Team thrice in 2010, 2012, and 2017. As part of TNT, he was also hailed as the Comeback Player of the Year twice.
Ryan Reyes (10)
Much like Williams, Reyes came to TNT from Sta. Lucia and was a big boost in coach Chot Reyes' backcourt, giving the team a defensive-minded guard to complement Alapag and Castro.
An evidence to that was his inclusion to the All-Defensive Team for three seasons from 2010 to 2012, which greatly contributed to the Tropang Texters' reign of terror atop the PBA.
Like Williams, Reyes also won five of his six career championships while wearing the TNT jersey.
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Think we missed anyone? Hit us up in the comments section on who you feel also needs to see their jersey retired by TNT.
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