Ramón S. Fernandez is a retired
FilipinoThe Philippines officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a country in Southeast Asia with Manila as its capital city. It comprises 7,107 islands in the western Pacific Ocean....
professional basketball player in
Philippine Basketball AssociationThe Philippine Basketball Association is a professional basketball league in the Philippines founded in 1975. It is the first and the oldest professional basketball league in Asia...
. Fernandez won four Most Valuable Player awards and a record of 19 PBA championships (the equivalent of 6 championships in the NBA as the PBA runs three championships a year) bagged. Fernandez scored 18,996 points to finish as the PBA's all-time scoring leader. He is also the PBA's all-time leader in rebounds, blocked shots, and second all-time in assists and steals. He played for five teams in his entire the PBA career starting with
ToyotaThe Toyota Super Corollas was a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association from 1975-1983. The team had various monikers such as the Comets, the Silver Tamaraws, the Tamaraws, the Super Diesels, the Super Corollas and the Silver Coronas.Their nine PBA titles is the...
, Manila Beer,
TanduayThe Tanduay Rhum Masters is a former Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association , Philippine Basketball Association and Philippine Basketball League basketball team.-History:...
, Purefoods, and with
San MiguelThe San Miguel Beermen is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. They are a member of the league since its inception in 1975 and hold the most PBA titles with 18....
, his last stop. Fernandez played in many overseas tournament by being a part of the
Philippine basketball teamThe men's national basketball team of the Philippines won a bronze medal in the 1954 FIBA World Championship for men and a fifth-place finish in the 1936 Summer Olympics, the two best finishes of any Asian team in the history of the top two international basketball tournaments...
. He is widely considered as the best basketball player to ever play in the PBA.
Career
Fernandez is a graduate of the
University of San CarlosThe University of San Carlos is an educational institution in Cebu City. It is the oldest school in the Philippines, established by Spanish Jesuits in 1595, and it is a Roman Catholic school of higher learning governed by the Society of the Divine Word since 1935...
in
CebuCebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
and was a member of several national teams, which include the 1973 Asian Basketball Confederation championship team.
In
1975The 1975 PBA Season was the inaugural season of the Philippine Basketball Association. The first game was held on April 9, 1975 at the Araneta Coliseum with Marisawa-Noritake beating Concepcion Industries 101-98 in the opening game and Toyota edging out U/Tex, 105-101.-Champions:* All-Filipino Cup:...
, Fernandez joined the
ToyotaThe Toyota Super Corollas was a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association from 1975-1983. The team had various monikers such as the Comets, the Silver Tamaraws, the Tamaraws, the Super Diesels, the Super Corollas and the Silver Coronas.Their nine PBA titles is the...
team in the PBA, joining
Robert JaworskiRobert Salazar Jaworski , also known as Sonny Jaworski, Bobby Jaworski, Jawo, and Robert Jaworski, Sr., is a former Philippine senator, basketball coach and Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association and PBA basketball player.Known as The Big J and called The Living Legend during his...
,
Francis ArnáizFrancis C. Arnaiz is a former Filipino professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association for Toyota and Ginebra San Miguel from 1975-1986...
,
Arnie TuadlesThe late Arnulfo "Arnie" Tuadles was a Filipino basketball player who once played for the fabled Philippine Basketball Association team Toyota Super Corollas. He began his career brightly as a stalwart in the MICAA, playing for the Manilabank Golden Bankers in the mid-70s before peddling his wares...
,
Danny FlorencioDanilo Zoleta Florencio , better known as Danny Florencio, is a pioneer of the Philippine Basketball Association having played in the PBA from 1975 to 1983. He played for different teams like the U/Tex Weavers, the 7-Up Uncolas, the Toyota Tamaraws, and the Galerie Dominique Artistas...
, and
Abe KingAbe King, Jr. was a Filipino basketball player who was part of the champion Philippine Basketball Association ballclub Toyota Tamaraws. He was the starting power center of 1976 MICAA Champion Crown Motors before his mother team, the Toyota Tamaraws called upon his services at the start of the...
when they won nine titles from 1975-1983. Fernandez was the 1982 PBA Most Valuable Player, the only time he achieved the award during his days with the fabled Toyota team.
After Toyota's disbandment in 1984, Fernandez and several former Toyota teammates joined Beer Hausen. The move also further ignited a much-publicized feud with former teammate Jaworski. Fernandez won the 1984 MVP award, his second, during his first season with the
Lucio TanLucio Tan is a prominent Chinese Filipino business magnate.-Early Life:Lucio Tan is one of the most prominent business magnates in the Philippines...
-owned franchise, but never led the team to the championship until he was shipped in the middle of the 1985 season to
TanduayThe Tanduay Rhum Masters is a former Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association , Philippine Basketball Association and Philippine Basketball League basketball team.-History:...
for
Abet GuidabenAlberto "Abet" Guidaben is a former Philippine Basketball Association basketball player. He was part of the fabled Crispa Redmanizers ballclub that won two Grand Slams, in 1976 and 1983...
.
From 1986-1987, Fernandez along with former Crispa rivals
Freddie HubaldeAlfredo Hubalde , also known as Freddie Hubalde, is a former Filipino professional basketball player. Hubalde played college ball for the Mapúa Institute of Technology, before eventually moving on to play professional basketball in the Philippine Basketball Association. Hubalde is a former Most...
and
Padim IsraelFederico Israel, Jr. , better known as Padim Israel, is a former Filipino basketball player. He played college ball for the Ateneo de Manila University before eventually going on to play professional basketball in the Philippine Basketball Association...
, J.B. Yango, Willie Generalao, Onchie dela Cruz and imports Rob Williams, Andre McKoy and later,
David ThirdkillDavid Thirdkill is a retired American basketball player who was selected by the Phoenix Suns in the 1st round of the 1982 NBA Draft. A 6'7" small forward from the College of Southern Idaho and Bradley University, Thirdkill played in five NBA seasons from 1982-1987...
, led the Rhum Masters to three PBA titles. Fernandez won his third MVP award in 1986.
Tanduay would disband before the 1988 season, but the franchise rights were bought by the
Purefoods CorporationThe Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants is a professional basketball team of the Philippine Basketball Association owned by the San Miguel-Purefoods Comany, Inc., a division of the San Miguel Corporation...
. Fernandez would become playing coach, his first coaching stint, of a young team composed of
Jerry CodiñeraJerry Codiñera is a retired professional basketball player of the Philippine Basketball Association. He is nicknamed the "Defense Minister" for his prowess at the defensive end. He is also a member of the 25 Best Players of all Time of PBA and Philippine men's national basketball team of the 1994...
,
Jojo LastimosaIsabelo Lastimosa, Jr. , better known as Jojo Lastimosa and by his nickname "Jolas", is a former Filipino professional basketball player from Cagayan de Oro City who played in the Philippine Basketball Association for the Purefoods TJ Hotdogs, the Alaska Aces and the Pop Cola Panthers from 1988-2003...
, Al Solís, Glen Capacio and later
Alvin PatrimonioAlvin Vergara Patrimonio , nicknamed "The Captain" and "Captain Lionheart" is a retired Filipino professional basketball player from the Philippine Basketball Association and is the current team manager of is former team, the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants.A 1983 graduate of the Manila Science High...
. In the 1988 Open Conference, he led his new team to a runner-up finish to San Miguel Beer. However, midway through the All-Filipino Conference, he would relinquish his coaching duties to his assistant, Cris Calilan, to concentrate on his game. But in a controversial move, Fernandez was benched during the Finals against Añejo Rhum. The said event led to his transfer to
San Miguel BeerThe San Miguel Beermen is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. They are a member of the league since its inception in 1975 and hold the most PBA titles with 18....
in exchange for, the second time,
Abet GuidabenAlberto "Abet" Guidaben is a former Philippine Basketball Association basketball player. He was part of the fabled Crispa Redmanizers ballclub that won two Grand Slams, in 1976 and 1983...
. Fernandez would later lead the Beermen to the 1988 Reinforced Conference Championship and also won his fourth MVP Award, becoming the first and the only player to win four MVP awards with four different teams.
Fernandez was a member of San Miguel's historic grandslam in 1989 while making amends with rival Jaworski during the 1989 All-Star Game, when El Presidente scored an undergoal stab off a Jaworski pass, to lead the Veterans to a 132-130 win over the Rookie-Sophomores team. Legendary coach
Baby DalupanVirgilio "Baby" Dalupan is a Filipino former basketball coach. He is the son of University of the East founder Dr. Francisco T. Dalupan Sr.Known to many as The Maestro, Dalupan is best known for his lengthy coaching tenure in the Philippine Basketball Association, where he led the legendary Crispa...
, then coaching the Veterans, summoned both players to a historic handshake signaling the end of their bitter feud.
In 1990, Fernandez was a member of the
Philippine basketball teamThe men's national basketball team of the Philippines won a bronze medal in the 1954 FIBA World Championship for men and a fifth-place finish in the 1936 Summer Olympics, the two best finishes of any Asian team in the history of the top two international basketball tournaments...
that won a silver medal in the Beijing Asian Games. El Presidente was supposed to participate in the 1994 Asian Games team, but begged off due to an injury. That year also saw the final season of Fernandez's PBA career when he announced his retirement.
He was the first four-time MVP of the league, winning it in 1982, 1984, 1986, and 1988, all even numbered years. Considered as the best player to have come out of the PBA, he can play all five positions on the court, as center, power forward, small forward, off guard, and point guard, with uncanny ability. His trademark one-handed running jumper dubbed the "elegant shot" was his most potent offensive weapon. In 1984, he came awfully close to averaging in triple-double the whole season, being only five assists shy from achieving the feat. He ended his PBA career as the all-time leader in most points scored with 18,996, number two behind Jaworski in assists with 5,220, number one in defensive rebounds with 6,435, number two in offensive rebounds behind Guidaben with 2,217, number one in overall rebounds with 8,652, number one in minutes played with 36624:30, number 2 in games played behind Guidaben, number one in blocks with 1,853, and, since February 5, 2007, number two behind
Johnny AbarrientosJohnny Abarrientos is a former Filipino professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association. He is also a many-time member of the Philippine National team, as well as a former 1996 PBA MVP, becoming the shortest player to win the said award.He is known by many as The Flying A...
in steals with 1,302. He ended with career averages of 17.7 points per game, 8.1 rebounds per game, 4.9 assists per game, 1.2 steals per game, and 1.7 blocks per game in 1,074 games.
Retirement
After his playing career, Fernandez ran for a senatorial seat under the
Nationalist People's CoalitionThe Nationalist People's Coalition or NPC is a political party in the Philippines.-History:The Party was founded in 1991 after some members of the Nacionalista Party led by then Rizal Governor Isidro Rodriguez bolted from the Nacionalista Party after some disagreements with Nacionalista party...
in the 1995 elections but lost. In 1998, he became the first commissioner of the defunct professional league,
Metropolitan Basketball AssociationThe Metropolitan Basketball Association or Metroball was a professional basketball league in the Philippines founded in 1998.The MBA overtook the Philippine Basketball Association's plans on regionalization when the league adopted a home-and-away format where teams, instead of representing...
.
In 2000, he was included in the PBA's 25 Greatest Players' list and was awarded during the league's anniversary on April 9, 2000.
In 2003, Fernandez was named the Commissioner of the
Collegiate Champions League tournamentThe Collegiate Champions League , is a collegiate tournament in the Philippines. Patterned after the UEFA Champions League and NCAA's March Madness, the CCL aims to crown the champions of Filipino collegiate basketball. It was established in 2002....
. A few months earlier, Fernandez was part of the
Toyota TamarawsThe Toyota Super Corollas was a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association from 1975-1983. The team had various monikers such as the Comets, the Silver Tamaraws, the Tamaraws, the Super Diesels, the Super Corollas and the Silver Coronas.Their nine PBA titles is the...
in the Crispa-Toyota Reunion Game. The highlight of the event was the kickout pass of Fernandez to Jaworski, who later sank a three-pointer to seal the Tamaraws' 65-61 win over their bitter rivals, the
RedmanizersThe Crispa Redmanizers was a basketball team in the Manila Industrial Commercial Athletic Association , the Philippine Basketball Association and the Philippine Amateur Basketball League from the 1960s to the early 1990s.- Profile and history :...
.
He also became the Commissioner of the now-inactive
United Regional Basketball LeagueThe United Regional Basketball League was a community-based amateur basketball league in the Philippines that played only one season in 2004. The league was managed by persons identified with the old Metropolitan Basketball Association , a professional community-based league that suspended...
during its only run in 2004.
Fernandez was also inducted in the
PBA Hall of FameThe Philippine Basketball Association Hall of Fame is an institution that honors selected former players and personalities of the Philippine Basketball Association. It was launched in 2005 during the Reunion Game pitting two teams comprising of the PBA's 25th Anniversary All-Time Team. In 2005, it...
and participated in the Greatest Game, a reunion of several members of the league's 25 Greatest Players, in May 30, 2005 when they lost to the TM Greats team 96-92.
Mon Fernandez now operates a cafe named "Tisoy." It is located on Fortuna Street, Cebu City, Cebu.
Legacy
Fernandez is remembered as one of the most popular players during the PBA's golden years and is also one of the most prominent faces in Philippine basketball, even to this day.
Fernandez could actually play all five positions on the basketball court as he has mastered every skill needed in the game of basketball. He is known for his dribbling skills (unusual for a center during his era), uncanny passing ability, perimeter jumpers, and unstoppable low post moves. In an open court game, it was not unusual to see him collar a rebound then dribble down the full length of the court and finish off the break with a lay-up down the middle or a fancy pass to a streaking teammate on the wings. He is also well known for his trademark one handed running shot dubbed as "the elegant shot."
Fernandez is perhaps the most ambidextrous player to have played the game since
Carlos LoyzagaCarlos M. Loyzaga is a former Filipino basketball player and coach. He led the Philippine National team to a Bronze Medal finish in the 1954 FIBA World Championship...
a generation before him. Almost always, whenever he would lead a fastbreak (after getting the defensive rebound) he was like a maestro conducting an orchestra with the ability to hit the open man on either wing or finish a lay-up with either hand. A lot of times he would switch the ball from right hand to left hand and draw a foul for a three point play. One of his more famous moves was driving down the middle of the lane, fake a right-handed shot and then, at the very last second when the defender has committed himself, switch the ball to his left hand for an up-and-under scoop shot that almost always drew a foul. He had an ambidextrous hook shot that was almost impossible to stop and a weird looking variation of a lay-up that was executed while "fading away" from the basket which made it equally indefensible. His "elegant shot" often came after a left-handed cross-over dribble. He had pivot moves, double pump fakes, and trick shots from under the basket that he executed to flawless perfection even before
Kevin McHaleKevin Edward McHale is a retired American professional basketball player who starred for thirteen seasons in the NBA for the Boston Celtics. After his playing career, he worked for the Minnesota Timberwolves as the team's general manager and later its coach...
wrote his NBA playbook. He owned what was perhaps the craziest no-look pass that was executed on the Philippine hardwood because it came about as a fake behind-the-back pass going to one direction and at the last moment go the other direction. His pinpoint passing ability was devastating to opponents because he could execute them with either hand as well. It didn't matter to Fernandez whether he was hitting the open man through a crowd of defenders or hitting the same open man via a Hail Mary pass from outside the backcourt.
Philip CezarPhilip "The Scholar" Cezar is a former Philippine Basketball Association basketball player. He was part of the fabled Crispa Redmanizers ballclub that won two Grand Slams, in 1976 and 1983. He won the Most Valuable Player award in 1980. He was also a many-time Philippine national team player in...
and
Abe KingAbe King, Jr. was a Filipino basketball player who was part of the champion Philippine Basketball Association ballclub Toyota Tamaraws. He was the starting power center of 1976 MICAA Champion Crown Motors before his mother team, the Toyota Tamaraws called upon his services at the start of the...
, two premier defenders of local players and imports alike, in television interviews, always said that Fernandez was the toughest assignment they ever had to handle.
PBA career
- 4-time Most Valuable Player (1982, 1984, 1986, 1988)
- PBA Hall of Fame
- Member of the 1989 San Miguel Grand Slam Team
- 13-time Mythical First Team Selection (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992)
- 3-time Mythical Second Team Selection (1985, 1987, and 1990)
- 4-time PBA All-Star
- PBA's 25 Greatest Players
- PBA Hall of Fame Class of 2005
Others
- Member, 1972 Asian Youth
- Member, 1973 Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC)
- Member, 1974 Mundo Basket (World Championship)
- Member, 1974 Asian Games
- Member, 1990 Asian Games
- 1994 Asian Games Assistant Coach
- Metropolitan Basketball Association Commissioner 1998-1999
Trivia
- A Ramon Fernandez-Abet Guidaben trade was executed twice. In 1985, Manila Beer swapped Fernandez to Tanduay for former Crispa rival Guidaben. In 1988, after a controversial shelving of Fernandez during the 1988 All-Filipino championship series led to Purefoods dealing the then-three time MVP to San Miguel for Guidaben, the reigning 1987 PBA MVP.
- Fernandez won his four MVPs through four different teams Toyota, Beer Hausen, Tanduay, and San Miguel Beer and all in even-numbered years (1982, 1984, 1986, and 1988). On the other hand, rival Guidaben won the MVP award twice in odd-numbered years (1983 and 1987). Had the 1985 last conference swap between Fernandez and Guidaben did not materialize, Guidaben would have been the MVP also in 1985.
- Fernandez has led the teams he has played in a PBA championship series. He won nine titles with Toyota, led Beer Hausen to a title-series loss to Great Taste in 1984, led Tanduay to three PBA titles, led Purefoods to the finals in 1988 (played Game 1 after which he was barred from playing the rest of the series), and won seven titles with San Miguel.
- Outside of basketball, Fernandez also held a barangay seat at Ayala Alabang Village.
- He ran for Senator under the Nationalist People's Coalition
The Nationalist People's Coalition or NPC is a political party in the Philippines.-History:The Party was founded in 1991 after some members of the Nacionalista Party led by then Rizal Governor Isidro Rodriguez bolted from the Nacionalista Party after some disagreements with Nacionalista party...
in the 1995 senatorial elections, but lost.
External links