The Post Toyota Era: These Players became even bigger Stars

  Last Saturday, I posted an article featuring the seven (7) Crispa Floro Redmanizers (http://sportingpage.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-post-crispa-era-these-players.html) who did well after the franchise disbanded at the end of the 1984 season. It’s not a surprise, therefore, that we’ll have a Toyota version this time, as the league was all about these two teams for its first decade (although Toyota lasted 9 seasons from 1975 to 1983).

            Not too many would realize that the league would go on and reach even bigger heights after the two rivals disbanded on back-to-back years. Those were unsettling times, and it took the leadership of Commissioner Mariano Yenko and his able deputy, Tommy Manotoc, to steer the PBA ship back to its course, establishing league parity by distributing the Crispa stars to different teams. Later, Commissioner Rudy Salud brought it to heights far beyond the imagination and expectation of fans as the youth brigade came in and sensational imports reinforced the squads.

            As such, allow me to share Toyota’s list of seven players who have made an even bigger name of themselves after 1983.

Robert Jaworski (4x PBA champion as player and coach, 1x Mythical First Team – 1986, 2x Mythical Second Team – 1985 and 1988, 1x PBA All-Defensive Team – 1985)

 Many would probably question how the Big J, Robert Jaworski, Sr., http://sportingpage.blogspot.com/2011/10/robert-jaworski-legend.html would make the list when we know his greatest years were with Toyota – 1978 MVP, 5x Mythical First Team, 9x champion. Had there been a Finals MVP award back then, the Big J would easily have picked up at least 3 from those 9 championships. He was the undisputed leader of the franchise until an internal turmoil sparked that reared its ugly head in the 1983 season – their last, yet worst, season ever. When the Silverio franchise disbanded, the Big J was already 37 years old. So why is he included when all his accomplishments in the past seem to outweigh those after Toyota?

            Easy. Jaworski transcended from being one of the league’s brightest superstar to becoming the face and ambassador of the PBA. He was the first playing coach to ever win a PBA title, putting up impressive numbers as a player in 3 of the 4 titles he won. In 1986, he played all 58 minutes in Game 4 of the Ginebra-Manila Beer Finals series, setting a league record for most number of minutes played by a local while quarterbacking the team to a 145-135 victory. In 1988, he and Joey Loyzaga topscored for Añejo Rum in Game 4 of the All Filipino Finals against Purefoods to win the game, 135-124, and the championship. And in the 1991 First Conference Finals versus Shell, he was named player of the game for scoring 13 points, grabbing 7 boards and issuing 6 dimes in the classic Game 7 win, 104-102 for the title. He was named head coach of the first all-pro national team assembled for the 1990 Beijing Asian Games. He and former teammate Ramon Fernandez brought the league to unexpected popularity when it was about to collapse by coming up with a personal rivalry that somehow replaced the Crispa-Toyota competition. And of course, he made Ginebra San Miguel the most popular team in PBA history by owning the never-say-die mantle that endeared them to millions of Filipinos.

The immortal barreling drive of the Big J a age 41

Ramon Fernandez (10x PBA champion, 3x MVP – 1984, 1986, 1988, 6x Mythical First Team – 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 3x Mythical Second Team – 1985, 1987 and 1990)

            Unlike Jaworski, Fernandez’s numbers were dominant in the post-Toyota era. Having been appointed as the franchise player of Beer Hausen after it bought the Toyota franchise, Don Ramon quickly established himself as the greatest player of the league, averaging 27 points, 15 rebounds and 9.9 assists for the entire 1984 season and earning for himself his second MVP award, the first outside Toyota, in unanimous fashion. He later won 2 more awards in 1986 with Tanduay and in 1988 – playing for two conferences with Purefoods and one with San Miguel Beer. He would have easily won his 5^th in 1989 as he ended up second overall in the stats race and was the overwhelming favorite to win because his SMB team won the grandslam, but eventually lost out in the voting to rookie Benjie Paras. He was also the scourge of all young, big men of his time - whether it was Dondon Ampalayo and Terry Saldaña of Ginebra, Jerry Codiñera and Alvin Patrimonio of Purefoods, Rey Lazaro of Shell and Alaska, Abet Guidaben of Tanduay and SMB, Philip Cezar of Shell and Great Taste, Manny Victorino of Shell and Great Taste, and Abe King of Gold Eagle and Great Taste - Fernandez almost always had the upperhand in their matchups.

            The bitter rivalry of Fernandez and Jaworski spilled over to the court and was lapped upon by the fans. The Toyota fans then were split up – half cheered for Beer Hausen while the other half pledged allegiance to Gilbey’s Gin (later Ginebra). But by 1986, the two most popular teams in the league were Jaworski’s Ginebra and Fernandez’s Tanduay. While league parity was achieved, the most coveted sideshow then was the feud between the two superstars. The most memorable All-Star game in league history happened in 1989 and the two were the major stars of the show – Jaworski inbounding a pass to Fernandez for the buzzer-beating layup to seal the win for the Veterans against a hungry Rookie / Sophomore quintet, 132-130. Of greater interest to the fans was the post-game shaking of hands of the two, prodded upon by their Veterans coach, Baby Dalupan. While Fernandez may have been involved in two major controversial trades with Abet Guidaben in 1985 and 1988, his sensational performance after Toyota where he won 10 more championships is the primary reason why many to date, consider him as the PBA’s greatest player of all time (GOAT).

Reed-thin he may be, but Fernandez's screen can be painful

Abe King (6x PBA champion, 1x Mythical Second Team – 1985, 1x PBA All-Defensive Team – 1985)

Check out Abe King's player profile here: http://sportingpage.blogspot.com/2018/07/abe-king-putting-power-in-power-forward.html

            Not too many fans would know this but Abe King is actually the first Franchise Player of the PBA. Fernandez may have claimed the tag because Beer Hausen declared their intent of having him as the focal point of the team. But corporate rival, Gold Eagle Beer, a few weeks before Toyota was sold, had already acquired King’s services and their intent was to surround him with players and make King as their main man. While King had his bright moments with Toyota, once scoring 60 points in a 1979 game versus Crispa, and became one of the most feared defenders in the league, Toyota was still a Jawo-Fernandez-Arnaiz team, with King and Arnie Tuadles competing one of the greatest first fives in league history.

            Hence, when King moved to Gold Eagle, he was chalking up huge numbers as well, including a couple of triple doubles, as he led a relatively youthful brigade made up of Marte Saldaña, Joey Loyzaga, Dante Gonzalgo, Etok Lobo, Tony Dasalla, Jerry Samlani and Noli Banate. Manny Paner was the oldest player in that team at 35 years old but has considerably slowed down. King’s stint with the SMC franchise didn’t last, and he later moved to Great Taste in 1985 and stayed with the Gokongwei franchise until its disbandment in 1992. King won 4 titles for the Coffee Makers as he served as one of the leaders of the team, forming an imposing defensive collaboration with Philip Cezar that was nicknamed the Royal Brothers (for Prince Philiip and Abe King). He was later taken in by Purefoods in 1993 when 1991 MVP, Alvin Patrimonio, by then the best player in the league, sought for King to avoid having him as a defender. Because of King’s veteran leadership, he helped the young Purefoods / Coney Island squad coached by a young Chot Reyes to two more titles. He retired at the end of the 1994 season, cementing his legacy and a sure slot in the next list of 50 PBA Greatest Players by 2025, while proving that there’s life after Toyota.

The PBA's first franchise player suiting up for Gold Eagle Beer in 1984

Chito Loyzaga (7x PBA champion, 1x Mythical Second Team – 1986, 8x PBA All-Defensive Team – 1985 to 1992)

            Loyzaga was already a seasoned 23-year old when he joined the pros in 1981 for YCO/Tanduay. He was part of several national teams, and was a key member of San Beda’s twin NCAA titles in 1977 and 1978. He was also vital cog for the YCO Painters in the MICAA. It became a surprise therefore that Loyzaga played only one game for the Esquires as he migrated to Australia. He came back in 1983 after signing up with the Toyota Silver Coronas and served as an understudy to Jaworski.

            Loyzaga’s one season stint with Toyota would make him an easy choice in this list. But what makes Dynamite (coined by Pinggoy Pengson) a worthy inclusion is that he ended up becoming one of the best players of all time, earning for himself a slot in the PBA 40 Greatest Players list. He was known for his bulwark defense, which made him become a member of the All-Defensive team for 8 straight seasons. He also was part of 7 different champion teams, including the 4-straight of Great Taste from 1984 and 1985. But he became a household name when he joined Ginebra in 1986 – not only was he a fan favorite but he was also Jaworski’s most trusted player, particularly in the closing stretch. It was no surprise therefore that Chito was named in the 1990 all-pro national team and proved himself with his memorable defense against the 7’8 Ri Myung Hun (Michael Ri) of North Korea. Loyzaga eventually became Ginebra’s assistant team manager after his retirement in 1993.

The 6'2 Loyzaga was fearless, even if it meant going up against the 7'8 Ri

Ricky Relosa (1x PBA champion, 1x 1986 Most Improved Player, 1x Mythical Second Team 1987, 3x PBA All-Defensive Team – 1986, 1987, 1988)

            Another young, yet, seasoned player who joined Toyota in the 1982 season was Ricky Relosa. After honing his skills in the MICAA starting 1976 with Toyota’s farm team, Frigidaire / MAN Diesel, Relosa became part of the original NCC Training Team of Eduardo Cojuangco, Jr. He joined the team that won the 1981 William Jones Cup in Taiwan, and later, was selected to be part of the gold medal-winning national team in the 1981 Manila SEA Games. By the time he joined Toyota in 1982 along with other top rooks Ed Cordero, Terry Saldaña and Tim Coloso, many already knew Relosa was ripe for the pros. He proved them right and gave the then Super Corollas an even more imposing post presence, backstopping Fernandez and King.

            But Relosa continued to grow as a player. He joined Fernandez at Beer Hausen as part of the Toyota sale, but went to Jaworski at Ginebra the season after when the Big J became head coach. It was his eventual transfer to expansion team Alaska that earned for him his first two individual awards – the 1986 Most Improved Player Award and inclusion in the All-Defensive Team. When Manila Beer disbanded prior to the start of the 1987 season, Yoyoy Villamin was taken in by the Uytengsu franchise and formed a menacing frontline with Relosa called The Bruise Brothers (the name coming from the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs in the early 80’s). It didn’t come as a surprise that the two would be included once more in the 1987 All-Defensive Team as Hills Bros suddenly became a championship contender because of them. Relosa’s reliable perimeter jumper was a given but he stood out on the defensive side, particularly in the post as he was assigned to guard the top imports back then (Bates, Black, Young, Wise, Parks, Chambers, etc.). While he won two titles with Toyota, he finally collared one championship with Formula Shell in the 1992 First Conference when they demolished the San Miguel Beermen, 4-1. He ended his PBA stint with Shell, retiring at the end of the 1993 season.

1/2 of the Bruise Brothers in this 1988 action versus Añejo's Bobby Parks

Terry Saldaña (4x PBA champion, 1x Most Improved Player – 1983, 2x Mythical Second Team – 1984 and 1986)

            Terry Saldaña was part of Toyota’s Batch ’82 rookies and churned out what could have been the most impressive season for a freshman. He was on his way to winning the Rookie of the Year award but then he figured in a brawl against the visiting South Korean team in the Asian Invitationals that disqualified him from winning the plum. To the surprise of many, Saldaña left Toyota after one season to reunite with his former APCOR and Asian Youth coach, Turing Valenzona, at Gilbey’s Gin. With Saldaña starting for the Gins, the team nearly won the 1983 All Filipino crown, ending up runners-up to Crispa. Terry romped away with the very first official Most Improved Player award that year.

            He continued his fine performance with the Palanca franchise, copping Mythical Second Team honors in 1984 and 1986, while playing a major role in Ginebra’s first ever franchise title in the 1986 Open Conference Unfortunately, Saldaña suffered a major injury in 1987 that sidelined him for the entire season. Because of the nature of his injury, as seen on national television, no one expected Saldaña to recover physically and mentally. He joined Alaska in the middle of 1988 but lost his roster spot when the team chose several young talents in the 1989 rookie draft. He came back in 1990 when Yeng Guiao took him as a free agent for expansion team, Pop Cola. He stayed relevant, at times starting out for the team and at times, coming off the bench. In 1992, he finally won another title after 6 seasons, and still soaking in those minutes despite playing backup to Nelson Asaytono and Yoyoy Villamin at the #4 spot. He moved to Shell in 1994 and played 3 seasons before reuniting with Sonny Jaworski at Gordon’s Gin in 1997. It was his Game 3 performance in the Finals against Alaska that earned him raves, collaring 12 boards in a splendid relief performance as import Chris King was down with an injury. At age 42 and without a team in 1999, Guiao comes back and salvages Saldaña’s career once more, getting him for the expansion team, Red Bull, as a free agent before finally retiring at the end of the season.

Tenacious action for the loose ball as Saldaña battles three Shell players

Arnie Tuadles (5x PBA champion, 1x Mythical Second Team 1987)

Check out the late Arnie Tuadles' player profile here:  http://sportingpage.blogspot.com/2011/10/arnulfo-arnie-tuadles-jr.html 

            Just how good Arnie Tuadles was? For one, he’s the first rookie in PBA history to crack the Mythical First Team in 1979. His offensive versatility is a marvel to watch – whether playing in the perimeter and beyond the arc or posting up. His contra-tiempo (counter-timing) moves was an enigma to any defensive specialist of his time. He had a certain flare that is a cross of "making basketball look so simple" and a level of flamboyance imitated by up and coming players.

            And yet, he was physical and a veteran presence as he can be. In 1990, Tuadles hard foul resulted to Leo Isaac’s arm injury that forced the Añejo guard in the sidelines and out of the Finals against Tuadles’ Shell team. Without Isaac, there was no primary defender against Ronnie Magsanoc, who went berserk (unarguably one of the finest Finals performance ever), catapulting Shell to the First Conference championship. In the second conference of the same season, he moved to Presto entering the semifinal round and lifted the Ice Cream Makers to the championship, the first ever player in league history to win back-to-back conference crowns in the same season while playing for different teams. Tuadles turned out to be the hero of Game 7 in the Finals against Purefoods, torching the Hotdogs with 33 markers while ably replacing Allan Caidic who got injured in Game 6. He was also a key member of that Presto team that won the 1987 All Filipino title against Hills Bros. People will question how Tuadles became part of this list when he had an exceptional career wearing the Toyota colors. But when someone continues to display his all-around brilliance at age 34 when Presto won the 1990 All Filipino conference, served as one of Caidic’s mentors during his early years, and understanding every trick of the trade to make himself relevant, Tuadles’ name will always stand out – whether or not in a #11 Toyota jersey.

Arnie Tuadles' post game was off the charts as Bay Cristobal tries to deny him possession.