White Men Can Jump Too - The PBA's Non-African American Imports

The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) has given jobs to more than six hundred imports over its 45-year existence. The description is normally common: African-Americans, played in the NBA, CBA or other minor leagues, do-it-all players who can score, pass, rebound, block shots, and can adapt in the local environment.

There have been exceptions, of course. In the mid 2010's, the PBA introduced a novel concept of bringing in Asian imports to reinforce the teams in an effort to foster relationships with its Asian counterparts in the FIBA. Some have come from different continents like Australia, Africa, Europe and Central America. On the other hand, there have been 35 caucasian (white) imports who have played in the PBA, or roughly around 5% of the total import population.

There are some notables, others we won't even remember probably because they have been replaced in the early stages of the elimination round. Let's list down the more memorable ones mixed with some oddities and trivia:

1.  Pete Crotty 

The 6'9 import of the Crispa Redmanizers was actually the first of two imports hired by the team in the maiden season, the other being the 6'6 Johnny Burks. What made Crotty crack this list is that the former Notre Dame standout remains to be the first and only caucasian import to win a PBA title - the 1975 All Philippine Championships. Crotty was an average import, not outstanding, but scrappy and willing to do the dirty work inside the paint. Burks was the more athletic, prolific import but at Crispa, imports don't need to score heavily.

Pete Crotty, defending against Tanduay's John Terry

2.  Trivia #1: 

The most number of white imports to play in one conference was 5 - and they all played in the 1975 Open Conference. Who were they? Crotty of Crispa, Lee Haven of U/Tex, Ron Wrigley of Presto, Steve Brooks of 7/Up and Steve Smith of Royal Tru Orange. Not bad considering there were 17 imports total who played in that tournament. Speaking of Haven, did you know that he's the first rehired white import in the PBA? He was hired for the 1975 season and came back the year after.

Lee Haven donning the U/Tex Weavers jersey in the 1975 and 1976 seasons

3.  Bill Bozeat and Tim Hirten

Tanduay uncannily hired the services of two white imports to reinforce their team in the 1976 Open Conference. The then Distillers secured the services of 6'11 Bill Bozeat of Texas Christian University and the 6'4 Tim Hirten of Steubenville College.  The two were the very first pair of white imports to play simultaneously for one team in the PBA. Hirten, by the way, is now a priest, and has a fond recollection of his former Tanduay coach, the late Caloy Loyzaga.

The 6'11 Bozeat at left and the 6'4 Hirten at right for the Tanduay Distillers

4.  Steve Stroud - 7/Up

There have been a handful of seven footers (around 15 of them only) who have played in the PBA. The more prominent ones would include Chris Alexander of Ginebra and Earl Barron of Red Bull and Meralco. While Stroud may not be categorized as one of the best seven footers of all time, he would make it to the record books as the first seven foot caucasian import to play in the league. Stroud teamed up with Chris MacMurray in the 1977 Open Conference, but deferred to the offensive genius named Danny Florencio who scored a scintillating 32.3 ppg for the season, the highest average of a local player in league history. The former Arkansas Razorback, though slow and gangling, helped Florencio accomplish this record by getting the boards and allowing Daredevil Danny to score off transition.

5.  Frank Gugliotta - Royal Tru Orange

The Royal Tru Orange franchise had a penchant for hiring caucasian imports. Aside from Smith in the 1975 season, they also took in Mike Rozenski in 1977. And in 1978, Frank Gugliotta was hired to partner with Larry Williams for the Orangemen. If you find his surname familiar, he just happens to be the elder brother of NBA star, Tom, then the star player of the Minnesota Timberwolves. He had common traits with his younger brother - upper body strength and medium range jumpers. Unfortunately, they came up short and failed to make it to the Top 5 of the first 2 conferences to miss the Invitational tournament.

RTO's Frank Gugliotta (#13, partly hidden) attempting to stop U/Tex's Snake Jones' lay-in

6.  Norm Kelly and Tom Snyder - Honda

What Tanduay did three years back, Honda replicated in the 1979 season. Curiously, the Coseteng franchise, then under Coach Jun Celis, brought in Norm Kelly and Tom Snyder who happened to play for the same school in college - Saint Mary's. While having two caucasian imports playing together for the same team was a rarity, it didn't help the Wildcats to get past the elimination round and into the playoffs in the Open Conference. This, despite Kelly's 32.25 ppg and Snyder's 31.25 ppg conference averages as the pair struggled to get ample local support. As such, plus Honda's so-so performance in the All Filipino, the Wildcats were not eligible to play in the 3rd Conference - the Invitationals.

A photo of Tom Snyder while playing in Europe

7.  Jim Zoet and Michael Carter - Finance, Inc.

Three pertinent details about Jim Zoet. First, he is the second caucasian import to be listed beyond seven feet tall - he was actually 7'1. Second, Zoet first played in the Philippines as part of the Canadian national team that placed sixth overall in the FIBA World Championships. Canada actually played two exhibition games prior to the FIBA WC - one game each versus Crispa and Toyota. They won against the Redmanizers and lost to the Tamaraws. And third, Zoet's collaboration with Michael Carter with the Finance Funders in the 1981 season made them the third caucasian import combo in the league. Alas, both players had to be replaced midway in the tournament - with Carter going out after only 4 games and his slot was given to James Woods while Zoet stayed a bit longer for 9 games before being replaced by B.B. Davis.

Jim Zoet in practice for the Canadian national team

8.  John Kazmer - U/Tex

Here's an opportunity to correct a history error. Several websites have erroneously referred to John Kazmer as the first white import to play in the PBA. As you can see from the fourteen (14) listed names above, that statement was incorrect. As a matter of fact, there have been 15 white players prior to Kazmer who have played in the PBA, the one not mentioned was Tanduay's Kevin Cluess, who played in 1980. What is fact is that Kazmer is the first caucasian import to play in the Reinforced Conference - a tournament innovation introduced by Commissioner Leo Prieto in 1981 when the teams were allowed to be reinforced by one import each no taller than 6'5. Kazmer was U/Tex's handpick but was eventually replaced by Leroy Jackson, who powered the Wranglers to a runner-up finish against the Al Green-led Crispa Redmanizers quintet.

U/tex's John Kazmer, faking off then rookie Joey Marquez of Presto

9.  Trivia #2

PBA fans would claim that the glorious decade of the league was in the 80's featuring the greatest imports (Bates, Fields, Hackett, Thirdkill, Black, Parks, Chambers, Redfield, Young, etc) and the fiercest rivalries (Ginebra-Purefoods, Ginebra-Tanduay, Jaworski-Fernandez, Royal Brothers vs. Bruise Brothers, corporate rivals Purefoods and Swift, etc.). On the other hand, the 90's saw the biggest stars - from the pioneers Jaworski and Fernandez to the young superstars then like Patrimonio, Paras, Lastimosa, etc. to the entry of the Fil-Foreigners (the Seigle Brothers, Menk, Taulava, etc.). But did you also know that from 1982 until 2000, no white import was hired during this 19-season period? Not one, not even a replacement. Whether or not this was deliberate, it begs the question: why? Wasn't the movie, "White Men Can' Jump," released in 1992? Or that there were caucasians dominating the NBA in the 80's and 90's - Larry Bird, John Stockton, Kevin McHale, Bill Walton, Chris Mullin, the Paxson brothers, Mark Price, even the hated Bill Laimbeer - that would have inspired teams to hire their services? Apparently not. We can only wonder why.

Photo of White Men Can't Jump actors Wesley Snipes and Woody Harrelson

10. Ryan Fletcher - Ginebra and Sta. Lucia

When Coach Ron Jacobs became the consultant for the two SMC teams in the PBA in 2000, he brought in a young and raw Ryan Fletcher from the Cincinnati Bearcats to help newly-arrived big man, Jun Limpot, at Ginebra. Fletcher, a bruising 6'8 who loved to mix it up inside, was the perfect description of a blue collar worker. He didn't score much, but he was a bruising monster off the boards. While the team ended up only 8th in the Commissioner's Cup, Fletcher proved that he was worthy of a second crack as Sta. Lucia signed him up for 14 games in the 2004-05 Fiesta Conference, replacing Raheim Brown. The team made it to the wildcard playoffs but eventually finished 7th overall. Fletcher may not have the best form or the most consistent jumper for an import but his work ethic remains to be a meterstick for many imports to follow, making him the first white import to play for two different PBA teams.

Ryan Fletcher in overseas action

11. Richie Frahm and Damian Cantrell - Talk 'N Text

No, they didn't play together for one conference for the Phone Pals. Both, though, had uncanny similarity in their style of play. Both are deadshot bombers from the outside, can run the transition well and played shooting guard positions. Both also played for different foreign coaches - Frahm for Bill Bayno and Cantrell for Paul Woolpert. Until Royal Tru Orange snagged Rozenski in 1977 and Gugliotta in 1978, no team has hired white imports in back-to-back seasons. The MVP franchise broke that spell 25 years after when they got the former San Francisco Don in 2003, a year after Frahm. While Cantrell was the more versatile of the two as he normally can post up and run the break, Frahm helped the Phone Pals to a runner-up finish against Red Bull in the 2002 Commissioner's Cup. Cantrell went on to become the second white import to return to the PBA for the same team.

A storied 5-year NBA career for Richie Frahm of TNT

Damian Cantrell leading the transition for his team overseas

12. Chris Clay - Sta. Lucia

For awhile, many thought Chris Clay would actually get to play in the PBA as a local. Efforts by the FedEx Express to have his papers cleared by the PBA to join the 2002 draft went for naught, forcing the former Laguna Laker (same owners of FedEx) standout to go back to the MBA to play for the Pangasinan Waves. Clay was so impressive that he made a positive impression on then Realtors' coach, Norman Black, as recommended by his consultant, Alfrancis Chua, a good friend of Clay, allowing Clay to serve as SLR's import in the 2002 Commissioner's Cup.  Clay was taken in to replace the ineffective Willie Farley, in tandem with former SMB import, Stephen Howard. The Realtors did well in the eliminations, placing 2nd overall with a 7-3 record, tying Red Bull at the top. Unfortunately, they faced the surging Talk 'N Text Phone Pals led by imports Jerald Honeycutt and Frahm in the quarterfinal round, and got booted out in two games. Clay's numbers may not have been as impressive as his 29 and 12 averages with the Lakers in the MBA, but he was decent enough to finish the tournament.

Chris Clay in MBA action with the Laguna Lakers

13. Alex Compton - Welcoat

Compton became a household name when he played for the Manila Metrostars and later, the Batangas Blades, in the MBA. An American who was born in Makati City, he joined the Metrostars in the MBA's debut season in 1998, became league MVP in 1999, then went to the PBL to play for the Welcoat Dragons. When he was tapped as assistant coach to Leo Austria in the PBA for the same Terry Que / Raymond Yu-owned expansion franchise, he was also enlisted as the team's second import in seasons 2007 and 2008. It was unfortunate though that Compton was already 33 years old by the time he got to play in the PBA as many were hoping he'd be given a special pass to play as a local. Compton helped the team in tandem with Charles Clark and the next year, Jason Keep, but it was the weak local lineup that made them perennial cellar dwellers. He will be in the record books though as the league's first white playing assistant coach. Compton eventually became a head coach of the Alaska Aces.

Alex Compton heading for a layup as import for the Welcoat Dragons

14. Adam Parada - Red Bull and Alaska

A couple of interesting trivia on Adam Parada. First, he is the first Mexican import to ever play in the PBA. Second, he is the third seven foot white import, after Stroud and Zoet. And third, he is the second white import to play for two different franchises - the first one with Red Bull in 2008 and later hired by Alaska in 2012. A dominant player inside, Parada did well for Red Bull at the start, carrying the franchise to an 11-7 record at the end of the eliminations placing just behind the AIR21 Express, which ended at first with a 12-6 card. The two teams were automatically seeded in the Best of 7 semifinals against different rivals. Unfortunately, the Thunder went up against eventual champions, Barangay Ginebra, led by another seven footer, Chris Alexander, to sweep Parada and Yeng's wards, 4-0. He later came back to suit up for the Aces and led the team to a 6-6 card, only to lose to Barako Bulls, 2-1 in the quarterfinals. Parada's stint with Red Bull in 2008 was obviously the more impressive performance, although they were unfortunate to face a peaking Ginebra team entering the playoffs.

Alaska's Adam Parada, attempting to swat Powerade's Gary David's layup

15.  Bruno Sundov - Rain or Shine

One of those rare moments to see Coach Yeng Guiao actually hire a caucasian import. He did that with Parada, but what made this more interesting is that he brought in a Croatian import who happens to be in the league record books as the tallest import, along with PJ Ramos of KIA, to play in the PBA at 7'3. Sundov was an ideal choice for ROS in the 2013 Commissioner's Cup as he was a stretch 5, a big man who can shoot from outside - the kind of player that Yeng wants. And true enough, the Elasto Painters did well, ending the elims with a 9-5 card, just behind eventual champions, Alaska, which carded an 11-3 record. Luck of the draw saw ROS facing a dangerous Ginebra team led by import Vernon Macklin, and true enough, despite needing to win twice in the QF round, the Kings upended Sundov and the E-Painters, 90-83 and 81-79. The second game didn't turn out well for the Croatian giant as he only talled 12 points and 6 boards, while his counterpart, Macklin, sizzled with 24, 16 and 6.

ROS' Bruno Sundov off BGK's Vernon Macklin

16. Trivia #3

The PBA Bobby Parks Best Import Award started in the 1981 season with Andrew Fields of Toyota as the first recipient. The late Parks has won the most with seven (7). Curiously, no caucasian import has yet to win the award. Yes, not once, and no one even came close...

17. Trivia #4 

Here's a complete list of the names of the white imports and the year/s they played here:

1975: Pete Crotty (Crispa), Lee Haven (U/Tex), Ron Wrigley (Presto), Steve Brooks (7/Up), Steve Smith (Royal Tru Orange)

1976: Bill Bozeat (Tanduay), Timmy Hirten (Tanduay), Lee Haven (U/Tex)

1977: Mike Rozenski (Royal Tru Orange), Steve Stroud (7/Up)

1978: Frank Gugliotta (Royal Tru Orange)

1979: Norm Kelly (Honda), Tom Snyder (Honda)

1980: Kevin Cluess (Tanduay)

1981: Jim Zoet (Finance), Michael Carter (Finance), John Kazmer (U/Tex)

2001: Ryan Fletcher (Ginebra), David Wood (Purefoods)

2002: Richie Frahm (Talk 'N Text), Chris Clay (Sta. Lucia), Derek Grimm (Shell)

2003: Damien Cantrell (Talk 'N Text)

2004-05: Marek Ondera (Shell), Chris Burgess (San Miguel), Ryan Fletcher (Sta. Lucia), Joe Zaletel (Purefoods)

2005-06: Damien Cantrell (Talk 'N Text)

2006-07: Alex Compton (Welcoat)

2007-08: Alex Compton (Welcoat), Jason Keep (Welcoat), Adam Parada (Red Bull)

2011-12: Adam Parada (Alaska), Jackson Vroman (Ginebra), Nick Fazekas (San Miguel)

2012-13: Bruno Sundov (Rain or Shine); Matt Rogers (San Mig Coffee)

2013-14: Brian Butch (Meralco)

2016-17: Lou Amundson (Talk 'N Text)

2018-19: Kyle Barone (Columbian Dyip)

Kevin Cluess of Tanduay getting undercut by Gilbey's Bing Del Rosario as Larry McNeil and Ely Capacio look on

Photo collage of David Wood, once Purefoods import