MANILA, Philippines – Nelson Asaytono finally gets his due as he banners the 10 newest inclusions to the PBA Greatest Players club announced on Wednesday, April 2, exactly a week before the league celebrates its 50th anniversary.
“The Bull” made the cut this time after being surprisingly left out of the 15 players added in 2015 to the original 25 Greatest Players feted in 2000 despite an impressive career that saw him contend for the MVP multiple times.
It was a long overdue recognition for Asaytono, who ranks fifth in the all-time scoring list with 12,668 points and had been the only player in the top 10 not given the Greatest Player distinction.
Joining Asaytono are current PBA stars June Mar Fajardo and Scottie Thompson, Bong Hawkins, Jeffrey Cariaso, Danny Seigle, Abe King, Elpidio Villamin, Manny Victorino, and Arnie Tuadles.
San Miguel’s Fajardo and Barangay Ginebra’s Thompson are the only active players in the Greatest Players circle, gaining automatic entry for being league MVPs.
Fajardo captured a record eight MVP plums, winning six straight from 2014 to 2019 then another two over the past two seasons, while Thompson won MVP in 2021.
Hawkins and Cariaso join their former Alaska teammates Johnny Abarrientos, Jojo Lastimosa, and Kenneth Duremdes in the Greatest Players club, having also played key roles in the Aces’ dominance in the 1990s highlighted by a rare Grand Slam in 1996.
Aside from Abarrientos, Lastimosa, and Duremdes, those included in the initial 25 Greatest Players circle were icons Ramon Fernandez, Robert Jaworski, Allan Caidic, Atoy Co, Alvin Patrimonio, Abet Guidaben, Samboy Lim, Benjie Paras, Bogs Adornado, Philip Cezar, and Vergel Meneses.
Fernandez, Caidic, and Co were instrumental in choosing the 10 new members as they were part of the selection committee put together by the PBA.
Meanwhile, the 15 additions in 2015 featured the likes of James Yap, Danny Ildefonso, Jayson Castro, Arwind Santos, Mark Caguioa, Jayjay Helterbrand, Jimmy Alapag, Willie Miller, Asi Taulava, Kelly Williams, and Erik Menk.
The 10 players will be officially honored in a formal event on April 11. – Rappler.com