Exclusive: Ramon 'El Presidente' Fernandez looks back at PBA career

Ramon Fernandez may not be a familiar name to young basketball fans, but to those who have been following the PBA since the 70’s, he is an icon. Having won four Most Valuable Player awards and a record 19 championships in the Philippine Basketball Association, the man is regarded as one of the greatest Filipino basketball players of all time.

In an exclusive interview with “Sports Pilipinas” host Chino Trinidad, “El Presidente” looks back at his illustrious career and legacy. 

Career beginnings
 
Mon has been playing basketball since he was a five-year-old kid in Leyte. Being the youngest of nine, six of whom were boys who all played the sport, he says, “I grew up with a basketball sa bahay namin” and he learned the sport by playing with his older brothers and neighbors. 

Aided by the fact that he towers at 6 feet and 5 inches tall, he tried out and was selected to be one of the players for the basketball varsity team of the University of San Carlos in Cebu.

Playing for the national team

“Dream ko talaga to be a national player. (Iyon) lang naman talaga ang ambisyon naming mga players noong araw.” says the center. So when the chance came in 1972, 18-year-old Mon Fernandez suited up for Team Pilipinas. He competed in the Asian Basketball Confederation tournament and helped the team become the Asian Youth Team Champion.

The following year, he became part of what was soon called the “Spirit of 1973.” The team’s shining moment came when, in front of the home crowd, they were crowned Asian Basketball Confederation Champions after battling it out with South Korea. 

“El Presidente” recalls the experience fondly, “I can remember, sa Rizal Memorial Coliseum during the opening ceremony, pagtawag ng Philippines, tatayo balahibo mo. Iba. It (gets) me teary eyed. Iba ‘yung motivation mo, ang level ng anxiety mo ‘pag nasa court ka (at makita mo ang) mga kababayan mong nagche-cheer sa’yo.”

Years later, when professional players were allowed to play on the national team in 1990, Mon signed up and helped the Philippines snag a silver medal in the Asian Games held in Beijing. This is still considered to be the best finish of a national team comprised of professionals from the PBA.

Entering the PBA

When the PBA was launched in 1975, Mon Fernandez proved to be a force to reckoned with. Not only did he win 19 championships and four MVP awards, he also posted stats that are still hard to beat until now.

Here are some of his PBA career milestones:

• Drafted to the Toyota Comets in 1975
• Has won 19 championships including:
  • Nine consecutive wins with the Toyota Comets from 1975 to 1983
  • Three with the Tanduay Rhum Masters
  • Seven with the San Miguel Beermen which included a Grand Slam win
• Named Most Valuable Player in 1982, 1984, 1986 and 1988
• Was a four-time PBA All-Star
• Included in the PBA Mythical 5 for seven straight years from 1976 to 1982, and in 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, and 1992
• Inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame in 2005

It was important for Mon to be an all-around player. “Hindi ka mananalo ng MVP (if you just) score 40, 50 points a night throughout the year. Mas madaling manalo ng MVP kung mag-score ka ng 15 to 20, kung sumobra, that’s okay, but I need to give 10 assists, 15, 10 rebounds.” For him, being the most valuable player is not just about scoring baskets: “You have to develop the other factors.” 
 
The talented Mon Fernandez stood out in the PBA “because he was a 6-foot-5-inch center who was playing like a small forward,” says veteran sportscaster Sev Sarmenta. “He had the moves of a point guard, he could dribble behind his back, (ang) galing niya magpasa.” His signature one-handed running jumper called “The Elegant Shot,” also became an iconic move in Philippine basketball.

Not surprisingly, when “El Presidente” retired from the PBA in 1994, he finished as the all-time leader in points scored (18,996) and rebounds (6,435), and the second in assists (5,220) and steals (1,302). He is considered to be one of the 25 Greatest Players of the PBA and has been inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame.
 
 

Retirement and legacy

“They say it’s hard to reach the top (but) it’s even harder to stay on top for a long time” Fernandez recalls, but he himself managed to pull it off because he had only one thing on his mind when he started playing professionally: “I wanted to be remembered as one of the best.” 

Mon says it was his passion for the game that motivated him to work hard to be his best. “It was always in my head (that) I wanted to be the best that I can be. You have to work hard for that.”

Given his ability, Fernandez could have played for far longer than his 19 years. Instead, he opted to quit in 1994 while still in his prime. “I didn’t want people to remember me (losing the ball) o napapatid sa guhit. So when practice was not fun anymore (and) I couldn’t give my 110% sa practice, I said it was time to hang up my sneakers. I wanted people to remember me sa peak ng career ko. (Gusto ko) ‘yun lang ang maaalala (ng fans),” he shares.
 
 

-Grace Gaddi, PF GMA News