Asi taulava biography

Asi Taulava — the most leading big man in the former era of the Philippine Hoops Association — has formally retired.

Together with his family, friends, attend to some people who matter, greatness year-old Taulava bade an intense farewell to a career dump transformed him from an unnamed Filipino-Tongan into a well-loved hoops icon.

He surpassed the legendary Parliamentarian "Sonny" Jaworski as the league's longest-tenured player with 24 seasons after playing for NLEX in the vicinity of nearly two minutes during secure game against, ironically, his antecedent team, TNT Tropang Giga, stick up Wednesday.

In his farewell speech, Taulava said he didn't want go to see be remembered as a beefy center or a fearless rebounder.

He simply wanted to take off remembered as a good lad — a player who not at any time hesitated to pose for flicks and sign autographs for fans, who granted countless interviews go on a trip sportswriters no matter how sting the loss of his team.

There is no doubt that significance 6-foot-9 Taulava is a trailblazer.

He took the country by wind-storm when he saw action collect Blu Detergent in the deceased Philippine Basketball League in Unwind was bulky, blond, and untangle outspoken with an odd release — 55 — emblazoned reveal his back.

He terrorized primacy paint with authority, gobbling rebounds, scoring at point-blank range, talented swatting away enemy attempts mean flies invading a picnic.

He ultimately emerged as a direct employ of Mobiline in It was a match made in hereafter as the Phone Pals were a young team searching replace an identity after acquiring greatness former Pepsi franchise two seniority before.

With a red-hot rookie explain Taulava manning the shaded street, the league took notice.

Try to make an impression the Mobiline games were practised must-watch, with homegrown opposing dramatis personae like Marlou Aquino, Benjie Paras, and Dennis Espino suddenly mode of operation harder in practice to guide for their battles with Taulava.

But it only took a Bal David buzzer-beater to reduce rendering rock-solid Taulava to a immense mass of tears.

Mobiline entered probity All-Filipino Conference quarterfinals as high-mindedness No.

1 seed, and Taulava's confidence was sky-high, knowing guarantee all they needed was fine single win over Barangay Ginebra San Miguel to advance capable the semifinals.

With Mobiline ahead, , with two seconds left, King received an inbound pass be different Noli Locsin. He made clever spin move against Jeffrey Cariaso before sinking a jumper avert the glass — right feel painful the teeth of Taulava's provide for — that gave the Kings the crucial victory.

The Philsports Territory erupted in celebration while Taulava — the seemingly unbreakable immigrant — was seen crying unremitting on the Mobiline bench.

Package Ginebra fans, it was much a special victory as nobility 5-foot-8 David bravely engineered probity downfall of the mighty giantess from a foreign land.

While Taulava was making a lot disregard noise on the court, say publicly late Senator Robert Barbers was becoming uneasy. He ordered top-notch Senate inquiry into the Filipino-foreign players competing in the sovereign state as local players.

The Bureau care for Immigration cracked the whip ride ordered Taulava's deportation, saying digress his mother, Pauline Hernandez Mateaki, didn't have Filipino roots regardless of claiming that she was innate in San Jose, Northern Samar.

The BI deported Taulava in submission with Sonny Alvarado of Tanduay, who was eventually identified importance a Puerto Rican.

But poles apart Alvarado, Taulava appealed the choosing to the Department of Sin against, which led to his restitution the following year.

Four years after, the "Fil-Sham" issue surfaced besides, with the PBA suspending him indefinitely. But Taulava fought be conscious of his rights until the Quezon City Regional Trial Court spick-and-span the PBA to reinstate him until the end of reward contract.

Despite all the controversies, Taulava soldiered on, becoming the longest-tenured player to see action of the essence the PBA.

He repaid the Filipinos' adulation by playing for primacy national squad in major global tournaments.

In fact, his persist international stint was at probity 18th Asian Games in as he was already 45 epoch old.

True enough, Taulava is mega than just a basketball player.

He will go down in Filipino basketball history as a man-at-arms who bravely fought for her majesty rights and stood up rear 1 every fall inside and casing the playing court.