Japeth Aguilar facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Japeth Aguilar

Aguilar with the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in 2014
No. 25 – Barangay Ginebra San Miguel
Center
Personal information
Born	(1987-01-25) January 25, 1987 (age 38) Sexmoan, Pampanga, Philippines (now Sasmuan, Pampanga)
Nationality	Filipino
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	235 lb (107 kg)
Career information
College	Ateneo (2003–2005) Western Kentucky (2007–2009)
PBA Draft	2009 Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall
Selected by the Burger King Whoopers
Pro career	2009–present
League	PBA
Career history
2009	Burger King Whoppers
2011–2013	Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters
2013	GlobalPort Batang Pier
2013–present	Barangay Ginebra San Miguel
Career highlights and awards
8× PBA champion (2012 Philippine, 2016 Governors', 2017 Governors', 2018 Commissioner's, 2019 Governors', 2020 Philippine, 2021 Governors', 2022–23 Commissioner's) PBA Finals MVP (2019 Governors') 9× PBA All-Star (2013–2019, 2023, 2024) 2× PBA All-Star Game Co-MVP (2019, 2024) 3× PBA Mythical First Team (2017, 2018, 2020) 2× PBA Mythical Second Team (2016, 2019) 3× PBA All-Defensive Team (2016, 2017, 2019)
Medals Men's basketball Representing the  Philippines FIBA Asia Championship Silver 2013 Manila team FIBA Asia Cup Bronze 2014 Wuhan Team SEABA Championship Gold 2011 Jakarta Team Gold 2017 Quezon City Team William Jones Cup Bronze 2011 Taipei Team Southeast Asian Games Gold 2019 Philippines Team Asian Games Gold 2022 Hangzhou Team

Japeth Paul Cabrera Aguilar, born on January 25, 1987, is a professional basketball player from the Philippines. He plays for the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Before joining the PBA, he played college basketball for the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the Philippines. Later, he moved to the United States to play for the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers in the NCAA Division I.

College Basketball Journey

Playing for Ateneo Blue Eagles

Japeth Aguilar started his college basketball career with the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles in 2004. His first season was cut short because of appendicitis. Still, he managed to score 13 points and grab 11 rebounds in 10 games.

In his second year, 2005, he played much better. He averaged 5.7 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. He also led the UAAP league in blocked shots, with 48 blocks in 16 games. His strong play helped the Blue Eagles finish with a good record.

Playing in the NCAA Division I

Japeth Aguilar later moved to Western Kentucky University in the United States. He became the first player born in the Philippines to play in the NCAA Division I. He mostly played as a reserve for the Hilltoppers.

In his first game in November 2007, he scored four points and had three rebounds. He then got injured in practice and missed the rest of that season. In his final year, he played 14 games, averaging about five minutes per game.

Return to the Philippines

Joining the PBA and Smart Gilas

Aguilar with Smart Gilas in 2010

In 2009, the Burger King Whoppers team chose Japeth Aguilar as the first overall pick in the PBA draft. However, Aguilar wanted to join the Smart Gilas Pilipinas national basketball program. This caused some discussion in the PBA.

Eventually, an agreement was reached. Aguilar signed a one-year contract with the Whoppers. He played one game for them, then was traded to the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters. From there, he was loaned to Smart Gilas, where he played until 2012. After that, he played for Talk 'N Text during the 2011–12 season.

Chasing the NBA Dream

After his contract with Talk 'N Text ended in 2012, Aguilar decided to try playing in the NBA. He was the first player from the Philippines to be invited to practice with an NBA team.

He practiced with the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League (now G-League). In one game, he scored 10 points, had five blocks, and four rebounds. In September 2012, he was invited to practice with the New Orleans Hornets and the San Antonio Spurs.

Soon after, in October 2012, Aguilar practiced with the Santa Cruz Warriors, an NBA D-League team. They were interested in drafting him.

Playing for Santa Cruz Warriors

On November 2, 2012, Japeth Aguilar made history. He became the first Filipino player ever drafted into the NBA Development League. The Santa Cruz Warriors, linked to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA, picked him as the 109th player overall.

However, the Warriors decided to release Aguilar on November 22. He was offered a spot on their practice team, but he chose to look for other opportunities instead.

Back to the PBA

GlobalPort Batang Pier (2013)

After his attempt to play in the NBA, Aguilar returned to the Philippines. He asked for a trade from the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters. He was then traded to GlobalPort Batang Pier.

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (2013–present)

On June 11, 2013, Japeth Aguilar was traded to Barangay Ginebra San Miguel. He has been with the team ever since.

Aguilar and teammate Greg Slaughter were called the "Twin Towers" because of their height. In his first game for Ginebra, Aguilar scored 18 points and had 8 rebounds. He quickly became a key player for the team. In a game in December 2013, he made a game-winning three-point shot with only 1.1 seconds left. He also blocked a shot to secure the win. He finished that game with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 blocks.

On October 14, 2016, he was recognized for his great defense. He was named to the PBA All-Defensive Team and the PBA Mythical Second Team. On January 6, 2022, Aguilar signed a new three-year contract with Barangay Ginebra. He continues to be a vital part of the team.

National Team Career

Japeth Aguilar first played for the Philippines men's national basketball team in 2009. He played in the 2009 FIBA Asia Championship.

He later became a starting player for the national team during the "Gilas" era. He helped Gilas qualify for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. Aguilar was also part of the team that won a silver medal in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship. He also won gold medals in the SEABA Championship in 2011 and 2017.

Aguilar was part of the Philippine team that won a gold medal at the 2019 Southeast Asian Games. He also helped the team win gold at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou. He was included in the final 12-man lineup for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Esports Involvement

In 2018, Japeth Aguilar became an ambassador for the mobile game Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. He said that the game is like basketball because players need to work together as a team.

Personal Life

Japeth Aguilar's father, Peter, also played basketball in the PBA. In October 2019, Japeth Aguilar married his longtime girlfriend, Cassandra Naidas.