Ramon Fernandez facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ramon Fernandez
Fernandez in 2018
Commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission
Assumed office 2016–2022
Personal details
Political party	NPC
Ramon Fernandez Personal information Born (1953-10-03) 3 October 1953 (age 71) Maasin, Leyte, Philippines Nationality Filipino Listed height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) Listed weight 178 lb (81 kg) Career information College USC PBA Draft 1975 / Elevated Selected by the Toyota Comets Pro career 1972–1994 League PBA Career history As player: 1972 San Miguel Corporation Braves 1973–1984 Toyota 1984–1985 Beer Hausen/Manila Beer 1985–1987 Tanduay Rhum Makers 1988 Purefoods Hotdogs 1988–1994 San Miguel Beermen As coach: 1988 Purefoods Hotdogs Career highlights and awards 19× PBA champion (1975 First, 1975 Second, 1977 Invitational, 1978 All-Filipino, 1978 Invitational, 1979 Invitational, 1981 Open, 1982 Reinforced Filipino, 1982 Open, 1986 Reinforced, 1986 All-Filipino, 1987 Open, 1988 Reinforced, 1989 Open, 1989 All-Filipino, 1989 Reinforced, 1992 All-Filipino, 1993 Governors', 1994 All-Filipino) 5× PBA All-Star (1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994) 4× PBA Most Valuable Player (1982, 1984, 1986, 1988) 13× PBA Mythical First Team (1976–1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992) 3× PBA Mythical Second Team (1985, 1987, 1990) 2× PBA scoring champion (1983–1984) PBA All-Time Scoring Leader PBA's 25 Greatest Players PBA's 40 Greatest Players PBA Hall of Fame Class of 2005 No. 19 retired by the San Miguel Beermen Medals Men's basketball Representing  Philippines FIBA Asia Under-18 Championship Gold 1972 Manila Team competition FIBA Asia Championship Gold 1973 Manila Team competition Asian Games Silver 1990 Beijing Team competition

Ramon Sadaya Fernandez (born October 3, 1953) is a famous Filipino former professional basketball player. He is also a current commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission. Fernandez won four PBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards. He also holds a record of 19 PBA championships.

Fernandez was 6 feet 4 inches tall during his playing days. Because of a mild condition called gigantism, he grew to 6 feet 5 inches in his later years. He scored 18,996 points, making him the PBA's all-time scoring leader. He also leads the PBA in rebounds, blocked shots, and free throws made. He is second in assists, games played, and steals.

He played for five different teams in his PBA career. These teams included the Toyota, Manila Beer, Tanduay, Purefoods, and San Miguel. Fernandez also played in many international tournaments for the Philippine national basketball team. Many people consider him one of the greatest players in the Philippine Basketball Association ever.

Basketball Career Highlights

Ramon Fernandez started his basketball journey in Cebu. He graduated from the University of San Carlos. In 1972, he joined the San Miguel Braves team. This team played in the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA). The next year, he moved to the new Komatsu Komets team, which later became the Toyota Comets.

Playing for the National Team

Fernandez was a member of several national teams. He played in the 1972 ABC Under-18 Championship. He also joined the team for the 1973 ABC Championship. Later, he played in the 1974 FIBA World Championship and the 1974 Asian Games. In 1990, he was part of the team that won a silver medal at the Beijing Asian Games.

PBA Journey with Toyota

In 1975, Fernandez joined the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). His team, the Toyota Comets, was one of the first nine teams in the league. With teammates like Robert Jaworski and Francis Arnáiz, Toyota won nine championships between 1975 and 1983. Fernandez earned his first PBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 1982 while playing for Toyota.

Moving to New Teams

After Toyota disbanded in 1984, Fernandez joined Beer Hausen. During this time, his rivalry with Robert Jaworski became well-known. Fernandez won his second MVP award in 1984. In 1985, he moved to the Tanduay team.

From 1986 to 1987, Fernandez helped Tanduay win three PBA championships. He won his third MVP award in 1986.

Purefoods and San Miguel Years

Tanduay also disbanded before the 1988 season. Fernandez then became a playing coach for the new Purefoods team. This was his first time coaching. He led Purefoods to a second-place finish in one conference. Later that year, he moved to San Miguel Beer.

At San Miguel, Fernandez helped the team win the 1988 Reinforced Conference Championship. He also won his fourth MVP award that year. This made him the first and only player to win MVP awards with four different teams.

In 1989, Fernandez was a key player in San Miguel's historic "grand slam." This means they won all three championships in one season. During an All-Star Game that year, Fernandez and Jaworski famously shook hands. This moment showed that their long rivalry had ended.

Retirement and Records

Ramon Fernandez played his last PBA season in 1994. He announced his retirement that year. He holds many PBA records:

• He is the PBA All-Time Scoring Leader with 18,996 points.
• He is second in assists with 5,220.
• He is first in total rebounds with 8,652.
• He is first in minutes played.
• He is first in blocks with 1,853.
• He was first in steals when he retired in 1994.

After His Basketball Career

Fernandez with the Philippines women's national football team at the 2021 Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi

After retiring from playing basketball, Fernandez tried a career in politics. He ran for a senatorial seat in 1995 but did not win. In 1998, he became the first commissioner of the Metropolitan Basketball Association, a professional league that no longer exists.

In 2000, Fernandez was named one of the PBA's 25 Greatest Players. This honor was given to him during the league's anniversary.

In 2003, Fernandez became the Commissioner of the Collegiate Champions League tournament. He also played in a special reunion game between the Toyota Tamaraws and Crispa Redmanizers. In this game, he made a famous pass to Robert Jaworski, helping Toyota win.

He also served as Commissioner for the United Regional Basketball League in 2004. In 2005, Fernandez was inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame.

In 2016, Ramon Fernandez was appointed as one of the commissioners of the Philippine Sports Commission. This is a government agency that supports sports in the Philippines. In 2018, he joined the Board of Directors for UGE Philippines, a company that provides solar energy solutions. He also served as the Officer in Charge of the Philippine Sports Commission for a period.

About Gigantism

In 2015, Fernandez shared that he has a mild case of gigantism. This is a condition where a person grows taller than average. He found out he had grown to 6 feet 7 inches, even though his height was listed as 6 feet 4 or 5 inches during his playing career.

Ramon Fernandez's Legacy

Ramon Fernandez is remembered as one of the most popular players from the PBA's "golden years." He is still a very well-known figure in Philippine basketball today. He often attends PBA Legends Reunion games in the Philippines and other countries.

His Unique Skills

Fernandez was an amazing player because he could play all five positions on the basketball court. He was skilled as a point guard, shooting guard, forward, power forward, and center. He was known for his:

• Excellent dribbling skills, which was unusual for a center back then.
• Amazing passing ability.
• Strong perimeter shots.
• Unstoppable moves near the basket.

He could dribble the ball down the court after getting a rebound. He would often finish with a lay-up or a fancy pass to a teammate. He learned to dribble so well because he played point guard in high school when he was shorter. He also had a special one-handed running shot called "the elegant shot."

Fernandez could play facing the basket or with his back to it. He was great at creating space for himself and driving to the basket. This was special because most centers and power forwards usually stay close to the basket.

He was also able to use both hands very well. He could switch the ball from his right hand to his left hand, often drawing fouls. One of his most famous moves was the "kili-kili" (armpit) shot. He would fake a shot with one hand, then switch the ball to the other hand for a scoop shot under the defender's armpit. This often resulted in a foul.

He had a hook shot that was hard to stop and a unique fadeaway lay-up. His "elegant shot" often came after a cross-over dribble, moving away from a defender. He used many clever moves like pivot moves, pump fakes, and no-look passes. He performed these "trick shots" perfectly.

One of his most famous no-look passes happened in a reunion game in 2003. He intercepted the ball, dribbled down the court, and then made a pass that surprised everyone except his teammate, who scored an easy lay-up.

His accurate passing was very difficult for opponents. He could make perfect passes with either hand, even through many defenders. Former defenders like Philip Cezar and Abe King said that Fernandez was the toughest player they ever had to guard.

Overcoming Challenges

Fernandez was not the most athletic player. He was thin for a center and didn't jump very high. He rarely did slam-dunks in his twenty-year career. But he made up for these things with his amazing skills, high basketball IQ, and strong mental toughness. He could control the game and even trick opponents into making fouls. When he retired, one newspaper called him the man "who could control every variable of the game."

In 1984, he had an incredible season where he almost averaged a triple-double. He averaged 27 points, 15 rebounds, and 9.9 assists per game. This is one of the most dominant individual performances in Philippine professional basketball history.

Basketball Achievements

PBA Awards

• 4-time Most Valuable Player (1982, 1984, 1986, 1988)
• Member of the 1989 San Miguel Grand Slam Team (won all 3 championships in one year)
• 13-time Mythical First Team Selection (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992)
• 3-time Mythical Second Team Selection (1985, 1987, and 1990)
• 6-time PBA All-Star
• PBA All-Time Scoring Leader
• Member of PBA's 25 Greatest Players
• Member of PBA's 40 Greatest Players
• PBA Hall of Fame Class of 2005

Other Achievements

• Member, 1972 Asian Youth, Manila, Philippines
• Member, 1973 Asian Basketball Confederation, Manila (now FIBA Asia)
• Member, 1974 Mundo Basket, San Juan, Puerto Rico (World Basketball Championship)
• Member, 1974 Asian Games, Tehran, Iran
• Member, 1990 Asian Games, Beijing, China
• 1994 Asian Games Assistant Coach
• Metropolitan Basketball Association Commissioner 1998-1999

Images for kids

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  Fernandez with the Philippines women's national football team at the 2021 Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi.

See also

In Spanish: Ramón Fernández (baloncestista) para niños