Rich Alvarez facts for kids
Alvarez in 2007
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| Basilan Starhorse | ||||||||||||||
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| Assistant coach | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
| Born | October 30, 1980 Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan |
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| Nationality | Filipino | |||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 210 lb (95 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | Ateneo | |||||||||||||
| PBA Draft | 2004 Round: 1 / Pick: 1st overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Shell Turbo Chargers | ||||||||||||||
| Pro career | 2004–2016 | |||||||||||||
| Coaching career | 2016–present | |||||||||||||
| League | MPBL | |||||||||||||
| Career history | ||||||||||||||
| As player: | ||||||||||||||
| 2004–2005 | Shell Turbo Chargers | |||||||||||||
| 2005–2006 | Alaska Aces | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2008 | Red Bull Barako | |||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants | |||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Barangay Ginebra Kings | |||||||||||||
| 2010 | Air21 Express | |||||||||||||
| 2010–2013 | Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters | |||||||||||||
| 2014–2016 | Kia Sorento / Kia Carnival / Mahindra Enforcer / Mahindra Floodbuster / Kia Picanto | |||||||||||||
| As coach: | ||||||||||||||
| 2016–2018 | Mahindra Floodbuster / Kia Picanto (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | GenSan Warriors | |||||||||||||
| 2021 | Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 2021–2022 | Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| 2025–present | Basilan Starhorse (assistant) | |||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | ||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Richard "Rich" Alvarez (born October 30, 1980) is a Filipino basketball coach and former player. He was born in Japan. Rich is currently an assistant coach for the Basilan Starhorse team in the MPBL. He played his entire career in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). In the 2004 PBA Draft, he was the very first player chosen overall by the Shell Turbo Chargers.
Contents
Rich Alvarez's Early Life and College Basketball
Rich Alvarez grew up in Yokosuka, Japan. This is where he first played basketball for his high school team, Nile C. Kinnick High School. After finishing high school, he moved to the Philippines.
Playing for the Ateneo Blue Eagles
Rich attended Ateneo de Manila University. He became a very important player for the Blue Eagles basketball team. He was known for playing with lots of energy and always trying his best.
In 2000, during his second year, he won the UAAP MVP award. This is a big award for the best player in the league. He beat other great players like Mike Cortez and Enrico Villanueva.
The next year, in 2001, he won his second UAAP MVP award. However, his team did not win the championship. The Green Archers won their fourth championship in a row that year.
Winning the UAAP Championship
Finally, in 2002, Rich led the Blue Eagles to win the championship. They played against the strong Green Archers team. This was Ateneo's first title since 1988. Rich had great teammates like LA Tenorio and Larry Fonacier.
While playing in college, Rich also played for teams in the Philippine Basketball League. He was also part of the Philippine national team. This team won a gold medal at the 2003 SEA Games.
Rich Alvarez's PBA Career
In 2004, Rich Alvarez was the first player picked in the PBA Draft. He was chosen by the Shell Turbo Chargers. He played his first PBA game after a new coach, Leo Austria, took over the team. Rich quickly showed his skills and won the Rookie of the Year award at the end of the season. In his first year, he scored about 8.8 points and got 6.4 rebounds per game.
Moving to Different Teams
When the Shell team was leaving the league, Rich was traded to the Alaska Aces. He then moved to the Red Bull Barako team. There, he played again with some of his old college teammates.
In 2008, he was traded to Purefoods. The next year, he moved to the Ginebra Kings in a big trade with many players. In 2010, he was traded again to Air21.
After his contract with Air21 ended, he joined Talk 'N Text. He was a valuable player coming off the bench. He stayed with Talk 'N Text until the 2012–13 season.
Joining Kia
After playing for Talk 'N Text, Rich did not have a team for a whole season. But then, new teams like Kia joined the PBA. Rich tried out for Team Kia and earned a spot on the Kia Sorento team for the 2014–15 season. He wanted to prove he could still play at a high level.
Rich Alvarez's Personal Life
Rich Alvarez started dating R&B singer Kyla in 2005. Her real name is Melanie Calumpad. After six years, Rich asked Kyla to marry him in January 2011.
Their wedding took place on November 28, 2011. They have a son named Toby Elsiah, who was born on May 5, 2013.
