What I remember of Early Imports of the PBA?

[Supersonic]

That's how I first got into the Sonics. The '79 champs, Gus Williams, Jack Sikma, Downtown Fred Brown, the uniform - it just clicked for me. It's a bonus that I happen to settle here in Seattle later on. The highlight was the Kemp-Payton-Karl years, culminating in the '96 Finals (against JPM's damn Bulls). That team had a former PBA import as their 6th man, Vince Askew (IMO he had the best post-PBA career of any import). But I don't know if I can still cheer for a Sonic team that's not in Seattle. I've connected the team to the city too much.

Back to topic, early PBA imports that I remember being drafted in the first round in the NBA:

Michael Young
Freeman Williams
Rob Williams
David Thirdkill
Wes Matthews
Ennis Whatley
Glenn McDonald
George Trapp
Otto Moore
Leon Wood (the Olympian, not the white one)
Anthony Roberts
Larry Demic
James Hardy
Don Collins
Stewart Granger
Kenny Fields

From this list, George Trapp was the highest at No. 5 from Long Beach State (same school as Glenn McDonald) in the early 70’s, followed by Otto Moore at No. 6 in the late 60’s and Freeman Williams at No. 8 in 1978 from Portland State (1978 is the same year that produced 1st-rounders McDonald, Hardy and Fil-Am Raymond Townsend, while a guy named Larry Bird was picked as No. 6). I found out later that were higher drafted imports who played in the 90's, Dennis Hopson, who came out as a No. 3 in 1987 and Chris Morris, a No. 4 in 1988.

[KobeWanKenobi]

It would be harder to approximate the early imports now with the salary cap for imports set at $14,000 from the original $20,000 in the late 90s and early 2000s. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for, and the talented ones opt to play in Europe rather than play here under a lower salary.

[Jay P. Mercado]

Ariel,

You sure about 1978 being the same year when Glenn McDonald and Raymond Townsend were drafted in the first round in the NBA? McDonald played for the Celtics in the 1975-1976 season and was already playing for U/Tex at that time. Townsend, on the other hand, was playing for the Golden State Warriors in 1976 already before being waived and ended up in the CBA in the late 70's and early 80's. I remember Townsend coming over to the Philippines sometime in the late 70's - I can't recall though if he played a game or series of games here. Hardy would probably be in that 1978 list since he played for the Utah Jazz in the 1980-1981 season and with Crispa in June of 1981.

Sinu-sino nga ba ang Top 5 pick ng 1978?

[KobeWanKenobi]

1978 Draft according to Basketball Reference:

1. Mychal Thompson
2. Phil Ford
3. Rick Robey
4. Michael Ray Richardson
5. Purvis Short

6. Larry Bird

22. Raymond Townsend

http://basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_1978.html

[Jay P. Mercado]

Might have made a mix-up. May have referred to Townsend playing for Golden State back in 1976 when he probably played alongside Purvis Short, Clifford Ray amongst others in 1978 and 1979. Thanks KWK for the clarification. What team drafted Townsend? Was Short an original pick of the Warriors or was he simply traded to them?

Mychal is the elder brother of former Tanduay import Andy Thompson who played in the 1986 season. Michael Ray Richardson was rumored to be reinforcing Ginebra sometime in the mid-80's after the drug scandal but this only remained a rumor.

[KobeWanKenobi]

Golden State drafted both Short and Townsend. Unfortunately Basketball-reference doesn't mention which of the two 1978 GSWs first round picks were originally theirs and which was only traded to them.

[KobeWanKenobi]

By the way, Ariel might be thinking of former Crispa import Glenn Hagan who was drafted at number 21 in the second round of the 1978 draft.

[Jay P. Mercado]

That should be more logical. McDonald and Hagan have the same nicknames so it might have been a simple case of mixup. I'm very sure Ariel is familiar about McDonald's exploits with Boston in the 1976 NBA playoffs where the former U/Tex import was the hero of that triple OT game.

[Supersonic]

My bad, I don't know why I included Glenn McDonald there. He was actually drafted in 1974 by the Celtics. Siguro nga I was thinking of Hagan but he's not a 1st rounder.

I checked the basketball-reference link and saw that Buster Matheney, Lew Massey and Hagan were drafted in the 2nd round of that year (1978). Coming in from the 3rd round...Billy Ray Bates. 1978 was a good year.

[blue_streak]

yup it was glenn macdonald who took over in the third overtime after dave cowens and paul silas fouled out. he scored i think six points in that final extension and boston won by two. the greatest nba finals game in history.

[Jay P. Mercado]

What is the common feature among these PBA imports?

1. Willie Bland of Alaska
2. Lanard Copeland of Pepsi
3. Derrick Hamilton of Pepsi / Alaska
4. Ronnie Thompkins of Swift / Purefoods
5. Ron Hale of Coke
6. Larry McNeil of Gilbey's Gin / Winston Kings
7. Jerome Henderson of Tanduay

Speaking of features, it's remarkable but from 1979 to 1983, in Toyota's last years in the PBA, they actually had three imports who looked and played almost alike of each other. Who were these?

1. Andrew Fields - 6'9 - 1979 to 1983
2. Donnie Ray Koonce - 6'3 - 1982 to 1983 (replaced the ineffective Melton Wertz; also played for SMB and Alaska in the succeeding years)
3. Julius Wayne - 6'2 - 1983 (replaced the ineffective Kevin Porter; also played for the U/Tex Weavers the season before)

I don't have a copy of their mug shots but it should be interesting to compare the facial features of these three imports. Similarly and the more unusual coincidence is that all three almost played alike, albeit their different playing positions and height. I'd like to think these three imports were the PROTOTYPE TOYOTA IMPORTS...

Sorry for the useless trivia...hehe! Just reminiscing!

[galaxy_ram]

What is the common feature among these PBA imports?

1. Willie Bland of Alaska
2. Lanard Copeland of Pepsi
3. Derrick Hamilton of Pepsi / Alaska
4. Ronnie Thompkins of Swift / Purefoods
5. Ron Hale of Coke
6. Larry McNeil of Gilbey's Gin / Winston Kings
7. Jerome Henderson of Tanduay

Sir Jay! Mukhang alam ko yan ah

Broad shoulders and long arms ano?

[Jay P. Mercado]

Ram,

Pwede...good point. Pero meron mas-significant sa physical appearance nilang pito na siguradong kapag maisip mo ay sasabihing mong "ay, oo nga noh!"

They're all long-limbed yes, that's correct. But Henderson and McNeil didn't exactly have the broadest shoulders you can find amongst imports. Tama yung haba ng galamay - parang Phillip Cezar 'ika nga ni Joe Cantada!

[galaxy_ram]

Lanard Copeland


Ron Hale

Hmmm. Hugis ng ulo, sir Jay?

[Jay P. Mercado]

If it's true that Petron has decided to replace import Eddie Basden with Paul Marigney, Jr., this would only be the second time in PBA history when a father-son pair has played for the PBA. The first one of course, was the Washam pair of Tony, Sr. and Tony, Jr.

Tony, Sr. played in 1984 for Gilbey's Gin, teaming up with the likes of Robert Jaworski, Sr., Francis Arnaiz, Steve Watson, Gary Vargas, Romy Mamaril, and coached by Turing Valenzona. Tony, Jr. recently played for the B-Meg Llamados in the 2010 season as a late replacement for import Cliff Brown.

Paul Marigney, Sr. averaged close to 26 ppg and around 20 boards per game while playing for the Mariwasa-Honda Panthers in the 1978 Open Conference. Paul, Sr. played alongside Jeff Randall (you may refer to page 1 of this thread) but didn't do much damage even if they were allowed to play simultaneously while Crispa and Toyota were handicapped with having two imports of unlimited height playing one at a time only.

Paul Marigney, Jr. appears to be a standout guard for St. Mary's College. I'm not sure if he's what the doctor ordered for Petron but it seems like he'll be playing the shooting guard position. Of course, Petron is better off shoring their center position as only Rob Reyes is their only legitimate slotman. Getting a combo-forward would mean eating up on J-Wash and Arwind's time while Marigney may prevent the likes of Hontiveros, Yeo and Miranda to play extensive minutes. Nonetheless, if Marigney shoots the lights out from the arc as he seems capable of doing, then Petron's offense wouldn't be caught sleeping at any single moment.

[renaissance11]

sir jay ikaw sinong favorite mong import of all time? sa dinami daming mong list

ako si derrick brown ng purefoods, ewan ko parang ang bait niya kasi, tapos ang galing pa

[Aleancelo]

1985 Manila Beer- Louis Brown (1st Conf.), Douglas Harris (1st Conf.), Francois Wise (3rd Conf.)
Great Taste- Joe Binion (1st Conf.), Cory Blackwell (3rd Conf.)
Magnolia- Norman Black (1st and 3rd Conf.)
Shell- Carter (I forgot his first name)
Ginebra- Michael Hackett (3rd Conf.)
Tanduay- David Pope (1st Conf.)
1986 Shell- Dwight Anderson (1st Conf.), Stewart Granger (1st Conf.), Dexter Shouse (3rd Conf.)
Manila Beer- Carlton Cooper (1st Conf.), George Turner (1st Conf.), Butch Hays (balik-import), Michael Young (3rd Conf.), Harold Keeling (3rd Conf.)
Ginebra- Terry Duerod (1st Conf.), Billy Ray Bates (3rd Conf.), Michael Hackett (3rd Conf.)
Tanduay- Andre McCoy (1st Conf.), Rob Williams (1st Conf.)
Great Taste- Michael Holton (1st Conf.), Jeff Collins (1st Conf.), Leon Wilson (1st Conf.)
Alaska- Donnie Ray Koonce (1st Conf.), Jerry Lee Eaves (1st Conf.), Norman Black (3rd Conf.)

[Jay P. Mercado]

Ginebra also had Tony Hunter, Clinton Wheeler and Keith Gray paired up with Terry Duerod in the 1st Conference, the Reinforced, in 1986.

Alaska had Donnie Ray Koonce and Jerry Lee Eaves in the 1986 Reinforced and Norman Black, Koonce and Keith Morrison. Magnolia had Rufus Harris, Don Collins, Bernard Tittle and Jim Banks also in the same conference.

For 1985, Shell was reinforced by Kevin Graham, Howard Carter, Lester Rowe and Rich Adams.

[Jay P. Mercado]

sir jay ikaw sinong favorite mong import of all time? sa dinami daming mong list

ako si derrick brown ng purefoods, ewan ko parang ang bait niya kasi, tapos ang galing pa

Billy Ray Bates remains to be my favorite import of all time since he played for two of my favorite PBA teams of all time - Crispa and Ginebra.

Other notables would include Cyrus Mann and James Hardy of Crispa, Jamie Waller and Michael Hackett of Ginebra, Ronnie Grandison of Swift and Purefoods, Tony Lang of Red Bull, Damien Owens of SLR and Ennis Whatley of SMB.

[mememon]

Billy Ray Bates remains to be my favorite import of all time since he played for two of my favorite PBA teams of all time - Crispa and Ginebra.

Other notables would include Cyrus Mann and James Hardy of Crispa, Jamie Waller and Michael Hackett of Ginebra, Ronnie Grandison of Swift and Purefoods, Tony Lang of Red Bull, Damien Owens of SLR and Ennis Whatley of SMB.

Damien Owens the poor man's version of Tony Lang