PBA Top 10 GOAT Import

[fadzki2]

No love for Kenny Redfield(Shell) and Derrick Brown(Purefoods)???

 

[jundakki2]

I've always penciled the Top 5 imports per position as the following:

Center - Cyrus Mann (Crispa)
Power Forward - Andrew Fields (Toyota)
Small Forward - Carlos Terry (Toyota)
Shooting Guard - Billy Ray Bates (Crispa, Ginebra)
Point Guard - Tony Harris (Swift)

The next five would be the following:

Norman Black (Tefilin, San Miguel, Great Taste, Alaska)
Bobby Parks (San Miguel, Shell)
Sean Chambers (Alaska)
Michael Young (Great Taste, Manila Beer)
Ronnie Thompkins (Swift)

palagay ko jay magkabatch tayo - trans. we're still both young ...


Byron "Snake" Jones - Crispa &Toyota
Bruce "Sky" King - Toyota
"Sweet" Lew Massey - Gilbey's Gin
David "Sheriff" Thirdkill - Tanduay

 

[gary_hole2]

Cyrus Mann also had three titles with Crispa - in the 1976 Open, 1976 Invitationals and the 1977 Open. He didn't play in the 1978 season and was booted out in the 1979 season as Mann eventually became a head case.

... Toyota had King and Terry playing one at a time as well, with Terry being the shortest import for that conference. He came back with a bang in the Invitationals, powering Toyota to a 3-1 romp against runnerup Tanduay (powered by two imports of unlimited height - Gene Moore and Bernard Harris), while, on the side, defeating eventual world champion Yugoslavia and 6th placer Canada in an exhibition game prior to the World Championship hosted by Manila that year.

Jay,

1. Cyrus Mann played for Crispa in the 1978 Third Conference. He replaced Paul Mills. He was so out of shape that's why he wasn't much of a factor eventhough Crispa had the tallest combination of imports among the five teams.

2. Tanduay's import were Eugene Moore and David Payne.

 

[mon232]

Hi Mon.

Actually, you were correct from the very beginning. Andrew Fields has won three PBA titles after a five-season stint with the Toyota franchise from 1979 to 1983. He won his first title in the 1979 Invitationals (in tandem with Bruce "Sky" King), followed this up with an emphatic 1981 Open Conference victory against Crispa in a tieup with Victor King (in what was the last Crispa-Toyota finals in history), and then came up with his third title in the 1982 Open Conference while paired with Donnie Ray Koonce, who incidentally won the Best Import Award for that conference. The other Toyota championship that you were referring to, the 1982 Reinforced, only allowed one import and that was Koonce who reinforced Toyota. Norman Black copped the Best Import Award in that conference while playing for SMB.

Fields though was the recipient of the first PBA Best Import Award given out for the first time in the 1981 Open Conference, edging out James Hardy of Crispa for the plum.

Hello Jay, my mistake, yes only three PBA titles for Andrew Fields hehe, got confused with all those Toyota pictures, I only remember now that Fields and Norman Black never went up against each other in a championship.

 

[Keeper242]

Guys none of you mentioned Chris King!! this Guy was such a matchup nightmare for every team then! Plus compared to th othe imports as well he was among of the best as a class act.

 

[a_ron2]

Guys none of you mentioned Chris King!! this Guy was such a matchup nightmare for every team then! Plus compared to th othe imports as well he was among of the best as a class act.

You are right Chris King is indeed a match up nightmare for he can shoot and can drive strong to the basket.Gordons Gin Boars became chapion,if I am not mistaken 1997 commissioners cup.

What about Henry James?3point specialist,played for the Atlanta Hawks after his stint with the Gordons Gin,played amazing basketball just ruin by the last second 3 point of Kenny Redfield of Purefoods.

 

[EaglesEye2]

You are right Chris King is indeed a match up nightmare for he can shoot and can drive strong to the basket.Gordons Gin Boars became chapion,if I am not mistaken 1997 commissioners cup.

What about Henry James?3point specialist,played for the Atlanta Hawks after his stint with the Gordons Gin,played amazing basketball just ruin by the last second 3 point of Kenny Redfield of Purefoods.

Maybe, you're simply BIASED to Ginebra imports.

For Chris King, yes he led the Boars to the 1997 Commisioner's Cup title. But in the 2 conferences that he reinforced the Ginebra franchise, he never won the best import award.

For Henry James, he was a good three point shooter. But in that single conference that he played for the Gin Kings (1996 Commissioner's Cup), he never brought his team to the finals, as they were frustrated by Shell (not Purefoods) via last second 3 pointer by Ken Redfield. He did not win also the best import honors.

Most imports (if not all) that I know and mentioned in this thread were best import winners and also led the team that they reinforced at least once to the championship ring.

 

[a_ron2]

no love for Derek Hamilton and the money maker Willie Bland?

Derek Hamilton is he the one who played for Alaska?which was send home after being tested positive for substance abuse?

 

[Jay P. Mercado2]

Derek Hamilton first played for Pepsi Mega. He later suited up for Alaska.

As for Chris King, I was a solid Ginebra fan during that time and it would have been easy for me to include him in the list. But objectively, I just couldn't. King was a great offensive player, just like his predecessor, Henry James. But they were lacking in one area of the game and that was defense. Tony Harris may appear to be uni-dimensional himself but no one can dispute the fact that he was one of the league's best in terms of ball theft.

 

[ddreamer2]

How about Damian Cantrell, T McClary and Rosell Ellis? They did not impose awesome numbers but they were very reliable.

 

[Dotch2]

Some notable late 80's - early 90's imports:

The Ginebra/ Anejo imports that always wow the crowds:
Jumping Joe Ward
Jaime Waller
Sylvester Gray
Carlos "Red" Briggs
Jervis Cole

The Champion Imports:
Rob Williams
Andre McCoy
Michael Young
Ronnie Grandison
Darren Queenan


Almost Super Imports
Lanard Copeland
Lewis Lloyd
Freeman Williams

The Solid Second Tiers:
Dell Demps
Terence Bailey
Francois Wise
Lew Massey
Sunshine Slaughter
Alfrederick Hughes


Category All by Himself:
The Infamous Dexter Shouse

 

[Jay P. Mercado2]

How about Damian Cantrell, T McClary and Rosell Ellis? They did not impose awesome numbers but they were very reliable.

Tee McClary and Rosell Ellis were Best Import Awardees in the past - McClary with Coke and Ellis with Alaska. They definitely are worth considering although comparing them to the names cited above may not cut out for them. Damien Cantrell, who played for two conferences with TnT, is also noteworthy but he hasn't won a PBA Best Import Award and neither did he lead the team to the championship.

 

[Big Ticket2]

Most imports (if not all) that I know and mentioned in this thread were best import winners and also led the team that they reinforced at least once to the championship ring.

and most of the imports mentioned kept on coming back to play in the PBA....not only did they play a single conference but most of them made RP their second home (parks, black, chambers, redfield, harris, etc.)

 

[jologs2]

GOAT - Harris

Honorable mentions:
1. Bates
2. Andy Fields
3. Cyrus Mann
4. Snake Jones
5. David Thirdkill

Most exciting imports:
Harris, Bates, Jumpin Joe Ward, Donnie Ray Koonce...
mostly those 6-3 imports in the 70's and 80's

Pero paborito ko ay si Glenn Hagan

 

[insulares2]

Damien Cantrell, who played for two conferences with TnT, is also noteworthy but he hasn't won a PBA Best Import Award and neither did he lead the team to the championship.

Cantrell also couldn't lead the 2004 ABA Champion team Long Beach Jam to victory over the PBA-National Team of Chot Reyes back in July '05 (2005 Global Hoops Summit at the UNLV Cox Pavilion).

The PBA-Nationals beat LBJ in a 93-92 thriller. Cantrell had a respectable 18 pt, 13 reb performance and even more respectful words for the Philippines after the American loss:

"You can't underestimate the Filipinos because they fight to the last possession," he said. "They play smart. From when I played in the PBA, I noticed there's much better ball movement, execution and motion in the offence now."

 

[ddreamer2]

Cantrell also couldn't lead the 2004 ABA Champion team Long Beach Jam to victory over the PBA-National Team of Chot Reyes back in July '05 (2005 Global Hoops Summit at the UNLV Cox Pavilion).

The PBA-Nationals beat LBJ in a 93-92 thriller. Cantrell had a respectable 18 pt, 13 reb performance and even more respectful words for the Philippines after the American loss:

"You can't underestimate the Filipinos because they fight to the last possession," he said. "They play smart. From when I played in the PBA, I noticed there's much better ball movement, execution and motion in the offence now."

Cantrell is I think a great player because he plays good in Europe. And when he is playing in the PBA, I see some great toughness from him. I remember his daredevil moves going inside the lane for a lay up which I remember seeing in the likes of the local greats like Samboy Lim and Vergel Meneses.
Ellis is small import but he keeps coming back in the PBA and keep going in the play offs.
Being the GOAT, they could be one of the nominees but its hard for them to be in top 10 but they should be one in the next 10.
My number 1 should be my Idol, Tony Harris. I'm one of the die hard RFM Franchise Fan. The Era of Vergel Meneses, Distrito, Al Solis, Balingit, Boybits Victoria, Kenneth Duremdes, Realubit. I remember the game they lost and shaved their hairs after that game. And their next game, they were all bald (kalbo).

 

[insulares2]

My number 1 should be my Idol, Tony Harris. I'm one of the die hard RFM Franchise Fan. The Era of Vergel Meneses, Distrito, Al Solis, Balingit, Boybits Victoria, Kenneth Duremdes, Realubit. I remember the game they lost and shaved their hairs after that game. And their next game, they were all bald (kalbo).

No denying Harris was electric. The guy was a born chucker (his FG% stats with the Celtics were atrocious, though).

As for "kalbo", Guiao decided henceforth it was a great fashion statement.

 

[EaglesEye2]

No denying Harris was electric. The guy was a born chucker (his FG% stats with the Celtics were atrocious, though).

As for "kalbo", Guiao decided henceforth it was a great fashion statement.

...but sorry to say, he's no longer as good the second the second time around....and so on, he's no longer as dominating like his first tour of duty with the RFM franchise.

 

[Triggerman2]

bobby parks!!

 

[paulezra2]

Bates- greatest import ever to play in the Pba.

Tony harris- greatest scorer ever.

Norm black- most hardworking ever.

Glenn Hagan- greatest dribbler ever.

Chambers- least talented ever but most wins and championships.



Here are the rest of the most memorable imports..when they played you could tell that talagang may impact sila meaning either hayop sa galing or maporma pero may ibubuga talaga:

Collins- ( ist stint with great taste) lupit sa dunk! Dinuraan pa ito ni javier ng Crispa. Thirdkill- low post and basketball i.Q. Rob Williams-hayop sa step back three points. Ist pick ng denver ito. Wes Mathews- iba talaga pag NBA..ang porma..dinuraan naman ni Onchie sa mukha! Joe Ward- hanep sa tres at dunk. Tony Lang- taas ng I.Q! Michael Young- whew! phi slamma jamma ng Houston..Manila Beer ..may tres din..grabe ito. Kevin porter- grabe rin...so flashy! Lew Massey- remember this guy? Gilbeys..gumagaw ng 50 pataas lagi! Donnie Ray koonce- sooo smooth...underrated. Pinabagsak ni Vic sanchez. Parks-siempre...one of the nicest..tapang rin kahit tinitira nina Gonzalgo! There were a lot more....but these guys really created an impact when they played.