Carlos Loyzaga

[jjt]

I seek information on Carlos Loyzaga (World Championships 1954): date of birthday, national and international titles, stats, awards....

[L8DBACK]

I seek information on Carlos Loyzaga (World Championships 1954): date of birthday, national and international titles, stats, awards....

Carlos Loyzaga
Position: Center
Nickname: The Great Difference
Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight: unknown
Nationality: Philippines
Born: August 29, 1930
Birth Place: San Jose, Occidental Mindoro, Philippines
College: San Beda College Red Lions
Pro career 1951 – 1964
Former teams: Yco Painters (MICAA)
Awards: FIBA World All-Star Mythical Five member (1954)

CareerHe played college basketball for the San Beda Red Lions in the NCAA before leading the Yco Painters into 49 consecutive victories in the now-defunct Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA) on 1954-1956.

Loyzaga, a two-time Olympian, was a many time member of the Philippine national basketball team in the 1950’s and early 1960’s. He steered the national team into one of the best in the world, winning four consecutive Asian Games gold medal and two consecutive FIBA Asia Championships.

Lozaga’s finest moment is the 1954 FIBA World Championship, when he led the Philippines to a third place finished, 67-63 victory over France, and captured the bronze medal. It was the best finished by an Asian country in the world championships and since then the Philippines remained as the only Asian medallists in the world championship.

Loyzaga finished as the tournament’s third best leading scorer and was named in the tournament All-Star mythical five selections. He retired in 1964 following a distinguished 15-year career.

Achievements

College
1951 NCAA Basketball Champions
1952 NCAA Basketball Champions

MICAA
1954 National Basketball Champions
1955 National Basketball Champions
1956 National Basketball Champions
1957 National Basketball Champions
1958 National Basketball Champions
1959 National Basketball Champions
1960 National Basketball Champions
1954 MICAA Champions

International career highlights
1951 Asian Games champions
1952 Olympic Games, ninth place
1954 Asian Games champions
1954 FIBA World Championship bronze medallist
FIBA World All-Star Mythical Five member (1954)
1956 Olympic Games, seventh place
1958 Asian Games champions
1959 FIBA World Championship, eighth place
1960 FIBA Asia Championship champions
1962 Asian Games champions
1963 FIBA Asia Championship champions
1967 FIBA Asia Championship champions, head coach
1968 Olympic Games, 13th place, head coach
Other achievements
Philippine National Basketball Hall of Fame (1999)
Philippine Sportswriter Association Athletes of the 20th Century award (2000)

[jjt]

thank you very much !

[pilipinas02]

Hey guys, anybody here knows his jersey number in San Beda?

[Servinio]

Hey guys, anybody here knows his jersey number in San Beda?

Carlos Loyzaga wore jersey number 14.

There are suggestions from San Beda alumni and fans to formally retire this number, complete with a fitting ceremony with "The Big Difference" and all those close to him in attendance.



ANIMO SAN BEDA
U.I.O.G.D.

[nowitzki_21]

Give it all for flag says Loyzaga

Give it all for flag says Loyzaga


By Jasmine W. Payo
Inquirer
Last updated 04:12am (Mla time) 06/17/2007


MANILA, Philippines—He had crossed many international hardcourts in sprightly steps.

Now a robust 77-year-old, Carlos “Caloy” Loyzaga again made his way toward the center court and basked in the spotlight.

But the legendary Loyzaga came with no ball in hand. He only held a microphone.

Loyzaga, arguably the greatest ever Filipino basketball player, came for a quick stop to offer advice to the amateur national pool set to compete in the Southeast Asian Games.

“Embrace the opportunity to play for the country,” the two-time Olympian said during the recent PBL Achievement Awards.

“Nothing should be held back. If you have to break a leg, break a leg.”The words were still spoken with much passion by the man nicknamed as “The Big Difference” because of his impact in the game.

And his appearance, albeit brief, brought back memories of the Philippines’ most storied and decorated national squad over half a century ago.

As a 6-foot-3 center, Loyzaga carried the Philippines on his shoulders to capture the bronze medal in the 1954 Fiba World Championship. And he rightfully earned a spot in the Mythical Team for spearheading the best tournament finish of an Asian country.

Loyzaga, a polished shooter, dribbler and rebounder, also collected four straight gold medals in the Asian Games and two consecutive golds in the Fiba Asia Championship when he donned the national colors from 1951 to 1962.

Now that he has been living in Australia, Loyzaga still remains active in sports. But this time, his game is on the greens.

“I play golf,” he said. “I spend time with my family. I have more time and more opportunity to do other things that I like.”

Although Philippine basketball remains in his heart, Loyzaga politely refused to discuss the PBA-backed national roster setting to relive the country’s Olympic glory.

“I cannot comment, I’ve been away and haven’t seen the national team play,” he said, adding that serving as an inspiration to the young national hopefuls would be enough.

A true gentleman of the court, indeed.

[nardy]

When will RP produce another Loyzaga?

When will RP produce another Loyzaga?
29.8.07 | PBA 07-08, Team Pilipinas Prospects
By Manolo Iñigo / Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines -- There is no question that Carlos “Caloy” Loyzaga is the greatest Filipino basketball player in history, but little else is known about how he started his checkered career.

Loyzaga, who marks his 77th birth anniversary on Wednesday, was born on Aug. 29. 1930 to a family with a penchant for sports in San Jose, Mindoro. There, the Loyzaga boys organized a basketball team, with the tall and gangling Caloy at the helm.

Already showing signs of greatness and towering at 6-foot-3 (a rarity among local players at that time), the young Loyzaga moved from sandlot basketball in Mindoro to the big time in Manila by joining the star-studded Sta. Mesa Aces in 1942.

Among his teammates were Pablo and Vicente Cuna, Ramon Lopez, former chair of the Letran College Sports Hall of Fame; Vicente Ayllon of Insular Life, brothers Bobby and Al Tuason and Dick Taylor of radio broadcast fame. Their coach was Jose “Pepe” Lansang, who also became famous as a topnotch referee.

After finishing his elementary education at the P. Burgos elementary school in Sta. Mesa and high school at the National University in 1948, Loyzaga wanted to enroll at Letran, but he backed out at the last minute when the coach gave him a cold shoulder. He was about to enroll at the University of Santo Thomas but this did not materialize when former Olympian Fely Fajardo, then the San Beda College coach, spotted Loyzaga and took him to Mendiola where he polished his style.

* * *

In his prime, Loyzaga was called the “Big Difference” because his absence from his team could mean defeat and he could turn defeat into victory with his presence.

In the NCAA cage wars for the coveted Zamora Trophy in the 1950s, San Beda lost its title bid when Loyzaga did not see action due to scholastic reasons. But when Loyzaga returned to play for the Red Lions, San Beda retired the Zamora Trophy by winning the championships three times in 1951, 1952 and 1955.

Excelling as a shooter, rebounder and center, Loyzaga led the powerhouse Yco Painters team to several Manila Industrial Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA) championships and a record 10 straight victories in the National Open.

* * *

In 1954, Loyzaga spearheaded the Philippine team that finished third in the Second World Basketball Championship in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He capped that memorable year by landing a berth in the tournament’s Mythical Selection.

He made his Olympic debut in Helsinki in 1952 and saw action in the 1956 Melbourne Games. He missed the trip to the Rome Olympics in 1960 due to a wrist injury he suffered while playing softball.

In the Asian Games, Loyzaga sparked the Philippines to four consecutive championships (1951 New Delhi, 1954 Manila, 1958 Tokyo and 1962 Jakarta). He was also the team captain of the winning RP squad to the ABC championship (now FIBA Asia) in the 1960 Manila and 1963 Taipei tournaments. As a coach, he piloted the Philippine quintet to the 1967 ABC crown and to 13th place in the 1968 Mexico Olympics.

A former Manila councilor, Loyzaga is now based in Australia. He is married to the former Vicky Cuerva with whom he has four children: Chito, Joey, Teresa and Bing.

Carlos Loyzaga as per wikipedia

[pachador]

the next loyzaga will have to make a big difference(hello? obvious ! ) Who among the young players is big and has a potential to make a difference ?

its not gonna be ritualo or caguioa, its got to be a big boy.

[C2Hamm]

im gonna go with what Coach Chip in his last stay here, he said the pinoy player that can get in the NBA(and my bet as the next Caloy) is a taller version of samboy lim.

[thadzonline]

The next Caloy Loyzaga? There will never be another one, that's his place in history

[pachador]

Caloy is 6'3" and was the RP center in the 1950s. since then centers around the world have been growing and growing.

[nardy]

The greatest distinction that Caloy had as player is not the individual awards nor the local champion teams he was on but it was that he was able to lead the Philippines to championship victories here in Asia and a respectable finish in the World stage.

on record, the Philippines never lost the Gold Medal in the Asian Games when the Big Difference was playing, it is only after he retired that the other Asian countries had a chance to get the gold, which unfortunately we have not won since.

this is a tough act to follow, but I hope that the player who would lead back the Philippines to its glorious basketball past is just around the corner.

[super_defender]

And what were the heights of RP's opposition during Caloy's time? Must have been 6'6 and below...

[nardy]

And what were the heights of RP's opposition during Caloy's time? Must have been 6'6 and below...

well I do not have the exact metrics of the centers which Caloy played at the time but all accounts showed that when Caloy led the Philippines to a bronze medal finish in 1954 World Championship he was playing against much taller opponents and he has more than held his own and that's one of the reasons he was selected as part of the that World's Mythical Five. From some old newspaper clippings I read several years ago, Loyzaga even a guarded a very tall player from Czechoslovakia, and in that news item it was very descriptive that it said that "hangang kilikili lang si Loyzaga".

It was just unfortunate that an injury had made Caloy miss the 1960 Rome Olympics as he would have faced the 6'9 Bill Russell of the United States.

[bolabasket]

maybe the question should have been:

who among the present PBA players plays like the Big Difference?