Nelson “The Bull” Asaytono and Jeffrey Cariaso have been recognized as the newest inductees into the Philippine Basketball Association’s (PBA) prestigious Greatest Players club, the league announced on Wednesday.
Asaytono, a dominant force in the PBA for 17 years, played for several teams, including Purefoods, Swift/Sunkist/Pop Cola, San Miguel Beer, and Red Bull. Now 58, he retired with impressive career averages of 15.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, concluding his career with Red Bull Thunder.
The selection committee—led by former MVPs Ramon Fernandez, Allan Caidic, and Atoy Co—finalized their choices ahead of the PBA’s 50th-anniversary celebration on April 9.
“He was the unanimous pick among the selectors,” said committee member Sonny Barrios during the announcement on One Sports’ Starting Lineup program at the Cignal TV offices in Mandaluyong. “There was no doubt that he truly deserved the honor.”
Joining Asaytono and Cariaso in the elite club are Rene Hawkins, Danny Siegle, Abe King, Arnie Tuadles, and Elpidio “Yoyoy” Villamin. San Miguel Beermen’s Junemar Fajardo and Barangay Ginebra’s Scottie Thompson were also added to the list for their recent MVP-winning performances.
The PBA’s Greatest Players list was initially composed of 40 legendary players, selected during the league’s 25th and 40th anniversaries in 2000 and 2015, respectively.
Asaytono’s illustrious career includes seven PBA championships, three Mythical First Team and four Mythical Second Team selections, two Best Player of the Conference (BPC) awards, and a scoring title.
Meanwhile, Cariaso, now the head coach of the Blackwater Bossing, was honored for his contributions as an eight-time PBA champion, primarily with the Alaska Aces and later with the Coca-Cola Tigers.