TOP 20 | UNLIKELY PBA ALL-STARS | 1 - 10

Okay, so I guess you’ve seen the first half of this list. If not, check out the link to get an idea.

Anyway, I have to admit, confess, and be brave about this part of the list because I usually don’t move slots. I usually let the numbers do the talking.

Not this time, though.

Again, I am critical of the All-Star selection process. But I am most disheartened about the 2017 and 2018 PBA All-Star editions because of the Gilas Pilipinas concept. It’s one thing when players are asked to join the event.

I mean, how can they say no to such an opportunity?

However, when we list down their career numbers as justification for their inclusion, and fans look at their stat lines and think otherwise, that’s not exactly a good look.

But again, how can you reject such a distinction? And for the coaches who chose the players to join the event, there’s a reason why they’re in those positions while we, as fans, are sitting in the bleachers or watching the action on TV, Facebook Live, or YouTube. They probably know something we don’t. The only way for us to find out would be if a franchise owner did something drastic and let one of us coach a team for a game or two.

Even the PBA office is somewhat spared from this criticism, if you think about it. It’s not entirely their fault if the PBA teams are not maximizing their Gilas Cadets. There are at least four players on this list who could have been better PBA players if they had been given a real chance to succeed. I would give the 2017 Gilas players some leeway because they had to accept the selection — and again, it would have been foolish not to.

I also exempted a few names from this discussion. For instance, I know James Yap was part of the 2024 All-Star Game, but it was widely understood that it was a way to appease the fans in what was essentially his final year. He has his doubters, but you can’t discount the fact that he’s a popular former MVP whose star power has transcended into mainstream media.

I’m also letting the legends have their moment. I know the 2019 All-Star Game featured Alvin Patrimonio, Benjie Paras, Jerry Codinera, and Ronnie Magsanoc, and those spots could have gone to current players. But again, people want to see those names. The star power they bring is one of the reasons fans flock to the arenas.

So here they are — my ten highest picks as unlikely All-Star selections.

Game starts now.

10 | JONATHAN GREY | GILAS PILIPINAS - LUZON LEG

2017 | MERALCO BOLTS

SEASON STATS | 4.63PPG - 1.83RPG - 1.0APG - 24 GAMES

I have said in many of my blogs that I found the 2016 PBA Special Round ridiculous. I may have even repeated myself in this blog alone. I really believe that when the PBA creates a rule, it should try to imagine how absurd it might look a decade later.

As for Jonathan Grey, he suited up for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2017 PBA All-Star Game even though he was not part of the Special Round. There were reports at the time that he was considered one of their prospects, but he ultimately was not included. He was instead selected seventh overall in the regular round by the Meralco Bolts.

Again, his numbers did not exactly scream All-Star. But if the league asks you to play for Gilas Pilipinas during All-Star Weekend, would you really say no? Initially, I had him ranked higher on this list, but I lowered his spot because he took advantage of the opportunity presented to him.

9 | NORBERT TORRES | GILAS PILIPINAS -

LUZON & MINDANAO LEG

2017 | PHOENIX FUEL MASTERS

SEASON STATS | 3.5PPG - 4.3RPG - 0.5BPG - 24 GAMES

I can probably say the same thing about Norbert Torres that I said about Jonathan Grey. When the chance to play in a PBA All-Star Game presents itself, it would be foolish for a young pro to turn it down. The difference between Grey and Torres, aside from their positions, is that Torres was not a rookie when he was called up to the Gilas All-Star roster. The former DLSU Green Archer was already in his second season with the Phoenix Fuel Masters after beginning his career with the Star Hotshots.

Yes, his rebounding numbers improved significantly compared to his rookie year, but it is still difficult to argue that his overall production was elite. That said, he managed to build a respectable career, capped off by being part of the Meralco Bolts team that won its first PBA championship.

8 | VON PESSUMAL | GILAS PILIPINAS -

MINDANAO LEG

2017 | GLOBALPORT BATANG PIER

SEASON STATS | 4.4PPG - 1.9RPG - 0.5APG - 31 GAMES

Again, I do not quite know what to make of Von Pessumal’s inclusion here. He was a rookie who played significant minutes off the bench, and his only real “fault” was being part of the Gilas Cadets program. His full-season numbers were not as impressive as his midseason rookie stretch because of the trade that sent him to San Miguel, where his playing time declined.

I already discussed in numbers 11 to 20 my issues with the Veterans versus RSJ format, and the 2017 PBA All-Star selection was like a more extreme version of that problem. At least, unlike several other names from the 2016 PBA Draft on this list, Pessumal is still active in the PBA. In fact, the 2025-26 season might be shaping up as his best, which contrasts sharply with the trajectory of most of his batchmates.

Still, it is difficult to justify an All-Star appearance based on the numbers he posted during his rookie year.

7 | CARL BRYAN CRUZ | SMART PBA ALL-STARS

2018 | ALASKA ACES

SEASON STATS | 4.48PPG - 3.57RPG - 0.43SPG - 26 GAMES

I honestly do not know what to think about this one. On one hand, I cannot blame the fans because they had nothing to do with it. And while the intentions were there, the PBA office probably did not anticipate that a goofball like me would eventually question the inclusion of players who made the game while averaging what amounts to a couple of field goals and either a rebound or an assist per outing.

Carl Bryan Cruz was viewed as an important piece of Gilas Pilipinas’ future despite barely getting consistent minutes with the Alaska Aces. I understand that he was unable to play in the 2018 All-Star Game because of injury, but he still secured a spot on the Smart All-Stars squad. In fact, among the Gilas Pilipinas cadets from the 2017 edition, only Cruz, Matthew Wright, RR Pogoy, Jio Jalalon, and Mac Belo made the 2018 cut. These were essentially the players utilized during the FIBA windows at the time.

Anyway, Cruz was once projected as the Gilas successor to Ranidel De Ocampo, but his numbers never quite justified that comparison. It also did not help that the Smart All-Stars team was depleted. Cruz, Pogoy, and Troy Rosario missed the Mindanao leg, while Cruz and Kiefer Ravena received news of the FIBA suspension during the Luzon leg.

6 | FONSO GOTLADERA | GILAS PILIPINAS - MINDANAO LEG

2017 | NLEX ROAD WARRIORS

SEASON STATS | 1.67PPG - 1.0RPG - 0.22APG - 9 GAMES

Again, I blame the Gilas cadets’ obligation for this because Gotladera barely played in the first half of NLEX’s games, and based on his numbers, even the RSJ format could not justify his inclusion.

Gelo Alolino, Joseph Eriobu, and Reden Celda had better numbers than he did. It is also not as if his production was poised to improve the way Rashawn McCarthy’s stats gradually did over the seasons. NLEX finished 4-18 in the first two conferences under Yeng Guiao. You know something is off when a coach who thrives in a no-superstar system is not giving you minutes.

Ironically, the Gilas Cadets' call-up may have hurt his pro career because Almond Vosotros was the other player in that situation. The difference with Vosotros, though, is that he had already been drafted a couple of seasons earlier. That was why they needed to select another player, so the Special Round would have 12 players. He might have had a better chance to succeed if NLEX had not taken him. It even feels like, if we could turn back the clock, Gotladera should have been an Alaska Ace instead of Carl Bryan Cruz.

5 | ARNOLD VAN OPSTAL | GILAS PILIPINAS -

LUZON LEG

2017 | SAN MIGUEL BEERMEN

SEASON STATS | 1.5PPG - 1.4RPG - 0.1BPG - 10 GAMES

If you ignore the stats for a moment, Arnold Van Opstal had the kind of season most players only dream of. He was a one-time All-Star and a two-time PBA champion. To put that in perspective, he owns more titles than Asi Taulava, Gary David, Wynne Arboleda, and Sean Anthony. That makes the way his career unfolded even more surprising.

AVO was a 6'9 inside operator who looked like he could have developed into, at worst, an Alex Araneta type. He was part of the DLSU Green Archers team that won the 2013 championship alongside Jeron Teng and Jason Perkins. He still had eligibility left, but his stock was high enough for him to turn pro early.

He became part of the Gilas Pilipinas cadets program, and people even claimed the special draft was rigged when he was selected by San Miguel. It did look excessive. The Beermen already had June Mar Fajardo, and now they were adding another 6'9 big in Van Opstal.

What really happened is unclear, but playing behind Fajardo likely did not help his development or interest in the game. Even when Fajardo was off the floor, Van Opstal had to split minutes with Yancy De Ocampo. The entire situation was one of the reasons the Gilas special round drew criticism. If the league truly wanted to develop these players, it would have made more sense to send them to teams that needed frontcourt depth, like Kia or Blackwater.

There was a brief opportunity to revive his career when he was traded to GlobalPort for Von Pessumal, but injuries followed. Yes, he is a two-time champion with the Beermen, but it is difficult to justify his All-Star selection when you consider the context of his production and the fact that he played only ten games in his lone PBA season.

4 | NARD PINTO | TEAM MARK BARROCA

2024 | BARANGAY GINEBRA SAN MIGUEL

SEASON STATS | 3.3PPG - 2.3RPG - 1.2APG - 30 GAMES

Nard Pinto is probably the poster boy for why the PBA needed to change how it selects All-Star participants. While much of the backlash centered on him and then Magnolia Hotshot Aris Dionisio, at least Dionisio logged meaningful minutes for his team. Pinto’s role in 2023 and 2024 was essentially the same as it was in 2026, as he played when the situation called for him rather than as a consistent focal point.

Playing for Ginebra was both a blessing and a curse. It helped his case for selection, but it also triggered backlash from non-Ginebra fans. In the 1990s and even the early 2010s, social media was not around to amplify criticism of the league’s decisions. In 2024, league ratings and arena attendance were already low, and it did not help that some young players were opting for the KBL or the Japan B-League rather than risk landing on a farm team or getting buried on a stacked roster.

Unfortunately for Pinto, who understandably accepted the opportunity, he became the convenient target. Among those left out of the 2024 PBA All-Star Game were Mythical Second Team selections Zav Lucero and Justin Arana. Ginebra had seven players in the game, while NLEX, Rain or Shine, Terrafirma, and Blackwater had only one each, and Converge was left out entirely.

3 | WILMER ONG | RSJ

1996 | GINEBRA GIN KINGS

SEASON STATS | 2.8PPG - 2.45RPG - 0.23BPG - 60 GAMES

Before Beau Belga, there was Wilmer Ong. That said, Belga was the better enforcer, and Ong never really showcased much of an offensive game throughout his career.

Ong made the 1996 All-Star Game because of the RSJ format. It probably helped that Ginebra had a young core in the RSJ squad led by Marlou Aquino, Noli Locsin, Vince Hizon, EJ Feihl, and Bal David. If Ong was included in that lineup, they might as well have added Benny Cheng too. It is hard to defend his inclusion given that he was a backup who played fewer than 12 minutes that season.

Anyway, Cheng was part of the 1993 PBA Draft class that included Jun Limpot, Victor Pablo, Dwight Lago, and Olsen Racela. From that group, only Johnny Abarrientos made the All-Star Game.

2 | EMMAN MONFORT | PBA VISAYAS ALL-STARS

2018 | NLEX ROAD WARRIORS

SEASON STATS | 2.67PPG - 1.9RPG - 1.67APG - 0.7SPG - 21 GAMES

Emman Monfort was probably one of the smartest players of his time. That said, I am not sure he deserved an All-Star tag, even if he was selected during the stretch when the All-Star Weekend was staged in the three major regions of the country. Yes, he averaged more than five points in two seasons, but he played a combined 15 games during that span.

He thrived as a spark plug off the bench, but it was not something he consistently sustained. By the time he moved to NLEX, The Minion was far from the player he had been in Barako Bull. I understand that his inclusion may have been influenced by the hometown angle since he studied at Ateneo de Iloilo. He also joined and won that weekend’s Shooting Stars Challenge.

Still, should that have been enough to keep him in the main event and limit opportunities for the league’s top performers that season? Players like Jeron Teng, Jason Perkins, Vic Manuel, Chris Tiu, Cliff Hodge, and Sean Anthony posted better numbers. Chris Newsome even joined the Slam Dunk Contest but was not invited to the main event for all the legs. It is nice to give the hometown hero his moment, but if you simply scan the list without context, his inclusion looks puzzling, given his averages.

1 | CRIS BOLADO | VETERANS

1997 | PUREFOODS CORNED BEEF COWBOYS

SEASON STATS | 2.6PPG - 1.96RPG - 0.2BPG - 50 GAMES

It pains me to end this list with him at the top. I know that when you talk about iconic players of the ’90s, you cannot discuss championships without mentioning the good fortune surrounding Jumbo Bolado. As far as role players go, he made a meaningful impact.

That said, someone has to be number one, and unfortunately for The Lucky One, it's him.

In terms of championships, Cris Bolado ranks at the top of this list. He is an 11-time PBA champion. He was part of five Alaska titles, including the historic 1996 grand slam. When he was traded to Purefoods in 1997, the team won a championship. Later that season, when he was moved to Ginebra, the Gordon’s Gin Boars also captured a title. If you set aside his stops with Pop Cola and Red Bull, every team he played for ended up winning a championship.

That said, Bolado was a career 2.4 points per game and 2.1 rebounds per game player. If you look at his 1997 numbers, the decision to name him an All-Star is baffling. It becomes even more questionable when you remember that this was during the Veterans versus RSJ format. I could understand a rookie getting in with those numbers under that setup, but a veteran averaging 2.6 points, 1.96 rebounds, and 10.7 minutes per game is hard to justify.

Jun Limpot, a Mythical Second Team member that season, was left out. The All-Star Game also excluded Bong Hawkins, Jojo Lastimosa, Benjie Paras, Allan Caidic, Ronnie Magsanoc, Gerry Esplana, Ato Agustin, and Bong Alvarez. I am not hating on Cris Bolado, but picking him over those guys is just insane.

He may have been a good luck charm, but his All-Star selection as part of the 1997 Veterans team is really questionable.

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So there goes my list. Did I get it right?

Who should’ve been ranked lower?

Who deserved to be higher?

Sound off in the comment section.