Gabby Espinas
Encyclopedia
Gabriel Espinas (born January 3, 1982 in Olongapo City
, Zambales
, Philippines
) is a Filipino
professional
basketball
player currently playing for the Meralco Bolts
in the Philippine Basketball Association
. He was born of an African-American father, who was once stationed in Subic
but died when Gabby was only five years old, and a Filipina mother. A 6'4" forward, he was drafted fifth overall by the Beermen in the 2006 PBA Draft
. He made a name in the amateur ranks as the first-ever Rookie of the Year-Most Valuable Player
of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
while playing for the Philippine Christian University
Dolphins
.
. With Espinas, Robert Sanz, Jason Castro
, and Ian Garrido playing together with head coach Loreto Tolentino, the Dolphins made it to the Final Four for the first time since 2002.
After defeating the defending champion Letran Knights
, PCU defeated the UPHSD Altas
in the finals with Espinas scoring double-double numbers in the Final Four and the championship series.
He became the first NCAA player to be named as the Rookie of the Year and the Most Valuable Player in the same season. San Beda's Sam Ekwe followed suit in the 2006 season
.
From 2005
-2006, he led the Dolphins to the finals only to lose to Letran and San Beda, respectively. However, he was still named to the Mythical Five in both seasons.
He debuted in the Philippine Basketball League
in 2005 for the Harbour Centre Portmasters
playing alongside Mark Cardona
, LA Tenorio
, Magnum Membrere, and PCU teammates Castro and Sanz.
After a stint with Harbour, he played his final two conferences with the Hapee-PCU
squad, leading them to the semifinals in the Heroes Cup.
, Espinas was drafted fifth overall by the San Miguel Beermen
. After his time with PCU, he was quickly signed by San Miguel to a rookie contract. He made his PBA debut in a game against Red Bull and played an impressive performance despite the loss.
He then played the reserve role for the Beermen after the team acquired the services of Rommel Adducul
and Lordy Tugade
plus the return from injury of Danny Ildefonso
.
The San Miguel Beermen
traded Espinas for the Air21 Express' first round pick in the 2008 PBA Draft
.
He was then traded by the Air21 Express to the Red Bull Barako for a first round pick in the 2009 PBA Draft
. The pick was then used to draft Japeth Aguilar
as the first overall in 2009 by the Whoopers.
In 2009, he was again traded to the Sta. Lucia Realtors
, his fourth team, for Sta. Lucia's 2009 first round pick.
Olongapo City
The City of Olongapo is a highly urbanized city located in the province of Zambales, Philippines. According to the latest census, it has a population of 227,270 people in 50,300 households.-History:...
, Zambales
Zambales
Zambales is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Iba. Zambales borders Pangasinan to the north, Tarlac and Pampanga to the east, and Bataan to the south. The province lies between the South China Sea and the Zambales Mountains. With a land area of...
, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
) is a Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
professional
Professional
A professional is a person who is paid to undertake a specialised set of tasks and to complete them for a fee. The traditional professions were doctors, lawyers, clergymen, and commissioned military officers. Today, the term is applied to estate agents, surveyors , environmental scientists,...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player currently playing for the Meralco Bolts
Meralco Bolts
The Meralco Bolts is a professional basketball team of the Philippine Basketball Association founded in 2010 when the Manila Electric Company bought the Sta...
in the Philippine Basketball Association
Philippine Basketball Association
The Philippine Basketball Association , is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of 10 company-branded franchised teams. It is the first and oldest professional basketball league in Asia and the second oldest in the world after the NBA...
. He was born of an African-American father, who was once stationed in Subic
Subic
Subic can mean any of the following:*House of Šubić, a noble clan from Dalmatia.*Subic Bay, in the Philippines.*Subic, Zambales, a municipality in the Philippines.*Subic Bay Freeport Zone , an economic free trade area in the Philippines....
but died when Gabby was only five years old, and a Filipina mother. A 6'4" forward, he was drafted fifth overall by the Beermen in the 2006 PBA Draft
2006 PBA Draft
The 2006 Philippine Basketball Association Rookie Draft is an event, which allows teams to draft players from the amateur ranks. The event was held at Market! Market! in Taguig City on August 20, 2006. The Sta. Lucia Realtors chose Kelly Williams of Oakland University and PBL-Magnolia as the first...
. He made a name in the amateur ranks as the first-ever Rookie of the Year-Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association (Philippines)
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is an athletics association of nine colleges and universities in the Philippines. Established in 1924, the NCAA is the oldest athletic association in the Philippines...
while playing for the Philippine Christian University
Philippine Christian University
The Philippine Christian University is a private university along Taft Avenue, Manila. It was founded in 1946 through the initiatives of the Laymen of the Evangelical Association of the Philippines. Originally named as Manila Union University, it was renamed as Philippine Christian College...
Dolphins
PCU Dolphins
The PCU Dolphins are the National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball team of the Philippine Christian University.Their 2004 title was their only NCAA basketball title....
.
Amateur career
Espinas began to play for PCU in the NCAA in the 2004 seasonNCAA Season 80
-Fourth-seed playoff:-UPHDS–San Beda series:-PCU–Letran series:-Finals:-Juniors basketball tournament:In the NCAA Junior's Basketball Tournament, San Beda High beat Letran High in three games to capture their third straight title...
. With Espinas, Robert Sanz, Jason Castro
Jason Castro (basketball player)
Jason Williams Castro is a Filipino basketball player. He played for the Philippine Christian University Dolphins in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Philippine Basketball League teams Hapee-PCU Teeth Protectors and Harbour Centre Batang Pier...
, and Ian Garrido playing together with head coach Loreto Tolentino, the Dolphins made it to the Final Four for the first time since 2002.
After defeating the defending champion Letran Knights
Letran Knights
Letran Knights is the name of the varsity basketball team of the Colegio de San Juan de Letran. Letran College is a Roman Catholic institution and the oldest college in the Philippines....
, PCU defeated the UPHSD Altas
UPHSD Altas
The UPHSD Altas are the National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball team of the University of Perpetual Help System DALTA...
in the finals with Espinas scoring double-double numbers in the Final Four and the championship series.
He became the first NCAA player to be named as the Rookie of the Year and the Most Valuable Player in the same season. San Beda's Sam Ekwe followed suit in the 2006 season
NCAA Season 82
-Awards:Elwin Pascual won the MVP award in the Juniors' division, although it was later returned after the conclusion of PCU High School's eligibility scandal.* Most Valuable Player: Elvin Pascual...
.
From 2005
NCAA Season 81
-Individual awards:*Most Valuable Player: Ernie Jay Sagad *Rookie of the Year: Kelvin dela Peña -Elimination round:All of the games of the Colegio de San Juan de Letran Squires were forfeited when a certain player was caught playing in another league during the NCAA Basketball tournament...
-2006, he led the Dolphins to the finals only to lose to Letran and San Beda, respectively. However, he was still named to the Mythical Five in both seasons.
He debuted in the Philippine Basketball League
Philippine Basketball League
The Philippine Basketball League is a commercial semi-professional basketball league in the Philippines. The league is composed of several commercial teams with several collegiate and provincial stars.-History:...
in 2005 for the Harbour Centre Portmasters
Harbour Centre Batang Pier
The Oracle Residences is a basketball team currently playing in the Philippine Basketball League and is owned by Mikee Romero.-Notable players and coaches:* Marcy Arellano* Jason Ballesteros* Paolo Bugia* Mark Cardona* Gabby Espinas* J.C...
playing alongside Mark Cardona
Mark Cardona
Mark "Macmac" Cardona is a Filipino professional basketball player currently playing for the Meralco Bolts in the Philippine Basketball Association...
, LA Tenorio
LA Tenorio
Lewis Alfred V. Tenorio , better known as L.A. Tenorio, is a Filipino professional basketball point guard who currently plays for the Alaska Aces in the Philippine Basketball Association...
, Magnum Membrere, and PCU teammates Castro and Sanz.
After a stint with Harbour, he played his final two conferences with the Hapee-PCU
Hapee Complete Protectors
The Licealiz Shampoo Hair Doctors is a basketball team currently playing in the Philippine Basketball League and is owned by the Lamoiyan Corporation. As with any team in the semi-pro PBL, the team regularly changes names, takes a leave of absence, then comes back and competes again...
squad, leading them to the semifinals in the Heroes Cup.
Professional career
In the 2006 PBA Draft2006 PBA Draft
The 2006 Philippine Basketball Association Rookie Draft is an event, which allows teams to draft players from the amateur ranks. The event was held at Market! Market! in Taguig City on August 20, 2006. The Sta. Lucia Realtors chose Kelly Williams of Oakland University and PBL-Magnolia as the first...
, Espinas was drafted fifth overall by the San Miguel Beermen
San Miguel Beermen
The Petron Blaze Boosters is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team has been a member of the league since its inception in 1975 and hold the most PBA titles with 19.The team is owned by the Petron Corporation, a subsidiary of the Philippines' largest food...
. After his time with PCU, he was quickly signed by San Miguel to a rookie contract. He made his PBA debut in a game against Red Bull and played an impressive performance despite the loss.
He then played the reserve role for the Beermen after the team acquired the services of Rommel Adducul
Rommel Adducul
Romel Adducul is a professional basketball player from the Philippines who currently plays in the Philippine Basketball Association for the Powerade Tigers....
and Lordy Tugade
Lordy Tugade
Lordy Tugade is a Filipino professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association who currently plays and recently signed by the Petron Blaze Boosters....
plus the return from injury of Danny Ildefonso
Danny Ildefonso
Danilo Ildefonso is a Filipino professional basketball player for the Petron Blaze Boosters in the Philippine Basketball Association. Nicknamed Danny I and The Demolition Man, Ildefonso is a two-time PBA Most Valuable Player in 2000 and 2001...
.
The San Miguel Beermen
San Miguel Beermen
The Petron Blaze Boosters is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team has been a member of the league since its inception in 1975 and hold the most PBA titles with 19.The team is owned by the Petron Corporation, a subsidiary of the Philippines' largest food...
traded Espinas for the Air21 Express' first round pick in the 2008 PBA Draft
2008 PBA Draft
The 2008 Philippine Basketball Association Rookie Draft is an event, which will allows teams to draft players from the amateur ranks. The event is set to be held at Market! Market! in Taguig City on August 31, 2008. The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters selected Gabe Norwood of the George Mason...
.
He was then traded by the Air21 Express to the Red Bull Barako for a first round pick in the 2009 PBA Draft
2009 PBA Draft
The 2009 Philippine Basketball Association Rookie Draft is an event, which allows teams to draft players from the amateur ranks. The event was held at Market! Market! in Taguig City on August 2, 2009. The Burger King Whoppers selected Japeth Aguilar of the Ateneo de Manila University and Western...
. The pick was then used to draft Japeth Aguilar
Japeth Aguilar
Japeth Paul C. Aguilar , better known as Japeth Aguilar born in Pampanga, Philippines, is a Filipino basketball player. He recently played for Smart Gilas, and will play for the Talk N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association...
as the first overall in 2009 by the Whoopers.
In 2009, he was again traded to the Sta. Lucia Realtors
Sta. Lucia Realtors
The Sta. Lucia Realtors was a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association.The Universal Robina Corporation team is one of the founding members of the PBA. Formerly known as Great Taste and Presto-Tivoli Ice Cream, they have won a total of 6 championships. Sta...
, his fourth team, for Sta. Lucia's 2009 first round pick.