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This Day in PBA History: Do-it-all Ramon Fernandez makes it to 5k career assists

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Rey Joble

<p>No other bonafide big man in the history of the PBA has become an elite member of the league’s 5,000-assists club.</p><p>But Ramon Fernandez showed how great of a player he was when he became the second player to reach that milestone, the only big man to do so.</p><p>He established the feat on November 17, 1992 during the game between San Miguel Beer and 7-Up.</p><p>Known as The Franchise, Fernandez became the second player after his former teammate-turned rival Robert Jaworski to reach the 5,000-assist club.</p><p>Fernandez was still on top of his game during that season. He was still the squad’s starting center helping the team to two finals runs in 1992. </p><p>The Beermen lost to Bobby Parks and the Shell Turbochargers, who won in five games in the first conference, but San Miguel struck back and won the All-Filipino in seven games against the Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdogs.</p><p>Fernandez was the one who brought Alvin Patrimonio to Purefoods when the franchise just acquired the old Tanduay team. In fact, it was El Presidente who personally went to the young player’s residence in Las Piñas and made known his intention to make him as an integral part of the team.</p><p>When Fernandez and Patrimonio parted ways, The Captain rued the missed opportunity of winning more championships with his idol, but turned it as a challenge to elevate his game.</p><p>“Naging challenge rin para sa akin kung kaya mong dalhin yung team to bring it to the finals and won more championships,” added Patrimonio.</p><p>Fernandez won four Most Valuable Player awards, becoming the first player to do so, but it was somewhat like a passing of the torch as Patrimonio would also win four MVPs.</p><p>The parting of ways after playing together for only two conferences, had somehow increased the competitiveness on Patrimonio, who considered Fernandez as the yardstick among the big men and to be the best, he had to bring out his best – every game.</p><p>Fernandez played until the end of the 1994 season, but even in his final year, he was able to beat Patrmonio and the Hotdogs for the championship of the All-Filipino. He was supposed to play for the San Miguel Beer-represented Philippine squad to the Hiroshima Asian Games, but begged off due to a hamstring injury and retired by the end of the season.</p><p>Aside from the being the member of the 5,000-assist club, Fernandez retired as the all-time leader in points (18,996), No.1 in rebounds (8,652), all-time leader in defensive rebounds (6,435), played at least 1,000 games, second most in steals (1,302), and most in shot blocks (1,853). </p><div><em>Rey Joble is a sports journalist who has been covering the PBA since 1998, and followed the league as a fan way before that. </em></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1798770" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

On the basketball court, there was nothing the player once nicknamed 'El Presidente' couldn't do.