Carlos Loyzaga

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Carlos Loyzaga
No. 41 – Retired
Position Center
League NCAA, MICAA
Personal information
Born (1930-08-29) 29 August 1930
Manila, Philippines
Nationality Filipino
Listed height 6 ft 3 in (191 cm)
Career information
College San Beda College
Career history
1954–1964 YCO Painters (MICAA)
Career highlights and awards
  • FIBA World Championship Mythical Five (1954)
  • FIBA Asia Championship Mythical Five (1960)

Carlos M. Loyzaga (born 29 August 1930) is a Filipino former basketball player and coach.

Nicknamed "The Big Difference", he is widely regarded as the greatest Filipino basketball player of all-time. He was the dominant player in Philippine basketball during the 1950s and the early 1960s. Loyzaga was a two-time Olympian (1952, 1956), as a member of the Philippines men's national basketball team.


Basketball career

Carlos Loyzaga
Medal record
Men’s Basketball
Competitor for  Philippines
FIBA World Championship
Bronze 1954 Rio de Janiero Team competition
FIBA Asia Championship
Gold 1960 Manila Team competition
Gold 1963 Taipei Team competition
Asian Games
Gold 1951 New Delhi Team competition
Gold 1954 Manila Team competition
Gold 1958 Tokyo Team competition
Gold 1962 Jakarta Team competition

Loyzaga learned to play basketball in the neighborhood Tervalac basketball courts in Teresa, Sampaloc, Manila. It was in the very same Tervalac court where he was discovered by Gabby Fajardo, one of the Philippines' leading coaches of the time. Fajardo saw such promise in the young Loyzaga's height and ability that without thinking twice, he offered to train Loyzaga for his junior PRATRA team. In 1949, Loyzaga quit high school to play for PRATRA, winning the MICAA junior crown that year.

San Beda Red Lions

Loyzaga wanted to enroll at Letran, but backed out at the last minute when the coach gave him a cold shoulder. He was about to enroll at the University of Santo Tomas, but this also did not materialize after Fely Fajardo (older brother of Gabby), coach of the San Beda Red Lions, recruited him. Standing at 191 cm (6 ft 3 in), he towered over most other players in the league and came to be a dominating player. Loyzaga was a rarity in that he could play all three positions – center, forward and guard – with equal efficiency. But it was at center that Loyzaga was most recognized – a tough, deadly and graceful slotman who sowed terror in the heart of his adversaries. Loyzaga was called "The Big Difference” because his absence 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, San Beda retired the Zamora Trophy by winning the championships three times in 1951, 1952 and 1955.

YCO Painters

Loyzaga joined the fabled YCO Painters in 1954 after powering PRATRA and PRISCO to the National Open championship in 1950 and 1953, respectively. He helped the Painters achieve a 49-game winning streak from 1954 to 1956, including several MICAA titles and ten straight National Open titles. Loyzaga took over as the Painter’s head coach after retiring in 1964.

Philippine Men's Basketball Team

Loyzaga was a two-time Olympian (1952, 1956), as a member of the Philippines men's national basketball team. He helped the Philippines become one of the best in the world at the time, winning four consecutive Asian Games gold medals (1951, 1954, 1958, 1962) and two consecutive FIBA Asia Championships (1960, 1963). His finest moment was at the 1954 FIBA World Championship where he led the Philippines to a Bronze finish. It was the best finish by an Asian country and the Philippines have remained the only Asian medalist in the tournament. Loyzaga himself finished as one of the tournament’s leading scorer with a 16.4 points-per-game average and was named in the tournament's All-Star selection.


Coaching career

Loyzaga started as player-coach for YCO during the 1960s. After retiring in 1964, he became the head coach of YCO and the UST men's basketball team in the UAAP during the 1960s. In the Philippine Basketball Association, he coached U/Tex (1975-1976) and Tanduay (1977-1979).

Personal life

Loyzaga was born in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro to a Basque family and the son of former Philippine national football team player Joaquin Loyzaga. He survived the second world war with his mother, sister and two brothers. He studied at the Padre Burgos Elementary School in Santa Mesa, Manila and National University for high school until 1948.

Loyzaga is married to Vicky Cuerva. He is the father of former basketball players Chito Loyzaga and Joey Loyzaga and TV/movie actresses Bing Loyzaga and Teressa Loyzaga.


Record

College

  • 1951 NCAA Basketball Champions (San Beda College)
  • 1952 NCAA Basketball Champions (San Beda College)

MICAA

  • 1954 National Basketball Champions (YCO Painters)
  • 1955 National Basketball Champions (YCO Painters)
  • 1956 National Basketball Champions (YCO Painters)
  • 1957 National Basketball Champions (YCO Painters)
  • 1958 National Basketball Champions (YCO Painters)
  • 1959 National Basketball Champions (YCO Painters)
  • 1960 National Basketball Champions (YCO Painters)
  • 1964 MICAA Champions (YCO Painters)

International career

Other achievements

  • Philippine National Basketball Hall of Fame (1999)
  • Philippine Sportswriter Association Athletes of the 20th Century award (2000)


Publications

  • Bocobo, Christian and Celis, Beth, "Legends and Heroes of Philippine Basketball", (Philippines, 2004)
  • Dela Cruz, Juan, "Book of Pinoy Facts and Records", (National Bookstore, Mandaluyong City, Philippines, 2004)


References


    External links


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