Marc Pingris

Marc Pingris

Pingris as Free Throw of Aguilar with (Middle) and Devance with (Left)
No. 15 – San Mig Super Coffee Mixers
Position	Stretch Forward / Center
League	PBA
Personal information
Born	(1981-10-16) October 16, 1981 Pozorrubio, Pangasinan, Philippines
Nationality	Filipino
Listed height	6 ft 5 in (196 cm)
Listed weight	215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
College	Philippine School of Business Administration
PBA draft	2004 / Pick: 3rd overall
Selected by the FedEx Express
Pro playing career	2004–present
Career history
2004–2005	FedEx Express
2005–2008	Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants
2008–2009	San Miguel Beermen
2009–present	B-Meg Llamados/San Mig Coffee Mixers/San Mig Super Coffee Mixers
Career highlights and awards
4x PBA Champion (2006 Philippine Cup, 2009 Philippine Cup, 2012 Commisioners Cup, 2013 Governors Cup) 2x PBA Finals MVP (2006,2013) PBA Most Improved Player (2006) 2x PBA Mythical Second Team (2006, 2013) 6x PBA All-Defensive Team (2006, 2008, 2010–2013) 8x PBA All-Star (2005-2012) PBA All-Star Game MVP (2011) 42nd Member of PBA 1,000 offensive rebound club PBA Defensive Player of the Year (2013)
Medals Men's Basketball Competitor for  Philippines FIBA Asia Championship Silver 2013 in Manila Team

Jean Marc Pingris, Jr.^[1] (born October 16, 1981) is a Filipino professional basketball player in the PBA for the San Mig Super Coffee Mixers. He is a versatile 6-foot-5 forward-center who can post up, shoot mid-range jumpers, and block shots. He is married to actress Danica Sotto, daughter of Vic Sotto and Dina Bonnevie. They have three children, a son named Jean Michael ,cousin named Elaine Rose Rioveros Valenzuela and a daughter named Anielle Micaela.^{[citation needed]}

Born in Pozorrubio, Pangasinan, Philippines, Pingris started his career in the PBA at the 2004 PBA Draft which featured James Yap, Gary David, Ranidel de Ocampo, Rich Alvarez and Nelbert Omolon. Pingris was drafted by the FedEx Express with the 3rd overall pick, but was quickly traded to the Purefoods TJ Hotdogs along with Egay Billones. It is with Purefoods that Pingris established his reputation as perhaps the best defender in the PBA today.

Early and personal life

Marc Pingris was born on October 16, 1981 to Jean Marc Pingris, Sr., and Erlinda Prado. Pingris idolized MJ. After his classes, he would study his lessons and do his homeworks then go to their barangay court to practice his "Jordan" like skills in basketball. When he has no classes he would call up his friends and play basketball in other barangays. In High school, Pingris tried to play in their school try-outs but sadly he was not accepted, but when he was in 2nd year he was finally accepted to their school's Varsity Team. During his collegiate years, he would go play for the varsity basketball team of the Philippine School of Business Administration. However, he started his career at the Far Eastern University, Manila where he was formally discovered.^{[citation needed]}

He also played for the Cebu Gems in Metropolitan Basketball Association.

In 2007, Pingris married actress Danica Sotto, daughter of famous actors Vic Sotto and Dina Bonnevie.

Air21

Pingris was selected by the Air21 Express with the 3rd overall pick in the 2004 PBA Draft. The draft also featured two of his future teammates, Yap and Artadi from UE.

Pingris played a few games with Air21 prior to the trade that sent him to the Purefoods TJ Hotdogs.

Purefoods

He was traded to Purefoods after having played a few games with the Express. He was traded along with Egay Billones. In the 2005-06 PBA season, he was awarded with the Finals MVP in the 2006 PBA Philippine Cup as Purefoods defeated Red Bull, 4-2. In Game 2 of the Finals of the 2006 season, he scored 21 points to lead Purefoods to a 93-82 win. In the 2007-08 PBA Philippine Cup Finals, he grabbed a career-high 21 rebounds, leading to his new nickname, The Rebounding Demon.

Magnolia/San Miguel

When Purefoods center Rommel Adducul was diagnosed with nasopharynx cancer, Pingris was shipped to the Magnolia Beverage Masters for center Enrico Villanueva at the start of the 2008 PBA Fiesta Conference.

Pingris played his first game for Magnolia as a starter, going up against his former team, Purefoods.

Pingris-Santos trade

Before the 2009-2010 PBA season began, Pingris and Magnolia teammate Ken Bono were traded to the Burger King Whoppers for superstar Arwind Santos and San Miguel's (formerly Magnolia) 2010 first round pick.^[2]

In a Manila Bulletin interview, Burger King team owner Lito Alvarez further explained the trade: “The reason lang natagalan itong negotiation is we want a draft pick, not a player sa package because we already have 17 players including the three picks we’ll have in this Sunday’s Draft.”

Return to Purefoods / B-meg

James Yap playing offensively against Aaron Aban of Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters and Pingris (Left)

Barely 24 hours after being shipped to Burger King, Pingris was released to the Purefoods TJ Giants after Purefoods agreed to surrender its first and second round picks in 2010 to Burger King.^[3]

Pingris' return to Purefoods was confirmed by board governor Rene Pardo in an interview with GMANews.TV: "We have agreed to trade our first and second round picks next year to Burger King for Pingris."

Burger King Whoppers' board representative and then-incoming PBA chairman Lito Alvarez said that he felt that the trade was good for both teams, as Purefoods needed Pingris more, while the Whoppers planned to rebuild with their future draftees.

In the Llamados' second game during the 2012 PBA Commissioner's Cup, Pingris grabbed five rebounds, making him the 42nd member of the league's 1,000 Offensive Rebound Club.^[4]

For all his hardwork and contributions in B-Meg's 2012 PBA Commissioner's Cup championship run, Pingris was aptly nicknamed "Pinoy Sakuragi".

PBA career statistics

Correct as of December 27, 2013^[5]

Regular season

References

External links

• Profile at pba.ph