Pauliasi Taulava (born March 2, 1973) is a Tongan-born Filipino professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player for the NLEX Road Warriors of the

Philippine Basketball Association The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of twelve company-branded franchised teams. Founded in 1975, it is the first professional basketball league in Asia and is the se ...

(PBA). He is the oldest active player in the league. Standing 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) tall and weighing 245 pounds (111 kg), Taulava is considered by many to be one of the greatest and most dominant Filipino basketball players to ever play the

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

position in the PBA. Throughout his 21-year career, Taulava has used his size and strength to overpower opponents for points and rebounds. He is also a many-time member of the Philippine national team in international competitions. Following his career in the PBL, Taulava entered the PBA in 1999, when he was directly hired by the Mobiline Phone Pals. With his performance, he quickly emerged as one of the top centers in the league, even winning the 2003 MVP award. After eight years with Talk N' Text, he was traded to the

Coca-Cola Tigers Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlant ...

where he played until 2010. He was later traded to the

Meralco Bolts The Meralco Bolts is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team began in 2010 after the Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) acquired the PBA franchise of the Sta. Lucia Realtors. The team is one of three ...

, leading the team for two seasons with his presence and style. In 2012, Taulava decided to leave the PBA to play for the San Miguel Beermen in the ABL. After a brief stint in the league, he returned to the PBA in 2013, where he signed for the Air21 Express. Taulava's individual accolades include the 2003 MVP award, two All-Star Game MVP awards and the 2013 ABL MVP award. However, Taulava is also one of the most controversial figures in Philippine basketball due to his numerous issues about his citizenship since he arrived in the local basketball scene in 1997. He is also known for his dyed hair, although he has also shaved his head bald numerous times in the past. His moniker is "The Rock". Taulava is also a brand ambassador of the sports clothing brand

Under Armour Under Armour, Inc. is an American sports equipment company that manufactures footwear, sports and casual apparel. Under Armour's global headquarters are located in Baltimore, Maryland, with additional offices located in Amsterdam (European hea ...

Philippines.

Philippine Basketball League

In 1997 Taulava, a 6 foot 9 inch center from Tonga, along with several

Filipino-foreign An overseas Filipino ( fil, Pilipino sa ibayong-dagat) is a person of full or partial Filipino origin—i.e., people who trace back their ancestry to the Philippines but living or residing outside the country. This term generally applies to b ...

cagers bannered Blu Detergent in the PBL Vis-Min Cup, where he showed some promise. In 1998, Blu management included Taulava to their roster in the PBL Centennial Cup. Asi emerged as one of the top players in the league, alongside Tanduay rival

Eric Menk Eric Conrad Menk (born August 24, 1974) is a Filipino-American former professional basketball player who played in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and the Asean Basketball League. Known as Major Pain, Menk is a four-time PBA champion ...

. The two had a rivalry of sorts when both players matched-up in two games between Blu and Tanduay. Taulava led the Detergent Kings and Tia Marias to the semi-finals but failed to lead his team in the finals due to severe bleeding and insomnia.

PBA career

Talk 'N Text Phone Pals (1999–2007)

He was directly hired by the Mobiline Phone Pals to boost up their frontline. From 1999 to 2002, he was only able to lead the team to a single finals stint which happened during the 2002 Commissioner's Cup, ending as runners-up. 2003 was a fruitful year for Taulava when he led the Phone Pals to the All-Filipino Championship while being named as the Best Player of the Conference. At season's end, he became the first

Fil-foreign The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of twelve company-branded franchised teams. Founded in 1975, it is the first professional basketball league in Asia and is the se ...

cager since Great Taste's Ricardo Brown in 1985 to win the Most Valuable Player Award. In 2004, they ended in third place. Taulava, along with teammate Jimmy Alapag, was named as the co-MVP of the All-Star Game held in

Cebu City Cebu City, officially the City of Cebu ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Sugbo; fil, Lungsod ng Cebu; hil, Dakbanwa sang Sugbo), is a 1st class Cities of the Philippines#Legal classification, highly urbanized city in the Central Visayas Regions of the P ...

. During the 2004–05 PBA season, the Department of Justice announced that Taulava and five other Fil-foreign cagers have irregular documents. PBA commissioner Noli Eala indefinitely suspended him and some of the other players. But even without Taulava, the Phone Pals were still able to have a good elimination round record of 12–6. Later, a series of controversies rocked during the course of the Philippine Cup Finals as the Phone Pals lost in five games. In the Fiesta Conference, he led them again to the finals but still lost to the San Miguel Beermen in game five. During the 2005 off-season, Taulava played for Team Pilipinas in the William Jones Cup and the Brunei Cup tournaments. During the 2005-06 PBA season, Taulava was named MVP of the All-Star Game held in

Cagayan de Oro City Cagayan ( ), officially the Province of Cagayan ( ilo, Probinsia ti Cagayan; ibg, Provinsiya na Cagayan; itv, Provinsiya ya Cagayan; fil, Lalawigan ng Cagayan), is a province in the Philippines located in the Cagayan Valley region, covering ...

in 2006 as he led the South All-Stars to a 122–120 win over the North All-Stars. In 2006–2007, the Phone Pals reached the semi-finals during the Philippine Cup but lost to the Barangay Ginebra Kings in six games. On the following conference, the team reached the finals despite his absence. However, they were still not able to get the crown against the Alaska Aces.

Coca-Cola Tigers (2007–2010)

On December 5, 2007, In the middle of 2007–2008 Philippine Cup, he was traded to the Coca-Cola Tigers in exchange for

Ali Peek Albert Henry "Ali" Peek (born February 13, 1975) is a Filipino-American retired professional basketball player who played in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). During his playing days, he played mostly at the center position, although he ...

and the Tigers 2008 first round pick, who turned out to be

Jared Dillinger Jared Ryan B. Dillinger (born January 6, 1984) is a Filipino-American professional basketball player for the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Dillinger is the second pick overall in the very talented draf ...

. Asi's numbers and style of play was then rejuvenated with the new team, lifting the Tigers from wildcard to quarterfinals, but eventually losing to

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

, 2–0. In the 2007–2008 season, Taulava averaged 13.5 points, 1.9 assists, 12.5 rebounds, 0.4 steals and 0.6 blocks per game. On March 29, 2008, in an out-of-town game in Panabo City, Davao del Norte, Taulava tossed in seven points, including a short stab with 11:11 left in the third quarter which made him the 58th member of the PBA's 5,000-point club. Taulava made his 12th PBA All-Star appearance in the 2010 PBA All-Star Weekend, as he played in the All-Star Game at the Puerto Princesa Coliseum in Palawan. The 2003 MVP awardee was part of the South team’s First 5 alongside

Kelly Williams Kelly Williams (born February 7, 1982) is a Filipino-American professional basketball player for the TNT Tropang Giga in the PBA. He played collegiate basketball at Oakland University, an NCAA Division I school in the United States, and he ...

Cyrus Baguio Cyrus Marata Baguio (born August 19, 1980) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the Valenzuela XUR Homes Realty Inc. of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL). He also formerly played in the Philippine Basketball Associati ...

, and

James Yap James Carlos Agravante Yap Sr. (born February 15, 1982) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Known by his nickname Big Game James, he had played for ...

. They eventually lost the game against the North All-Stars, 133–130.

Meralco Bolts (2010–2012)

On September 22, 2010, he was traded to the expansion team

in exchange for Jason Misolas and Khasim Mirza as part of a three-team deal with the Barako Bull Energy Boosters. When asked upon the center's arrival to the new team, coach Ryan Gregorio said: "Asi (Taulava) is a great welcome addition for us. We definitely need size since it is only Marlou (Aquino) who’s our legitimate center." He also added: "His addition certainly deepens our rotation up front. I am very happy that we got him (Taulava). With him on the team, it improves our team in a flash. Like I said before, if we can fast-track things, we will. This is a big development for us." However, after the departure of

Marlou Aquino Marlou Bucao Aquino (born October 7, 1972) is a Filipino former professional basketball player and assistant coach for the Bacoor City Strikers of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL). During his prime he was known by fans as "The S ...

to the Barako Bull Energy Boosters, Taulava became Meralco's only center. Taulava made his 2010–11 season debut for the Bolts on October 3, 2010, against the

Barangay Ginebra Kings A barangay (; abbreviated as Brgy. or Bgy.), historically referred to as barrio (abbreviated as Bo.), is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district, or ward. In metropolitan ...

, wearing the number 55 instead of his more common number 88. The Filipino-Tongan player recorded 7 points and 8 rebounds in his first game with Meralco. His first double-double came twelve days after, as he scored 15 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in an 84–92 loss against his former team Talk N' Text. Meralco opened the

2011 PBA Commissioner's Cup The 2011 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner's Cup was the second conference of the 2010–11 PBA season. The tournament began on February 18 and ended on May 8, 2011. The tournament was an import-laden format, which requires an ...

with a game against the

on February 18, 2011. In his first game of the year, Taulava recorded a season high with 23 points and 10 rebounds but the Bolts eventually lost to Ginebra, 115–98. He chose to wear the number 5 because it is also the number he wore in his recent stints at international competitions. In the 2010–11 season, Taulava was not conceded full playing time and averaged career lows in almost every major statistical category, but still proved to be one of the focal points of Meralco's offense. He improved his numbers in the following season. After leading the Bolts for two seasons, he decided to leave the organization and declined a two-year contract extension worth maximum salary. Taulava went to play for the San Miguel Beermen instead in the ABL. In 2013, he won the ABL Most Valuable Player award.

Air21 Express / NLEX Road Warriors (2013–present)

Following a brief stint in the ABL, Taulava signed for the

Air21 Express The Air21 Express were a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) that debuted in the 2011–12 season. The team debuted as the Shopinas.com Clickers during the 2011–12 PBA Philippine Cup. In 2014, the fra ...

to play the

2013 PBA Governors' Cup The 2013 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors' Cup was the third and last conference of the 2012–13 PBA season. Due to the preparations for the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship, the conference started on August 14, 2013, and finished ...

, making him the oldest active PBA player at 40 years old. He made his debut on September 13, 2013 against his former team Talk N' Text, where he scored 7 points and led his team to a 106–102 victory. Due to Air21 being unable to reach the playoffs of the 2013 Governor's Cup, Taulava finished the 2012–13 season with only 3 games. In his second season with Air21, Taulava saw more action in the league. Express was eliminated in the first round of the 2013–14 Philippine Cup with a dismal 3–11 record. Taulava led Air21 to the quarterfinals of the 2014 Commissioner's Cup where they met the San Miguel Beermen. In a surprising upset, Air21 made their first semifinals appearance in franchise history, after beating the second-seeded Beermen with the knockout game ending in two overtimes. However, they were beaten by the eventual champions

San Mig Super Coffee Mixers The Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots, or simply known as the Magnolia Hotshots, are a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team is owned by San Miguel Pure Foods Company, Inc., San Miguel Food and Bever ...

in their semifinals series that extended to Game 5. The 2003 MVP also led his team to the quarterfinals of the 2014 Governors' Cup, where they were ousted by Rain or Shine. The 41-year-old Taulava was averaging his most minutes (37.7) in five years and took on a much more significant role than in previous years. As a result, his numbers and style of play also were revived by his time in Air21 where he averaged 14.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. His strong performance during the season also made him one of the candidates for the MVP award, which was ultimately won by

June Mar Fajardo June Mar Sotto Fajardo (; born November 17, 1989) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the San Miguel Beermen of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He is also known by his nickname "The Kraken” for his extraordinary siz ...

. At the season's end, Taulava was given the Comeback Player of the Year award. Bothered by financial problems, the Air21 Express was acquired by expansion team NLEX Road Warriors before the start of the 2014–15 season. In August 2014, the 2003 MVP was also signed a two-year, maximum salary deal worth P10 million. On October 14, 2016 Taulava was recognized during the PBA Leo Awards Night as he was named to the PBA Mythical Second Team.

PBA career statistics

''As of the end of 2021 season''

Season-by-season averages

, - , align=left , , align=left , Mobiline , 37 , , 43.1 , , .459 , , .000 , , .604 , , 12.0 , , 3.3 , , .5 , , .8 , , 17.7 , - , align=left , , align=left , Mobiline , 12 , , 40.6 , , .524 , , – , , .569 , , 13.8 , , 3.5 , , 1.0 , , .4 , , 21.5 , - , align=left , , align=left , Mobiline / Talk 'N Text , 22 , , 39.1 , , .452 , , .200 , , .631 , , 12.8 , , 1.5 , , .5 , , 1.3 , , 19.9 , - , align=left , , align=left ,

Talk 'N Text TNT (formerly known as Piltel, Mobiline, Phone Pal, and still unofficially known as Talk 'N Text) is a cellular service of Smart Communications in the Philippines. By April 2000, Piltel launched its GSM brand, Talk 'N Text. Piltel also reporte ...

, 10 , , 37.3 , , .430 , , .000 , , .747 , , 11.3 , , 5.4 , , .8 , , 1.2 , , 21.3 , - , align=left , , align=left ,

, 54 , , 42.2 , , .493 , , .254 , , .544 , , 13.7 , , 3.6 , , .4 , , 1.3 , , 23.4 , - , align=left , , align=left ,

, 34 , , 37.5 , , .554 , , .378 , , .667 , , 11.1 , , 2.0 , , .7 , , .8 , , 20.2 , - , align=left , , align=left ,

, 41 , , 35.1 , , .491 , , .125 , , .455 , , 13.0 , , 1.6 , , .5 , , 1.1 , , 14.9 , - , align=left , , align=left ,

, 29 , , 31.3 , , .534 , , .000 , , .617 , , 10.9 , , 2.1 , , .1 , , .8 , , 16.6 , - , align=left rowspan=2, , align=left ,

, rowspan=2, 45 , , rowspan=2, 32.0 , , rowspan=2, .448 , , rowspan=2, .250 , , rowspan=2, .490 , , rowspan=2, 12.5 , , rowspan=2, 1.9 , , rowspan=2, .4 , , rowspan=2, .5 , , rowspan=2, 13.5 , - , align=left ,

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pemberton in Atlanta ...

, - , align=left , , align=left ,

, 32 , , 36.7 , , .439 , , .308 , , .552 , , 12.8 , , 3.0 , , .4 , , .5 , , 16.9 , - , align=left , , align=left ,

, 31 , , 32.1 , , .369 , , .000 , , .591 , , 11.5 , , 3.1 , , .2 , , .3 , , 11.2 , - , align=left , , align=left ,

Meralco The Manila Electric Company (), also known as Meralco (, ), is an electric power distribution company in the Philippines. It is Metro Manila's only electric power distributor and holds the power distribution franchise for 22 cities and 89 munic ...

, 31 , , 23.0 , , .481 , , – , , .495 , , 7.9 , , .7 , , .2 , , .5 , , 7.5 , - , align=left , , align=left ,

, 44 , , 26.3 , , .535 , , – , , .586 , , 8.7 , , .6 , , .4 , , .7 , , 8.2 , - , align=left , , align=left ,

Air21 Air21 Airlines was a short-lived United States airline based in Fresno, California, led by Mark Morro, founded by David Miller and co-founded by David J. VanderLugt. The airline operated five Fokker F28 Fellowship 64-passenger twin engine jet ...

, 3 , , 36.0 , , .524 , , – , , .286 , , 12.7 , , 3.7 , , .0 , , 1.3 , , 9.3 , - , align=left , , align=left ,

, 40 , , 37.7 , , .469 , , .000 , , .595 , , 12.4 , , 2.0 , , .5 , , .6 , , 14.8 , - , align=left , , align=left ,

NLEX The North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), signed as E1 of the Philippine expressway network, partially as N160 of the Philippine highway network, and R-8 of the Metro Manila arterial road network, is a limited-access toll expressway that connects M ...

, 36 , , 32.2 , , .490 , , .000 , , .658 , , 9.9 , , 1.9 , , .3 , , .3 , , 13.9 , - , align=left , , align=left ,

, 35 , , 31.8 , , .473 , , .000 , , .624 , , 10.1 , , 2.1 , , .5 , , .3 , , 13.9 , - , align=left , , align=left ,

, 31 , , 10.3 , , .441 , , .250 , , .667 , , 3.0 , , .7 , , .2 , , .2 , , 3.5 , - , align=left , , align=left ,

, 32 , , 7.8 , , .405 , , .304 , , .500 , , 2.5 , , .6 , , .2 , , .3 , , 2.7 , - , align=left , , align=left ,

, 20 , , 8.3 , , .286 , , .207 , , .833 , , 3.1 , , .5 , , .3 , , .3 , , 2.0 , - , align=left , , align=left ,

, 3 , , 8.7 , , .556 , , .400 , , .333 , , 2.0 , , .7 , , – , , 1.0 , , 4.3 , - , align=left , , align=left ,

, 1 , , 2.2 , , 1.000 , , 1.000 , , – , , 2.0 , , – , , – , , – , , 3.0 , - class=sortbottom , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 623 , , 31.0 , , .475 , , .247 , , .576 , , 10.3 , , 2.0 , , .4 , , .7 , , 13.7

National team career

In 2002, Taulava played for Team Philippines in the

2002 Asian Games The 2002 Asian Games ( ko, 2002년 아시아 경기대회/2002년 아시안 게임, Icheoni-nyeon Asia gyeonggi daehoe/Icheoni-nyeon Asian Geim), officially known as the XIV Asian Games ( ko, 제14회 아시아 경기대회/제14회 아시안 � ...

Busan Busan (), officially known as is South Korea's most populous city after Seoul, with a population of over 3.4 million inhabitants. Formerly romanized as Pusan, it is the economic, cultural and educational center of southeastern South Korea, w ...

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

. Taulava showed promise during the said tournament in as Center but had a hard time guarding Chinese center, Yao Ming. In the end, the Philippines went home without a medal after suffering a harsh defeat in the semifinals against host Korea and even losing the bronze medal against

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...

. In 2005, Taulava was added in the Team Pilipinas Training Pool of Chot Reyes. He was part of the country's third-place finish in the

William Jones Cup The R. William Jones Cup (), also known as the Jones Cup, is an international basketball tournament organized by the Chinese Taipei Basketball Association (CTBA) held annually since 1977 in Taiwan. It was named in honor of basketball promoter ...

tournament behind Passing Lane Sports of the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and host,

Chinese Taipei "Chinese Taipei" is the term used in various international organizations and tournaments for groups or delegations representing the Republic of China (ROC), a country commonly known as Taiwan. Due to the One-China principle stipulated by th ...

. Taulava also led Team Pilipinas to the championship of the 5th Brunei Sultan Cup. In 2006, Taulava participated in the team's 110–102 victory over the

Dennis Rodman Dennis Keith Rodman (born May 13, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player. Known for his fierce defensive and rebounding abilities, his biography on the official NBA website states that he is "arguably the best rebounding ...

-led American team on May 1. In 2007, Taulava was once again a national team member in

2007 FIBA Asia Championship The 2007 FIBA Asia Championship for Men was the qualifying tournament for FIBA Asia at the men's basketball tournament at the 2008 Summer Olympics at Beijing. The tournament was held in Tokushima, Japan from July 28 to August 5, 2007. Particip ...

in Japan. Despite Taulava's tremendous performance as Center, the team failed to pass the preliminary round, which was considered the "group of death", winning only one game against China and losing to eventual champion Iran and Jordan. In 2008, he was again listed under the RP Training Pool under Coach

Yeng Guiao Joseller "Yeng" Medina Guiao (born March 19, 1959) is a Filipino professional basketball head coach, politician, commentator and sports commissioner. He is currently the head coach of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters of the Philippine Basketba ...

. In 2010, he played for the

Smart Gilas The Philippines men's national basketball team ( fil, Pambansang koponan ng basketbol ng Pilipinas), commonly known as Gilas Pilipinas, is the basketball team representing the Philippines. The team is managed by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipi ...

during the Stankovic Cup Asia Tournament helping the team to a 4th-place finish. Along with

, Taulava was granted the permission to play for

for the

2010 Asian Games The 2010 Asian Games (), officially known as the XVI Asian Games () and also known as Guangzhou 2010 (), was a regional multi-sport event celebrated from November 12 to November 27, 2010 in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China, although several events ...

in November. The team eventually reached 6th place in the tournament. In January 2011, Taulava declared his availability for Smart Gilas to represent the country at the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship, held in Wuhan, China. The 2003 MVP also said: "I’ll make all the necessary sacrifice for Team Pilipinas and our country. Let’s all unite for flag and country and make 2011 a year for Philippine basketball." In August 2011, Taulava joined the Smart Gilas Team for the 2011 William Jones Cup; in the preliminary round of the tournament, the Philippine team compiled a promising 5–2 record, before being eliminated in the semifinals by Iran. On August 9, 2011, during a game against Malaysia, Taulava got involved in an altercation with Yoong Jing Kwaan. The episode happened in the third quarter of the match; with less than 20 seconds remaining in the period, Taulava suddenly went down on the floor in pain after Yoong Jing Kwaan grabbed and squeezed his private parts. The Fil-Tongan then stood up, chased the Malaysian player and hit him twice in the head. The two were later tossed out with 7.4 seconds left in the period. Smart Gilas eventually won, 86–68. Taulava would later apologize for his actions. In 2011, Taulava retired from international competitions after the stint at the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship. Taulava has been a member of the

Philippines men's national basketball team The Philippines men's national basketball team ( fil, Pambansang koponan ng basketbol ng Pilipinas), commonly known as Gilas Pilipinas, is the basketball team representing the Philippines. The team is managed by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipi ...

since 2002. In 2015, he returned to international competitions. He played for the national team at the

2015 FIBA Asia Championship The 2015 FIBA Asia Championship was the 28th and last edition of the FIBA Asia Championship in men's basketball in Asia. It was organised by FIBA Asia. At the FIBA Asia Congress held in Doha, Qatar, the Central Board awarded the hosting rights to ...

where the Philippines took home the silver. In 2018, he was part of the 12-man line-up of the Philippines men's basketball team for the

2018 Asian Games The 2018 Asian Games ( id, Pesta Olahraga Asia 2018 or ''Asian Games 2018''), officially known as the 18th Asian Games and also known as Jakarta-Palembang 2018 or Indonesia 2018, was a Asia, continental multi-sport event that was held from 18 A ...

at Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia. He played with Fil-Am NBA star Jordan Clarkson and finish fifth overall.

Awards and accomplishments

PBA

* PBA Champion (2003 All-Filipino) * PBA Finals MVP (2003 All-Filipino) * 2003 PBA Most Valuable Player * 2004 PBA All-Stars Game Most Valuable Player (shared with

Jimmy Alapag Jim Olmedo Alapag (born December 30, 1977) is a Filipino-American former professional basketball player. He serves as an assistant coach for the Stockton Kings of the NBA G League. He is nicknamed "The Mighty Mouse" and "The Captain". Early life ...

) * 2009 Defensive Player of the Year * All-Filipino Best Player of the Conference (2003) * Reinforced Finals MVP (2003) * All-Star MVP (2006–2007) * Member, PBA 5,000 point club * 2009 PBA PBA All-Defensive Team * 2003 PBA PBA All-Defensive Team * 2003 Mythical First Team * 2008 Mythical First Team * 2009 Mythical First Team * 2002 Mythical Second Team

International

* 2002 Philippines-Chinese Taipei Basketball Series * 2002 Philippines-Qatar Basketball Series * 2002 Philippines-Melbourne Tigers Basketball Series * 2002 Four Nations Invitational Tournament (Italy), 3rd place * 2002 Asian Games, 4th place * 2005 William Jones Cup, 3rd place (Bronze) * 2005 Brunei Cup champions * 2006 Philippines-Lebanon Basketball Series * 2006 Brunei Cup champions * 2007 FIBA Asia Champions Cup * 2007 SEABA champions * 2007 William Jones Cup, 3rd place (Bronze) * 2007 Four Nations Invitational Tournament (Philippines) champions * 2007 Philippines-Kuwait Basketball Series * 2007 FIBA Asia Championship, 9th place * 2009 Philippines-Australian Great White Sharks Basketball Series * 2009 Philippines-PBA All-Star Exhibition Series * 2009 SEABA champions * 2011 Smart Ultimate All-Star Challenge (Smart Gilas) * 2011 William Jones Cup, 3rd place (Bronze) * 2013 ASEAN Basketball League MVP * 2015 William Jones Cup, 2nd place (Silver) * 2015 FIBA Asia Championship, 2nd place (Silver) * 2018 Asian Games, 5th place

Controversy

Taulava's citizenship has been questioned ever since he arrived in the PBL in 1998. A government scrutiny from 1999 to 2000 about the alleged number of fake Fil-foreign cagers led to his deportation in April 2000. Taulava proved his citizenship when he returned to the country in 2001. Three years later, his name became a subject of DOJ's scrutiny on the said issue that led to his indefinite suspension in the PBA. It is claimed that Taulava's mother, Pauline Hernandez Mateeaki, was born in the Samar Province. However, the documents are said to be inaccurate. Some reports even claim Hernandez was born in Tonga. While Taulava is now cleared by the Justice Department, it remains to be seen if his citizenship will be questioned again in the near future.

References

Sources

External links

Asi Taulava PBA.ph Profile

{{DEFAULTSORT:Taulava, Asi 1973 births Living people Air21 Express players ASEAN Basketball League players Basketball players at the 2002 Asian Games Basketball players at the 2010 Asian Games Basketball players from California BYU–Hawaii Seasiders men's basketball players Centers (basketball) Tongan people of Filipino descent Meralco Bolts players NLEX Road Warriors players Philippine Basketball Association All-Stars Philippines men's national basketball team players Filipino men's basketball players Powerade Tigers players TNT Tropang Giga players Basketball players at the 2018 Asian Games Asian Games competitors for the Philippines Doping cases in basketball Citizens of the Philippines through descent