Francis C. Arnaiz (born June 4, 1951) is a
Filipino
Filipino may refer to:
* Something from or related to the Philippines
** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines.
** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...
former basketball player. He is best known as a
PBA player, playing for
Toyota
is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...
and
Ginebra San Miguel
Ginebra San Miguel Inc. (GSMI, ) () (formerly, La Tondeña Distillers, Inc.) is a Philippines-based diversified beverage company majority-owned by San Miguel Corporation (SMC).
History
La Tondeña was established in 1902 by Carlos Palanca, S ...
from 1975-1986.
Early basketball years
Arnaiz had a love for sports and was shooting stuffed toys into a basket in early childhood. While studying at
La Salle-Bacolod in elementary school, he competed in football and basketball. Football provided the speed and exceptional footwork, skills which would later develop him into an outstanding basketball player. He led his high school, St. Clement's Academy of
La Paz, Iloilo City, to the
PRISAA basketball championship. In college, he played for
Ateneo de Manila
, mottoeng = Light in the Lord
, type = Private, research, non-profit, coeducational basic and higher education institution
, established = December 10, 1859
, religious_affiliation = Roman Catholic (Jesuits)
, academic_affi ...
which won the 1969
NCAA
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...
basketball championship during his rookie year.
In 1971, he began playing in the
Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association
The Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA) was a sports association which existed in Manila, Philippines from 1938 to 1981. Throughout its existence, it staged various sports and was participated by prominent Philippine co ...
(MICAA), first with the
Meralco Reddy Kilowatts
The MERALCO Reddy Kilowatts were a basketball team of the MERALCO Athletic Club owned by the Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) that played in the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA) from 1968 to 1972. Its moniker and m ...
in 1971, the
U/Tex Weavers in 1972 and the
Toyota Comets in 1973.
He was a member of the
Philippine 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 ...
which won the
1973 ABC Championship
The 1973 Asian Basketball Confederation Championship for Men were held in Manila, Philippines.
Preliminary round
Group A
Group B
Final round Classification 7th–12th
Championship
...
and competed in the
1974 FIBA World Championship
The 1974 FIBA World Championship was the 7th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship for men's teams. It was hosted by Puerto Rico from July 3 to 14, 1974. The tournament was won by the Soviet Union.
Venues
Comp ...
.
PBA career
Arnaiz was one of the original members of the
Toyota franchise that joined the newly formed
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) in 1975. Along with
Robert Jaworski
Robert Vincent Salazar Jaworski Sr. (; born March 8, 1946) is a Filipino former professional basketball player, head coach and politician who served as a Senator of the Philippines from 1998 to 2004. He played 23 seasons in the Philippine Ba ...
and
Ramon Fernandez
Ramon Sadaya Fernandez (; born October 3, 1953) is a Filipino former professional basketball player and current commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission. Fernandez won four PBA Most Valuable Player awards and a record 19 PBA titles. F ...
, he formed the troika of the vaunted Toyota offense. In fact, among the three players, he would have been the first to have won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award right in the very first season of the league in 1975 when media covering the PBA named him as the Basketball Player of the Year despite the fact that
Bogs Adornado
William "Bogs" Adornado (born May 26, 1951) is a Filipino former basketball player and coach. He is one of the Philippine Basketball Association's Greatest Players and was inducted to its Hall of Fame in 2005. He was a three-time PBA Most Va ...
was the one named PBA MVP that year.
During his Toyota years, the franchise won nine PBA titles while having memorable battles against arch-rival
Crispa Redmanizers
The Crispa Redmanizers were a multi-titled Filipino basketball team that played in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) from 1975 to 1984. It was one of the nine founding teams of the PBA, winning a total of thirteen PBA championships, i ...
, going head-to-head, on and off the court, with Crispa's
Bernie Fabiosa
Bernie Fabiosa (born July 23, 1954) is a retired Filipino professional basketball player and actor. He spent most of his playing days with the Crispa Redmanizers in the PBA. During his heyday, he is tops in career steals, earning for himself th ...
. Arnaiz became one of the most popular players on the team not only for his playing style, but also for his ''
mestizo'' looks, which gained him a following among the female fans.
He was given the moniker "Mr. Clutch" for his propensity to hit clutch baskets during crucial moments of a game. He is known for looping layups against imports and local behemoths that were impossible to block, and booming outside shots.
After Toyota disbanded in 1984, Arnaiz followed Jaworski in a controversial move to Gilbey's Gin (now known as
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel
The Barangay Ginebra San Miguel is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). The most popular team in the league, it is owned by Ginebra San Miguel, Ginebra San Miguel, Inc. (formerly, La Tondeña Distillers ...
). Reprising their old backcourt partnership in Toyota, the duo turned the Gins into a perennial contender. However, he was sidelined due to a knee injury and was placed in the injured list but, was part of the line-up, during the early part of
1986 Open Conference when Ginebra San Miguel won its first PBA title. He quietly retired from basketball shortly afterwards. He won 10 championship in his illustrious PBA career, 9 with Toyota and 1 with Ginebra San Miguel.
Retirement
After his playing career, Arnaiz immigrated to 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 territori ...
, resided in
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
. He worked for the California state government while also becoming an evangelist. Arnaiz claims in an interview that his life abroad was quite different from his life in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
. In 2004, during one of Arnaiz's visits to the Philippines, he was interviewed by various media outlets recalling several memories from his playing days to his life after retirement from basketball. He was supposed to play in
2003 Crispa-Toyota Reunion Game and the 2005 PBA Greatest Game but failed to do so due to his prior commitments.
Arnaiz was named as one of the PBA's
Greatest Players and was inducted into the
PBA Hall of Fame
The Philippine Basketball Association Hall of Fame is an institution that honors selected former players and personalities of the Philippine Basketball Association
The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is a men's professional basketbal ...
in 2005.
PBA Career Highlights
*3-time Mythical First Team Selection (1975, 1976, 1982)
*10-time PBA Champion (9-Toyota, 1-Ginebra San Miguel)
*Member, 5,000 and 10,000 points club
*Member, 2,000 assists club
Other Highlights
*Member,
1973 Asian Basketball Confederation - Philippine team (champions)
*Member,
1974 World Basketball Championship - Philippine team,
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
References
External links
Former Superstar Francis Arnaiz on the 700 Club Asia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Arnaiz, Francis
Living people
1951 births
Filipino people of Spanish descent
Sportspeople from Bacolod
Basketball players from Negros Occidental
Ateneo Blue Eagles men's basketball players
Philippines men's national basketball team players
Filipino men's basketball players
1974 FIBA World Championship players
Basketball players at the 1974 Asian Games
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel players
Filipino emigrants to the United States
Point guards
Shooting guards
Toyota Super Corollas players
Visayan people
Asian Games competitors for the Philippines