Zaldy Realubit (born February 18, 1967) is a Filipino retired professional basketball player who is now the Chief Operating Officer of the

Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines. History Manny Pacquiao launched the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League on August 29, 2017, starting off as a semi-professional lea ...

. He was also the head coach of the Pilipinas Aguilas.

College and amateur career

Realubit hails from

Nasipit, Agusan del Norte Nasipit, officially the Municipality of Nasipit ( ceb, Lungsod sa Nasipit; tgl, Bayan ng Nasipit), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Agusan del Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 44,822 people. ...

. He completed his high school at the Northwestern Agusan College but it was at the

University of San Jose–Recoletos The University of San Jose–Recoletos, also referred to by its acronym USJ–R or to its colloquially shortened name San Jose, is a private Catholic research and coeducational basic and higher education institution run by the Order of Augustini ...

where he got hooked into basketball under coach Yayoy Alcoseba. Realubit went on to play for Mama's Love in the

Philippine Basketball League The Philippine Basketball League (PBL) was a commercial semi-professional basketball league in the Philippines. The league was composed of several commercial teams with several collegiate and provincial stars. History The PBL was formed on Ma ...

(PABL) from 1984-1985 and RFM-Swifts in his final two years in the amateur league and has blossomed into a fine center.

Professional career

Presto

Realubit turned professional in 1989 when he was drafted by Presto Ice Cream with the 3rd pick. He played a key role in the franchise' sixth and final championship during the

1990 PBA All-Filipino Conference The 1990 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) All-Filipino Conference was the second conference of the 1990 PBA season. It started on June 10 and ended on September 4, 1990. The tournament is an All-Filipino format, which doesn't require an imp ...

Finals. His impressive performance earned him a berth for the all-pro Philippine team to the

1990 Asian Games ) , Nations participating = 36 , Athletes participating = 6,122 , Events = 308 in 27 sports , Opening ceremony = 22 September 1990 , Closing ceremony = 7 October 1990 , Officially opened by = Yang Shangkun , O ...

as a replacement for

Jerry Codiñera Jerry Herman Codiñera (born November 14, 1966) is a Filipino coach and retired professional basketball player of the Philippine Basketball Association. He is nicknamed the "Defense Minister" for his prowess at the defensive end. He is the curre ...

Swift / Sunkist

After Presto's disbandment at the end of the

1992 PBA season The 1992 PBA season was the 18th season of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Season highlights *PBA Commissioner Rudy Salud stepped down from his post to become the campaign manager of Danding Cojuangco for the upcoming presidential el ...

, he moved to newcomer

Sta. Lucia Realtors The Sta. Lucia Realtors were a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) from 1993 to 2010. Prior to joining the PBA, it played in the Philippine Basketball League (PBL) from 1987 to 1992. In 2015, a new Sta. ...

but was traded along with

Vergel Meneses Vergel Corpuz Meneses (born January 14, 1969) is a Filipino retired professional basketball player and a politician, serving as mayor of the municipality of Bulakan, Bulacan. He previously played in the Philippine Basketball Association and ser ...

to Swift in the following conference. His stint with Swift was highly successful, culminating in Realubit winning three championships with the team, and playing there for six years.

Tanduay / FedEx

During the 2000 Governors' Cup, Realubit was traded to the

Tanduay Rhum Masters The Tanduay Rhum Makers (1975-1987) and Tanduay Rhum Masters (1999-2001) were two basketball franchises associated with the same liquor brand that played in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). The original franchise, owned by Elizald ...

in exchange for two second-round picks.

Purefoods

After leaving FedEx, he signed with the Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdogs for the 2004–05 season. He played 14 games for the franchise, and retired thereafter.

International career

Realubit first played for the national team in 1986, when he played under coach

Joe Lipa Jose "Joe" Lipa, Jr. is a Filipino basketball coach and executive who currently coaching the Terrafirma Dyip's 3x3 team in the PBA 3x3. Lipa formerly coached his alma mater, the University of the Philippines, in the University Athletic Asso ...

. He made it to the RP youth team in early 1987 that placed second to China in the ABC Youth championships held in Manila and sooner with the Philippine men's national team that same year. Realubit also played for the Philippines in the

, where they won the silver medal behind China.

Coaching career

Realubit first ventured into coaching after he was selected to coach the

Pacquiao Powervit Pilipinas Aguilas Pilipinas MX3 Kings were a Filipino basketball team that played in the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL). The team only played one season in the ABL, mainly because of financial difficulties after Manny Pacquiao pulled out his financial support from th ...

that would compete in the 2015–16 ABL season. Unfortunately, his stint with the team did not last long, after he resigned just barely two weeks after the season started. He said internal problems, like unpaid wages and player treatment, within the team led to his resignation.

References

External links

Player Profile
at PBA-Online! {{DEFAULTSORT:Realubit, Zaldy 1967 births Living people ASEAN Basketball League coaches Asian Games medalists in basketball Asian Games silver medalists for the Philippines Barako Bull Energy players Basketball players at the 1990 Asian Games Basketball players from Agusan del Norte Centers (basketball) Filipino men's basketball coaches Great Taste Coffee Makers players Magnolia Hotshots players Philippine Basketball Association All-Stars Philippines men's national basketball team players Filipino men's basketball players Pop Cola Panthers players Power forwards (basketball) Sta. Lucia Realtors players Tanduay Rhum Masters players USJ-R Jaguars basketball players Medalists at the 1990 Asian Games Great Taste Coffee Makers draft picks