Fortunato "Atoy" Gan Co Jr. (born October 15, 1951) is a Filipino former basketball player and coach who played 13 seasons in the

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

, mostly with

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, ...

. Nicknamed "The Fortune Cookie" (a

pun A pun, also known as a paronomasia in the context of linguistics, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect. These ambiguities can arise from t ...

on his name and ethnicity) during his playing days, he was notable for his trademark turnaround fadeaway jump shot. He is also a former politician and actor.

Collegiate and amateur career

Co joined the Mapúa Cardinals in 1970 and played for the Mapúa team for three years. He was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) during his first two years. He also brought his wares with the old Crispa team in the MICAA.

Professional career

Co first played in the PBA on April 22, 1975, scoring 34 points and leading Crispa to a 113-102 win over CFC, the team's first victory after starting the season with three straight defeats. During his PBA stint, he played for the two-time grand slam champion Crispa Redmanizers from 1975 to 1984, with him as one of the team's top scorers. In 1976, he received the All-Filipino Sports Award for Basketball.

Post-PBA career

Acting career

Co ventured into television and films after his playing days were over, first as a co-host for the noontime show ''

Student Canteen ''Student Canteen'' is a Philippine television variety show broadcast by ABS-CBN from 1958 to 1965, GMA Network, GMA Radio-Television Arts from 1975 to 1986, and Radio Philippines Network from 1989 to 1990. History DZXL ''Student Canteen'' wa ...

'' over at RPN (now RPTV), and started alongside action stars like

Phillip Salvador Phillip Mikael "Ipe" Reyes Salvador (born Felipe Reyes Salvador; August 21, 1953) is a Filipino film and television actor. Acting career Salvador made his film debut in 1971 with ''Adios Mi Amor''. He toiled in minor roles in Philippine movies ...

in films such as ''Delima Gang'' in 1989. He made a career mostly out of playing supporting roles in films and television series.

Politics and other interests

Co became a politician when he served as a long-time city councilor of

Pasig Pasig, officially the City of Pasig (), is a highly-urbanized city in the National Capital Region of the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 803,159 people. It is located along the eastern border of Metro Mani ...

from 1998 to 2007. In 2010, he ran again as councilor and was successful in his reelection bid. He also operated a sports bar named Atoy's at Metrowalk, Pasig.

Coaching career

In 1989, Co became the coach of the Crispa 400 in the PABL, leading the team to two titles in 1990 and 1991. He served as the head coach of his alma mater, the Mapúa Cardinals, from 2012 to 2018.

Sports management career

In 2013, Co became the first commissioner of the UNTV Cup, which is the first charity basketball league dedicated for public servants in the Philippines, an original concept by "Mr. Public Service"

Daniel Razon Daniel Soriano Razon (; born October 11, 1967) is a Filipino television and radio host.Balares, DindoDaniel Razon resigns from GMA June 16, 2006. He is currently the Overall Servant (minister; ) of the Members Church of God International, ...

Coaching record

Collegiate record

Filmography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Co, Atoy 1951 births Living people Asian Games competitors for the Philippines Basketball players from Metro Manila Basketball players at the 1974 Asian Games Crispa Redmanizers players Filipino men's basketball players Filipino sportsperson-politicians Filipino sportspeople of Chinese descent Great Taste Coffee Makers players Manila Beer Brewmasters players Metro Manila city and municipal councilors Mapúa Cardinals basketball players Sportspeople from Pasig Philippines men's national basketball team players Point guards Shooting guards Mapúa Cardinals basketball coaches 20th-century Filipino sportsmen