Ramon Fernandez stands tall and proud in Philippine professional basketball, both literally and figuratively. Born Ramon Sadaya Fernandez, Mr. Fernandez is one of the greatest professional players who have played Philippine professional basketball. He owned a record 19 PBA conference cups and was a four-time Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the league. During his prime, he led San Miguel Braves, which became the Beermen, into many victories and cemented his status among the league’s great. Today, Ramon Fernandez serves as a commission for the Philippine Sports Commission, validating his commitment to the sport.
General personal information
Ramon Fernandez is one of the leading sports personalities in the Philippines. He was born on October 3, 1953, and Ramon Fernandez age is 68 years old. During his time at the PBA, one of his striking features was his presence on and off the court. Ramon Fernandez height, when barefoot, is 6’4, but it grew to 6’5 due to mild gigantism. Fernandez is a product of the University of San Carlos in Cebu.
In addition to his sterling performance as a player, he was best known for his rivalries on the court. The most famous rivalry was with another PBA great, Robert Jaworski. This rivalry with Jaworski lasted for many seasons but was soon addressed after the two played on the same team. Today, Fernandez is active in promoting Philippine sports as the commissioner of the PSC.
Basketball career
Fernandez started his basketball career in 1972 when he joined the San Miguel Braves as part of the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association or the MICAA. After one year, he joined the Komatsu Komets, which was later called Toyota Comets. During this time, Fernandez joined several teams that were regular participants in FIBA Asia and the Asian Games of 1974 and 1990.
Ramon Fernandez PBA stint started in 1975 when his team, the Toyota Comets, became one of the pioneer teams of the league. In Ramon Fernandez’s team during the inaugural season in 1975, he played with some of the league’s best players, including Robert Jaworski, Arnie Tuadles, and Abe King. The Toyota team with Fernandez won nine PBA titles from 1975 to 1983, making it one of the greatest teams. Also, Fernandez was the league’s Most Valuable Player for 1982, his lone MVP award with the team.
When Toyota disbanded in 1984, Fernandez joined his other teammates in forming Beer Hausen. The disbandment of the Toyota team was also when Fernandez’s feud with Jaworski became public. After Beer Hausen, he joined Tanduay as part of the swap with Abet Guidaben.
From 1986 to 1987, Ramon Fernandez was with the Rhum Masters and later won another MVP trophy in 1986. The Tanduay team will later disband, and Fernandez will move to Purefoods as its playing coach. He played and worked with Jojo Lastimosa and Alvin Patrimonio during this time. Soon, Ramon Fernandez joined the San Miguel team, and he became an essential player for the team that helped win the grand slam. It was also the time when his public conflict with Jaworski ended. While he led the team to a grand slam, he lost the race for MVP against Benjie Paras.
Post PBA career
As a professional PBA player, Fernandez played in the PBA and many international competitions like FIBA Asia and the Asian games. Fernandez PBA career is capped by his grand slam win with San Miguel, his MVP awards, participation in the world basketball championships, and influence on the Philippine team for FIBA Asia. But his mark as a professional extends even outside his basketball career.
Fernandez as a politician
After retiring from the Philippine basketball team, Fernandez ran as a senator under the Nationalist People’s Coalition in the 1995 national elections but lost. In 1998, Fernandez became the first commissioner of the Metropolitan Basketball Association, a former rival of the PBA. In 2003, he joined the Collegiate Champions League as a commissioner.
Fernandez was also a commissioner of the United Regional Basketball League, active only in 2004. He was also a member of the board of the UGE Philippines, a local solar energy solutions provider in the country. And in July 2020, Fernandez became the officer-in-charge of the PSC in the absence of the chair, Butch Ramirez.
Other basketball activities after retirement
Although Fernandez officially retired from professional basketball, he was still a passionate game supporter. So in 2003, he was invited to play in the now-famous Crispa-Toyota reunion basketball game. Before the match, the rivalry between Fernandez and Jaworski was a hot topic. But during the game, the heated rivalry took a backseat, and the two players’ professionalism came through. The game’s highlight was the kick-out pass of Fernandez to Robert Jaworski, who sank a three-pointer.
