The life of CARLOS MATUTE LOYZAGA (b. 29 Aug. 1930/d. 27 Jan. 2016) –The Greatest Filipino Basketball Player of All Time—cannot be contained in a single article, so we look to the reportage of the renown sportscaster and writer Willie Hernandez (+) for Loyzaga's early beginnings in the hardcourt, en route to becoming the country’s biggest basketball legend. It was Mr. Hernandez himself who dubbed him, “The Great Difference’, for his amazing playing skill that can turn what seems like a sure loss into a resounding victory.
To think that Carlos Loyzaga’s first sport was not even basketball—but football. Born on 29 August 1930 to couple María del Carmen Matute y Sequera and Joaquin de Loyzaga Martinez. His father was a national football player who competed and won medals at the Far East Games.
The Loyzagas lived through the war with his mother and siblings---2 brothers and 1 sister. It was during that time that he discovered basketball after years of playing football in his grade school years at Padre Burgos Elementary School in Santa Mesa until 1948. At the National University, he became a basketball standout. But his mastery in ball handling became more apparent when he joined the San Beda basketball team where his exceptional skills were recognized.
This short article of Willie Hernandez, which appeared as part of the post-war sports coverage of the Philippines, follows the incredible progress of Loyazaga’s illustrious basketball career.
*************
In the
opinion of this reporter of vintage, who traces his cubship to the early 30s,
no dribbler has dominated the sport as
has the YCO and San Beda standout, CARLOS “Caloy” LOYZAGA
dubbed “The Great Difference”.
Standing 6’3” at 175 pounds, the 24 year old court ace caught the experts’ eye in 1949 in his debut as a Junior PRATRA (Philippine Relief and Trade Rehabilitation Administration) and as Rookie in the MICAA (Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association) loop.
A season later, he went up the senior ranks and as a freshman in our big league, aided nobly in PRATRA’s conquest of the national crown.
A trip in Hongkong in May of the same season with the Kai Ming Press toughened the rookie and primed him for the MICAA series late in 1950. He paced PRATRA to the industrial title with 15 points in the finale. That night, he assumed kingship in the sport. He is still on the throne.
Returning to his studies in 1951, he made a transition to collegiate ball, standing head and shoulders over the field as a San Beda Red Lions. He was the keyman in the Beda’s two NCAA titles in 1951 and 1952 and the National Open Championship in January, 1952.
The years 1951 and 1952 were both significant to Loyzaga as they were the years when he made the Philippine National Basketball Team--qualifying him to play in at the 1951 New Delhi Asiad in India--the first of 4 Asian Games he would participate in, achieving 4 consecutive Gold medal finishes.
In 1952, Loyzaga officially became an Olympian when he went to Helsinki with his team, landing in 9th place among the best basketball players in the world. In 1954, he made his second apperance at the Manila Asiad Games, where again, the Philippines reigned supreme, helping establish the country as Asia's basketball powerhouse.
Loyzaga returned to the MICAA loop in 1954 where he was a smashing hit as YCO Painter. He totalled points in 13 engagements against specialists and his average of 15 points per game was the margin in YCO’s first MICAA Championship.
Hs finest local accomplishments were fashioned in the two title playoffs of the MICAA tourney against Republic Super Market when he averaged 22 points per game against Lauro Mumar, regarded by many observers as a logical nominee to the national all-time mythical selections (Loyzaga, Charlie Borck, Jacinto Ciria-Cruz and Primitivo Martinez) completing the quintet.
Loyzaga’s peak, at least for the period covered by this report, July to June 30, 1955, was attained in the Rio World Championship, indeed a serve gauge for he was up against the best in the world. Caloy burned the Rio strings at a sparkling per game average of 16.3 points. His foul shootout was vigorous, 73% on 57 hit in 75 trips to the foul circle. In seven games of the title round in the World tournament, he placed third in point making with 121 points.
Against the American team, the champion sank 12 points and averaged 16.2 per game in the 2 P.I. engagements against runner-up Brazil.
Experts in Rio were quick to recognize his efficiency. He was nominated to the mythical second-team World selection, an honor never before gained by a Filipino.
Unquestionably, he is the most efficient post-war exponent of the various phases of the game. Loyzaga straddles our cage world and the wonder of it all. He has yet to reach his maximum efficiency.
EARLY CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
NCAA
(National Collegiate Athletic Association)
1951 NCAA Basketball Champions (San Beda College)
1952 NCAA Basketball Champions (San Beda College)
1955
NCAA Basketball Champions/Zamora Cup (Retirement Red Lions San Beda College)
PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BASKETBALL TEAM
1951
Asian Games Gold Medal , India
1952
Olympic Games, Helsinki, Finland, 9th place
1954
Asian Games Gold Medal, Manila
1954
FIBA World Championship, Bronze Medalist, Brazil,
FIBA World Championship All-Star Mythical Five (1954)
SOURCES:
Post-War Sports, Progress 1955
Bocobo, Christian and Celis, Beth, Legends and Heroes of Philippine
Basketball, (Philippines, 2004)
Carlos Loyzaga, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carlos_Loyzaga
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