The Crispa Redmanizers were a multi-titled Filipino
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
team that played 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 franchised teams. Founded in 1975, it is the first professional basketball league in Asia and is the se ...
(PBA) from 1975 to 1984. It was one of the nine founding teams of the PBA, winning a total of thirteen PBA championships, including two
grand slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
s. Founded in 1956 by businessman Valeriano "Danny" Floro, the team was owned by P. Floro and Sons, Inc. (defunct).
Profile and history
Named after the retail store and textile manufacturing company owned by the Floro family, the Redmanizers were managed by sportsman Danny Floro and coached for many years by the legendary Virgilio "Baby" Dalupan.
The Redmanizer moniker was a reference to the Redmanization process used in Crispa's textile manufacturing to make the cloth dimensionally stable and more resilient to unwanted shrinking after washing. Crispa's garment and textile products were marketed as "Redmanized", "shrunk-to-fit".
Crispa won 13 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) championships in a span of nine years. Even more amazing is that the Crispa's roster during the PBA inaugural in 1975 had five future Most Valuable Player awardees. In hindsight, this was not a mere championship team; it was an all-star team.
Crispa's beginnings were rooted in 1956 in the Businessman Athletic Association (BAA), a minor league. In 1958, it transferred to the now-defunct
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). In 1971, the team composed of Reynaldo Alcantara, Rudolph Kutch, Ernesto de Leon, Rodolfo Soriano,
Danilo Florencio
Danilo Zoleta Florencio (September 5, 1947 – February 25, 2018) was a Filipino professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association. He was known as "Daredevil Danny" and the original "Skywalker" in Philippine basketball. ...
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 the MICAA championships.
In 1973, authorities discovered that six of the team's players had conspired with gamblers to drop the 1972 MICAA All-Filipino championship series against underdog Mariwasa. These six players, including four of the five starters (only Adornado was found innocent among the starting five), were served lifetime suspensions. With its lineup depleted, manager Valeriano "Danny" Floro and coach Virgilio "Baby" Dalupan were forced to rebuild. They opted to go with younger players, bringing in Mapúa Institute of Technology hotshot Fortunato "Atoy" Co, Jr. and Colegio de San Jose Recoletos standout
Abet Guidaben
Alberto "Abet" Guidaben (born September 14, 1952) is a Filipino former professional basketball player in the PBA. He was part of the fabled Crispa Redmanizers ballclub that won two Grand Slams, in 1976 and 1983. He was a two-time PBA Most Va ...
in 1973, and
Jose Rizal College
Jose is the English transliteration of the Hebrew and Aramaic name ''Yose'', which is etymologically linked to ''Yosef'' or Joseph. The name was popular during the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods.
*Jose ben Abin
* Jose ben Akabya
*Jose the Galilea ...
’s
Philip Cezar
Philip Dudley Cezar (born December 1, 1952) is a Filipino former basketball coach, player and politician. Known by the monikers "Mr. Stretch", "''Tapal'' King" and "The Scholar", he was part of the fabled Crispa Redmanizers ballclub of the Phi ...
and RP Youth Team players Bernie Fabiosa and Alfredo "Freddie" Hubalde in 1974.
In 1974, Crispa began a rivalry for basketball supremacy with
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 ...
– a team spearheaded by
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 ...
,
Francis Arnaiz
Francis C. Arnaiz (born June 4, 1951) is a Filipino former basketball player. He is best known as a PBA player, playing for Toyota and Ginebra San Miguel from 1975-1986.
Early basketball years
Arnaiz had a love for sports and was shooting stu ...
, 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 ...
, stars of the old Meralco franchise. Nothing came close to the Crispa-Toyota Rivalry. The two teams really hated each other and would rather lose to other teams than to each other. It was not uncommon to have games marred by bench clearing brawls. The two teams also had very different personalities with the fair haired and fair skinned Toyota players appealing more to the upper crust of Philippine society whereas the Redmanizers were perceived to be the team of the masses.
Toyota won the first two PBA conferences in
1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
, beating Crispa both times. Crispa finally sneaked in and clinched the Third Conference in a battle so fierce it got marred by a free-for-all. Once the Redmanizers got a taste of the championship, however, they simply did not let go. They won all three conferences in
1976
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 11 – The 1976 Phil ...
, being the first PBA team to win a "
grand slam
Grand Slam most often refers to:
* Grand Slam (tennis), one player or pair winning all four major annual tournaments, or the tournaments themselves
Grand Slam or Grand slam may also refer to:
Games and sports
* Grand slam, winning category te ...
". They won another two championships in
1977
Events January
* January 8 – Three bombs explode in Moscow within 37 minutes, killing seven. The bombings are attributed to an Armenian separatist group.
* January 10 – Mount Nyiragongo erupts in eastern Zaire (now the Democrati ...
, despite the loss of leading scorer and reigning MVP Adornado to a knee injury at the start of the year.
From
1978
Events January
* January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213.
* January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd government).
* January 6 – ...
to
1982
Events January
* January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).
* January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C., Un ...
, however, Crispa went into a title slump. They won no championships in 1978, only the All-Filipino championships in
1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
to
1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major off ...
, and were blanked once again in 1982. Three conference championships in five years may be good enough for most teams, but not for the powerful Redmanizers.
The team rectified the situation by dissolving the Floro-Dalupan partnership and bringing in former U/Tex coach and
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
* President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese f ...
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos Sr. ( , , ; September 11, 1917 – September 28, 1989) was a Filipino politician, lawyer, dictator, and kleptocrat who was the 10th president of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He ruled under martia ...
' son-in-law Tomas "Tommy" Manotoc to serve as coach. The team also got an infusion of young talent as amateur standouts Arturo "Bay" Cristobal, Elpidio "Yoyoy" Villamin, Padim Israel, and Mon Cruz became the newest Redmanizers. To top it all off, Crispa hired import
Billy Ray Bates
Billy Ray Bates (born May 31, 1956) is a retired American professional basketball player. Bates played shooting guard at McAdams High in Mississippi and attended Kentucky State University.
Bates played four seasons in the National Basketball ...
to augment an already awesome cast. The Redmanizers proceeded to dominate the competition, sweeping all three conference championships in
1983
The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call.
Events January
* January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning ...
, another grand slam.
Crispa's 1983 grand slam campaign, however, could not prevent the inevitable break-up of the team. Arch-rival Toyota had already disbanded prior to the start of the 1984 season as the political and economic turmoil following the assassination of opposition stalwart Senator
Ninoy Aquino
Benigno "Ninoy" Simeon Aquino Jr., (; November 27, 1932 – August 21, 1983) was a Filipino politician who served as a senator of the Philippines (1967–1972) and governor of the province of Tarlac. Aquino was the husband of Corazon Aqui ...
made it increasingly difficult for companies to finance professional basketball teams. Crispa won the first conference All-Filipino title for a total of 13 franchise titles but played poorly in the remainder of 1984 campaign. On February 1, 1985, PBA Commissioner
Mariano Yenko
Mariano Yenko was the second commissioner of the Philippine Basketball Association. He served as the Assistant Executive Secretary under Executive Secretary Fred Ruiz Castro and Philippine President Ramon Magsaysay and as Philippine Airlines' Vi ...
announced the sale of Crispa's PBA franchise to Pilipinas Shell. The sports pages of the day read out the sad and anticlimactic manner by which the legendary team was dismantled.
Season-by-season records
Awards
Individual awards
Notable players
''In alphabetical order. Members of
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. It was launched on May 29, 2005, during the Reunion Game pitting two teams consist ...
Philip Cezar
Philip Dudley Cezar (born December 1, 1952) is a Filipino former basketball coach, player and politician. Known by the monikers "Mr. Stretch", "''Tapal'' King" and "The Scholar", he was part of the fabled Crispa Redmanizers ballclub of the Phi ...
- #18 (1973-1984)
*
Abet Guidaben
Alberto "Abet" Guidaben (born September 14, 1952) is a Filipino former professional basketball player in the PBA. He was part of the fabled Crispa Redmanizers ballclub that won two Grand Slams, in 1976 and 1983. He was a two-time PBA Most Va ...
Carlos Badion
Carlos Velasco Badion (August 16, 1935 – June 20, 2002) was a Filipino basketball player. Although born in Lubao, Pampanga, he grew up in Tondo, Manila where he started his checkered career playing in sandlot tournaments and for Abad Santos H ...
* Gerry Cruz
* Charlie Dudds
* Andy de Jesus
* Dominador Lauron
* Mike Littaua
* Jaime Lucas - #11, #7
* Alberto Nicdao
* Eddie Pacheco
* Eddie Rivera
* Willie Sotelo
* Mario Uson
MICAA (1958-1974):
* Virgilio "Billy" Abarrientos - #14 (1969-1973)
* Luis Afable (1973)
* Reynaldo "Epoy" Alcantara - #4 (1969-1973)
* Guillermo Baz
*
Narciso Bernardo
Narciso C. Bernardo (July 27, 1937 – December 23, 2008),Romy Diaz
Jose Romeo Bustillos Diaz (November 28, 1940 – May 10, 2005) was a Filipino actor.
He performed in films such as ''Ang Maestro'' (1981), ''The Impossible Kid'' (1982), ''Gising Na... Ang Higanteng Natutulog'' (1995) and ''Si Samson at Si De ...
- #7
* Cesar Dignos
* Danny Florencio - #8 (1970-1973)
* Robert Flores
* Priscilo Gabuya
* Francisco Henares
*
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 ...
(1965)
* Manuel Jocson (1969-1970)
* Rudolf Kutch - #13, #5 (1969-1973)
* Ernesto "Ernie" de Leon - #6 (1970-1973)
* Roehl Nadurata - #13
* Abelardo Ortiz
* Constancio Ortiz - #10
* Adriano "Jun" Papa, Jr. - #10 (1969-1973)
* Bienvenido Papa
* Tomas Paredes
* Danilo Pecache - #15 (1973-1974)
* Leonardo del Pilar
* Dominador Servillano
* Reynaldo Sigua - #22 (1971)
* Pelagio Simon
* Mike Taquintic
* Mariano Tolentino
* James Yap
* Roberto Yburan
Imports
* Herman Barnes (1984)
*
Billy Ray Bates
Billy Ray Bates (born May 31, 1956) is a retired American professional basketball player. Bates played shooting guard at McAdams High in Mississippi and attended Kentucky State University.
Bates played four seasons in the National Basketball ...
"The Black Superman" - #2 (1983)
* Lawrence Boston - #43 (1980)
* Lewis Brown - #11 (1982)
* Bill Bunton - #33 (1976)
* Johnny Burkes - #24 (1975)
* Irving Chatmann - #55 (1979)
* Pete Crotty - #25 (1975)
* Sylvester Cuyler - #11 (1980)
* Larry Demic - #25 (1983)
* Mike Gibson (1982)
*
Al Green
Albert Leornes Greene (born April 13, 1946), better known as Al Green, is an American singer, songwriter, pastor and record producer best known for recording a series of soul hit singles in the early 1970s, including " Take Me to the River", ...
Clarence Kea
Clarence Leroy Kea (born February 2, 1959) is an American former professional basketball player. He was a 6'6" (1.98 m) 218 lb (99 kg) power forward.
High school
Born in Wilmington, North Carolina, Kea attended New Hanover High School, ...
- #3 (1982)
* Cyrus Mann - #25, #27 (1976-1977, 1979)
* Cris McMurray (1977)
* Paul Mills - #32 (1978)
* Glenn Mosley (1980)
* DeWayne Scales - #35 (1983)
* Mike Schultz (1982)
*
Ansley Truitt
Ansley Hoover Truitt Jr. (August 24, 1950 – February 13, 2021) was an American professional basketball player for the Dallas Chaparrals in the American Basketball Association (ABA).
Life and career
He played one season with the Chaparrals from ...
- #43 (1978)
* Cornell Warner - #42 (1979)
* Carlton Willis - #22 (1984)
* James Wright (1982)
MICAA:
* Frank Bucher (1969)
* Larry Bunce (1971; Crispa's tallest import at 7'1")
* Harold Bunton (1969)
* Tom Cowart - #18 (1971)
* Gary Cunningham
* Tine Hardeman
* Bill Jankans (1971)
* Bill Leedom (1969)
* Paul Scranton - #16 (1971)
Tommy Manotoc
Tomás "Tommy" La'O Manotoc Sr. is a Filipino golfer and former basketball coach. As a basketball coach of several PBA teams, Manotoc won six PBA titles, including a grand slam with the fabled Crispa Redmanizers. Manotoc is the chairman em ...
(1983-1984)
*
Narciso Bernardo
Narciso C. Bernardo (July 27, 1937 – December 23, 2008),
Crispa 400
Crispa 400 was the name of two amateur basketball teams owned by P. Floro and Sons, Inc. that played in the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA) from 1977 to 1981 and the Philippine Basketball League (PBL) from 1989 to 19 ...