Jean Marc Prado Pingris Jr. (born October 16, 1981) is a Filipino former professional

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 ...

player. Known as one of the best defenders and rebounders in PBA history, he was named one of the league's 40 Greatest Players. He spent 14 seasons with the Purefoods franchise where he established his reputation as perhaps the best defender in the PBA for a long period of time and led them alongside

James Yap James Carlos Agravante Yap Sr. (born February 15, 1982) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Known by his nickname Big Game James, he had played for ...

to four-straight titles and a rare PBA Grand Slam as the San Mig Coffee Mixers in 2013–2014. Born in Pozorrubio, Pangasinan, Pingris started his career in the PBA being picked third overall at the 2004 PBA draft by the

FedEx Express FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corporation, is a major American cargo airline based in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. As of 2020, it is one of the world's largest airlines in terms of fleet size and freight tons flown. It is the ...

, and was traded to Purefoods after a few games. After spending three years with Purefoods, he was traded to San Miguel and was traded back again after a year. He represented the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

and contributed heavily when they bagged the silver medal in the

2013 FIBA Asia Championship The 2013 FIBA Asia Championship for Men was the intercontinental championship for basketball organized by FIBA Asia that served as the qualifying tournament for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain. The tournament was held from August 1� ...

that sent them to the

2014 FIBA World Cup The 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup was the 17th edition of the FIBA Basketball World Cup, the tournament previously known as the FIBA World Championship. Hosted by Spain, it was the last tournament to be held on the then-current four-year cycle. ...

. He currently serves as an assistant coach for the Philippines national team.

Early life and amateur career

Marc Pingris was born on October 16, 1981 to Jean Marc Pingris Sr. and Erlinda Prado, a former saleswoman at

SM Cubao SM Retail Inc. is a private retail holding company based in Pasay, Metro Manila, Philippines. It is a subsidiary of the conglomerate SM Investments Corporation. SM Retail has been a member of the International Association of department stores ...

. When Pingris was three years old, his father left for work in

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria ...

and separated from the family. Pingris idolized

Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. His biography on the official NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the g ...

. After his classes, he would study his lessons and do his homework then go to their barangay court to practice his "Jordan-like" skills in basketball. When he had no classes he would call up his friends and play basketball in other barangays. In high school, Pingris tried to play in their school try-outs but he was not accepted, but when he was in 2nd year he was finally accepted to their school's varsity team. During his collegiate years, he would go play for the varsity basketball team of the

Philippine School of Business Administration The Philippine School of Business Administration is a college located in Quezon City in Metro Manila, Philippines. The college was established in 1963. Academic programs Undergraduate studies *Bachelor of Science in Accountancy *Bachelor of ...

. However, he started his career at the

Far Eastern University Far Eastern University ( Filipino: ''Pamantasan ng Malayong Silanganan''), also referred to by its acronym FEU, is a private non-sectarian liberal arts university in Manila, Philippines. Created by the merger of Far Eastern College and the Ins ...

, Manila where he was formally discovered. Struggling financially, he once told in an interview that he had to practically eat left-overs of his teammates because he couldn't afford a meal and promised himself that he'd be able "to eat a delicious & nice meal someday". He also played for the

Cebu Gems The Cebu Gems also known as Cebuana Lhuillier Gems were a professional basketball team in the now-defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association from 1998 to 2002. The team was owned by Jean Henri Lhuillier. The team played its home games at the Cebu ...

in the

Metropolitan Basketball Association The Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA), or Metroball, was a Professional sports, professional basketball league in the Philippines that ran from March 7, 1998, to July 26, 2002. History The MBA played its first game on March 7, 1998, at t ...

and for the Welcoat Paints 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 ...

before declaring for the PBA draft.

Professional career

FedEx (2004–2005)

Pingris was selected by the

with the 3rd overall pick in the 2004 PBA draft. The draft also featured two of his future teammates,

Yap Yap ( yap, Waqaab) traditionally refers to an island group located in the Caroline Islands of the western Pacific Ocean, a part of Yap State. The name "Yap" in recent years has come to also refer to the state within the Federated States of Micr ...

and Artadi from UE. Pingris played a few games with Air21 prior to the trade that sent him to the

Purefoods TJ Hotdogs The Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots, or simply known as the Magnolia Hotshots, are a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team is owned by San Miguel Food and Beverage, Inc., a subsidiary of San Migue ...

Purefoods (2005–2008)

He was traded to Purefoods after having played a few games with the Express. He was traded along with

Egay Billones Ernesto Billiones or better known as Egay Billiones is a Filipino Professional basketball player who plays for the Muntinlupa Cagers of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League. He has played in the Philippine Basketball Association and the ...

. In the

2005–06 PBA season The 2005–06 PBA season was the 31st season of the Philippine Basketball Association. It began on October 2, 2005 and ended on July 21, 2006. The season had two conferences played, the import-laiden 2005–06 San Mig Coffee Fiesta Conference and ...

, he was awarded with the Finals MVP in the

2006 PBA Philippine Cup 6 (six) is the natural number following 5 and preceding 7. It is a composite number and the smallest perfect number. In mathematics Six is the smallest positive integer which is neither a square number nor a prime number; it is the second small ...

as Purefoods defeated

Red Bull Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks of Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With 38% market share, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2019. Since its launch in 1987, more than 100 billion cans of Red Bull have been sold worldwide, inc ...

, 4–2. In Game 2 of the Finals of the 2006 season, he scored 21 points to lead Purefoods to a 93–82 win. In the

2007–08 PBA Philippine Cup Finals The 2007–08 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup Finals is the best-of-7 championship series of the 2007–08 PBA Philippine Cup, and the conclusion of the conference's playoffs. The series is a best of seven affair and is th ...

, he grabbed a career-high 21 rebounds, leading to his new nickname, ''The Rebounding Demon''.

Magnolia/San Miguel (2008–2009)

When Purefoods center

Rommel Adducul Rommel Adducul (born April 21, 1976) is a Filipino former professional basketball player who currently serves as an assistant coach for the Adamson Soaring Falcons of the UAAP. Career In college, Adducul, a three-time Most Valuable Player, led ...

was diagnosed with

nasopharynx cancer Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), or nasopharynx cancer, is the most common cancer originating in the nasopharynx, most commonly in the postero-lateral nasopharynx or pharyngeal recess ( fossa of Rosenmüller), accounting for 50% of cases. NPC occur ...

, Pingris was shipped to the Magnolia Beverage Masters for center

Enrico Villanueva Jose Enrico Pascual Villanueva (born June 23, 1980) is a Filipino former professional basketball player. He last played for the NLEX Road Warriors of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Amateur career Villanueva first played for the A ...

at the start of the

2008 PBA Fiesta Conference The 2008 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Fiesta Conference, also known as the 2008 Smart PBA Fiesta Conference for sponsorship reasons, was the last conference of the 2007-08 PBA season. The tournament began on March 29 with a game betw ...

. Pingris played his first game for Magnolia as a starter, going up against his former team, Purefoods.

Pingris-Santos trade

Before the

2009–10 PBA season The 2009–10 PBA season was the 35th season of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). The season formally opened on October 11, 2009 and ended on August 18, 2010. The league started the season with the Philippine Cup, or the traditional Al ...

began, Pingris and Magnolia teammate

Ken Bono Karl Kenneth Odani Bono (born June 19, 1984) is a Filipino basketball player who last played for the TNT KaTropa of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He played collegiate basketball for the Adamson Soaring Falcons in the Universit ...

were traded to the

Burger King Whoppers Burger or Burgers may refer to: Food and drink Foods * Hamburger, a sandwich consisting of one or more cooked beef patties, placed inside a sliced bread roll or bun roll. ** Cheeseburger, a hamburger with added cheese(s) * Ground beef, minced b ...

for superstar Arwind Santos and San Miguel's (formerly Magnolia) 2010 first round pick. In a

Manila Bulletin The ''Manila Bulletin'' (), (also known as the ''Bulletin'' and previously known as the ''Manila Daily Bulletin'' from 1906 to September 23, 1972, and the ''Bulletin Today'' from November 22, 1972, to March 10, 1986) is the Philippines' largest ...

interview, Burger King team owner Lito Alvarez further explained the trade: “The reason lang natagalan itong negotiation is we want a draft pick, not a player sa package because we already have 17 players including the three picks we’ll have in this Sunday’s Draft.”

Return to Purefoods (2009–2019)

James Yap playing offensively against Aaron Aban

Barely 24 hours after being shipped to Burger King, Pingris was released to the

Purefoods TJ Giants The Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots, or simply known as the Magnolia Hotshots, are a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team is owned by San Miguel Pure Foods Company, Inc., San Miguel Food and Bever ...

after Purefoods agreed to surrender its first and second round picks in 2010 to Burger King. Pingris' return to Purefoods was confirmed by board governor Rene Pardo in an interview with GMANews.TV: "We have agreed to trade our first and second round picks next year to Burger King for Pingris." Burger King Whoppers' board representative and then-incoming PBA chairman Lito Alvarez said that he felt that the trade was good for both teams, as Purefoods needed Pingris more, while the Whoppers planned to rebuild with their future draftees. In the Llamados' second game during the

2012 PBA Commissioner's Cup The 2012 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 profess ...

, Pingris grabbed five rebounds, making him the 42nd member of the league's 1,000 Offensive Rebound Club. For all his hardwork and contributions in B-Meg's

championship run, Pingris was aptly nicknamed "Pinoy Sakuragi".

Star Hotshots

On October 14, 2016, Pingris was recognized during the PBA Leo Awards Night as he was named to the PBA All-Defensive Team.

Retirement

Pingris was to play for the Magnolia Hotshots in the PBA

bubble Bubble, Bubbles or The Bubble may refer to: Common uses * Bubble (physics), a globule of one substance in another, usually gas in a liquid ** Soap bubble * Economic bubble, a situation where asset prices are much higher than underlying fundame ...

during the 2020 season which was set up in late 2020 due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

, but was unable to play for the team due to an injury. Pingris contract with the team expired on December 31, 2020, becoming a restricted

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

. He announced his retirement from competitive basketball in May 2021, after 16 years of playing in the PBA. On November 24, 2021, Pingris returned to basketball from his brief retirement and signed with the

Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards The Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards are a professional basketball team based in Nueva Ecija, Philippines. It competes in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL), and formerly in the Filbasket under the name of Nueva Ecija Capitals, as well ...

of the

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

. However, on December 3, he deferred himself from playing with Nueva Ecija, stating his unreadiness on coming out from his retirement.

Sports administration

In January 2022, Pingris was appointed as commissioner of a newly established league – the

Pilipinas Super League The Pilipinas Super League (PSL) is a professional basketball league in the Philippines. History The Pilipinas Super League (PSL) was founded in December 2021 by former officials of another league; the Pilipinas VisMin Super Cup. It was estab ...

PBA career statistics

Season-by-season averages

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2004–05 , style="text-align:left;", FedEx , 55 , , 13.6 , , .569 , , .000 , , .548 , , 3.1 , , .4 , , .4 , , .4 , , 4.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2005–06 , style="text-align:left;", Purefoods , 57 , , 27.9 , , .515 , , .000 , , .606 , , 8.5 , , .9 , , .4 , , 1.6 , , 8.9 , - , align="left" , 2006–07 , align="left" , Purefoods , 24 , , 29.0 , , .588 , , .000 , , .509 , , 9.2 , , 1.1 , , .5 , , 1.3 , , 8.1 , - , align="left" , 2007–08 , align="left" , Purefoods/

Magnolia ''Magnolia'' is a large genus of about 210 to 340The number of species in the genus ''Magnolia'' depends on the taxonomic view that one takes up. Recent molecular and morphological research shows that former genera ''Talauma'', ''Dugandiodendro ...

, 60 , , 29.0 , , .538 , , .000 , , .603 , , 8.1 , , 1.2 , , .4 , , 1.0 , , 8.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2008–09 , style="text-align:left;", San Miguel , 40 , , 22.4 , , .571 , , .000 , , .621 , , 5.9 , , 1.5 , , .2 , , .7 , , 6.8 , - , align="left" , 2009–10 , align="left" , Purefoods/B-Meg , 61 , , 32.0 , , .519 , , .000 , , .545 , , 8.0 , , 1.4 , , .6 , , .7 , , 7.3 , - , align="left" ,

2010–11 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...

, align="left" , B-Meg , 34 , , 32.3 , , .564 , , .000 , , .693 , , 9.4 , , 1.4 , , .7 , , .9 , , 9.8 , - , align="left" , 2011–12 , align="left" , B-Meg , 59 , , 28.4 , , .571 , , .000 , , .596 , , 7.2 , , 1.9 , , .4 , , .6 , , 7.3 , - , align="left" ,

2012–13 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...

, align="left" , San Mig Coffee , 57 , , 31.4 , , .563 , , .000 , , .623 , , 7.8 , , 2.5 , , .6 , , .9 , , 9.2 , - , align="left" , 2013–14 , align="left" , San Mig Super Coffee , 68 , , 32.8 , , .501 , , .000 , , .615 , , 7.4 , , 2.7 , , .7 , , .8 , , 9.8 , - , align="left" , 2014–15 , align="left" , Purefoods/Star , 43 , , 31.3 , , .538 , , .000 , , .631 , , 7.2 , , 2.5 , , .5 , , .2 , , 7.9 , - , align="left" , 2015–16 , align="left" ,

Star A star is an astronomical object comprising a luminous spheroid of plasma held together by its gravity. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun. Many other stars are visible to the naked eye at night, but their immense distances from Earth make ...

, 35 , , 31.0 , , .516 , , .000 , , .607 , , 6.8 , , 2.1 , , .4 , , .4 , , 9.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2016–17 , style="text-align:left;",

, 32 , , 28.7 , , .522 , , .000 , , .701 , , 7.8 , , 2.6 , , .6 , , .9 , , 8.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2017–18 , style="text-align:left;",

, 12 , , 31.0 , , .485 , , .000 , , .583 , , 9.3 , , 3.1 , , .7 , , 1.1 , , 6.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 21 , , 14.7 , , .525 , , .000 , , .429 , , 3.7 , , .8 , , .3 , , .5 , , 3.4 , -class=sortbottom , align="center" colspan=2 , Career , 658 , , 28.0 , , .537 , , .000 , , .602 , , 7.3 , , 1.7 , , .5 , , .8 , , 7.9

Personal life

Pingris is married to actress Danica Sotto, daughter of

Vic Sotto Marvic Valentin Castelo Sotto (; born April 28, 1954), professionally known as Vic Sotto, is a Filipino actor, singer and comedian known far and wide for his various television and film projects on the major Philippine television networks GMA ...

and

Dina Bonnevie Geraldine Schaer Bonnevie-Savellano (, formerly Sotto and Penson; January 27, 1961), known by her stage name Dina Bonnevie, is an actress in the Philippines. Before joining Philippine showbiz, Bonnevie was first runner-up in the Miss Magnolia 19 ...

. They have two children, a son named Jean Michael, and a daughter named Anielle Micaela. Pingris considers ''

Slam Dunk A slam dunk, also simply known as dunk, is a type of basketball shot that is performed when a player jumps in the air, controls the ball above the horizontal plane of the rim, and scores by shoving the ball directly through the basket with one ...

'' as his favorite anime and its protagonist Hanamichi Sakuragi his favorite cartoon character, from which he earned the nickname "Sakuragi".

References

External links

Profile
at pba.ph {{DEFAULTSORT:Pingris, Marc Living people 1981 births 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup players Asian Games competitors for the Philippines Barako Bull Energy draft picks Barako Bull Energy players Basketball players at the 2014 Asian Games Basketball players from Pangasinan Competitors at the 2003 Southeast Asian Games FEU Tamaraws basketball players Filipino men's basketball players Filipino people of French descent Ilocano people Magnolia Hotshots players Philippine Basketball Association All-Stars Philippine Basketball Association players with retired numbers Philippines men's national basketball team players Power forwards (basketball) PSBA Jaguars basketball players San Miguel Beermen players

Marc Marc or MARC may refer to: People * Marc (given name), people with the first name * Marc (surname), people with the family name Acronyms * MARC standards, a data format used for library cataloging, * MARC Train, a regional commuter rail system o ...

Southeast Asian Games gold medalists for the Philippines Southeast Asian Games medalists in basketball Filipino men's basketball coaches