Asi Taulava
Encyclopedia
Pauliasi M. Taulava also known as Asi Taulava (born March 2, 1973 in Inglewood
, California
) is a American
-born Filipino
-Tonga
n professional basketball
player playing in the Philippines
for the Meralco Bolts
in the Philippine Basketball Association
.
Standing 6 ft 9 in (2.13 m) tall and weighing 245 pounds (111 kg), he is considered by many to one of the greatest and most dominant Filipino basketball player to ever play the center
position in the PBA. Throughout his 11-year career, Taulava has used his size and strength to overpower opponents for points and rebounds. He is also a many-time member of the Philippines national basketball team
in international competitions.
Taulava's individual accolades include the 2003 MVP award and two All-Star Game MVP awards.
However, Taulava is also one of the most controversial figures in Philippine basketball due to his numerous issues about his citizenship since he arrived in the local basketball scene in 1997.
He is also known for his dyed hair, although he has also shaved his head bald numerous times in the past.
Asi emerged as one of the top players in the league, alongside Tanduay rival Eric Menk
. The two had a rivalry of sorts when both players matched-up in two games between Blu and Tanduay.
Taulava led the Detergent Kings and Tia Marias to the semi-finals but failed to lead his team in the finals due to severe bleeding and insomnia.
2003 became a fruitful year for Taulava when he led the Phone Pals to the All-Filipino Championship while being named as the Best Player of the Conference. At season's end, he became the first Fil-foreign cager since Great Taste's Ricardo Brown in 1985 to win the Most Valuable Player Award.
In 2004, they ended up at third place. Taulava, along with teammate Jimmy Alapag, was named as the co-MVP of the All-Star Game held in Cebu City
.
During the 2004-05 PBA season
, the Department of Justice announced that Taulava and five other Fil-foreign cagers have irregular documents. PBA commissioner Noli Eala indefinitely suspended him and some of the other players. But, the Phone Pals was still able to have a good elimination round record of 12-6. Then, a series of controversies rocked during the course of the Philippine Cup Finals as the Phone Pals lost in five games. In the Fiesta Conference
, he led them again to the finals but still lost to the San Miguel Beermen in five.
During the 2005 offseason, Taulava played for Team Pilipinas
in the William Jones Cup and the Brunei Cup tournaments.
During the 2005-06 PBA season
, Taulava was named MVP of the All-Star Game held in Cagayan de Oro City
in 2006 as he led the South All-Stars to a 122-120 win over the North All-Stars.
In 2006-2007
, the Phone Pals reached the semi-finals during the Philippine Cup but lost to the Barangay Ginebra Kings in six games. On the following conference, the team reached the finals despite his absence. However, they were still not able to get the crown against the Alaska Aces
.
and the Tigers 2008 first round pick. Asi's numbers and style of play was then rejuvenated with the new team, thus lift the Tigers from the wildcard to quarterfinals but eventually lost to the Alaska
, 2-0.
In the 2007-2008 season, Taulava averaged 13.5 points, 1.9 assists, 12.5 rebounds, 0.4 steals and 0.6 blocks per game.
On March 29, 2008, in an out-of-town game on Panabo City, Davao del Norte, Taulava tossed in seven points, including a short stab with 11:11 left in the third quarter which made him the 58th member of the PBA 5,000-point club.
Taulava made his 12th PBA All-Star appearance in the 2010 PBA All-Star Weekend
, as he played in the All-Star Game at the Puerto Princesa Coliseum in Palawan. The 2003 MVP awardee was part of the South team’s First 5 alongside Kelly Williams
, Eric Menk
, Cyrus Baguio
and James Yap
. They eventually lost the game against the North All-Stars, 133-130.
in exchange for Jason Misolas
and Khasim Mirza
as part of a three-team deal with the Barako Bull Energy Boosters. When asked upon the center's arrival to the new team, coach Ryan Gregorio said: "Asi (Taulava) is a great welcome addition for us. We definitely need size since it is only Marlou (Aquino) who’s our legitimate center." He also added: "His addition certainly deepens our rotation up front. I am very happy that we got him (Taulava). With him on the team, it improves our team in a flash. Like I said before, if we can fast-track things we will. This is a big development for us." However after the departure of Marlou Aquino
to the Barako Bull Energy Boosters, Taulava became Meralco's only center.
Taulava made his 2010-11 season
debut for the Bolts on October 3, 2010, against the Barangay Ginebra Kings
, wearing the number 55 instead of his more common number 88. The Filipino-Tongan player recorded 7 points and 8 rebounds in his first game with Meralco. His first double-double came twelve days after, as he scored 15 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a 84-92 loss against his former team Talk N' Text.
Meralco opened the 2011 PBA Commissioner's Cup
with a game against the Barangay Ginebra Kings
on February 18, 2011. In his first game of the year, the Filipino-Tongan player recorded a season high with 23 points and 10 rebounds but the Bolts eventually lost to Ginebra 115-98.
As of now, he is wearing the number 5 because it is also the number he wore in his recent stints at international competitions.
| align="left" | 1999
| align="left" | Mobiline
| 37 || 43.1 || .459 || .000 || .604 || 12.0 || 3.4 || .5 || .8 || 17.7
|-
| align="left" | 2000
| align="left" | Mobiline
| 12 || 40.6 || .524 || .000 || .569 || 13.9 || 3.5 || 1.0 || .5 || 21.5
|-
| align="left" | 2001
| align="left" | Mobiline/Talk 'N Text
| 22 || 39.1 || .452 || .200 || .631 || 12.8 || 1.5 || .5 || 1.3 || 19.9
|-
| align="left" | 2002
| align="left" | Talk 'N Text
| 10 || 37.3 || .430 || .000 || .747 || 11.3 || 5.4 || .8 || 1.2 || 21.3
|-
| align="left" | 2003
| align="left" | Talk 'N Text
| 54 || 42.2 || .493 || .254 || .544 || 13.7 || 3.6 || .5 || 1.3 || 23.4
|-
| align="left" | 2004-05
| align="left" | Talk 'N Text
| 34 || 37.5 || .554 || .378 || .667 || 11.1 || 2.0 || .8 || .8 || 20.2
|-
| align="left" | 2005-06
| align="left" | Talk 'N Text
| 41 || 35.1 || .491 || .125 || .455 || 13.0 || 1.6 || .5 || 1.1 || 14.9
|-
| align="left" | 2006-07
| align="left" | Talk 'N Text
| 29 || 31.3 || .534 || .000 || .617 || 10.9 || 2.1 || .1 || .8 || 16.6
|-
| align="left" | 2007-08
| align="left" | TNT/Coca-Cola
| 45 || 32.0 || .448 || .250 || .490 || 12.5 || 1.9 || .4 || .6 || 23.5
|-
| align="left" | 2008-09
| align="left" | Coca-Cola
| 32 || 36.7 || .439 || .308 || .552 || 12.8 || 2.9 || .5 || .5 || 16.9
|-
| align="left" | 2009-10
| align="left" | Coca-Cola
| 31 || 32.1 || .369 || .000 || .591 || 11.4 || 3.1 || .2 || .3 || 11.2
|-
| align="left" | 2010-11
| align="left" | Meralco
| 31 || 23.0 || .481 || .000 || .495 || 7.9 || .7 || .2 || .5 || 17.5
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 378 || 35.8 || .475 || .248 || .566 || 12.0 || 2.5 || .4 || .8 || 16.8
in Busan
, Korea
. Taulava showed promise during the said tournament in the center position while also had a hard time on guarding Chinese center Yao Ming
. In the end, the Philippines went home without a medal after suffering a harsh defeat in the semifinals against host Korea and lost in the bronze medal match against Kazakhstan
.
In 2005, Taulava was added in the Team Pilipinas Training Pool of Chot Reyes. He was part of the country's third-place finish in the William Jones Cup
tournament behind Passing Lane Sports of the United States
and host Chinese Taipei
. Taulava also led Team Pilipinas to the championship of the 5th Brunei Sultan Cup.
In 2006, Taulava participated in the team's 110-102 victory over the Dennis Rodman
led American team on May 1.
In 2007, Taulava was once again a national team member in 2007 FIBA Asia Championship in Japan. Despite Taulava's tremendous showing at the center position, the team failed to pass the preliminary round which was considered the "group of death" losing to eventual champion Iran and Jordan and winning only one game against China.
In 2008, he was again named to the RP Training Pool
under Coach Yeng Guiao
.
In 2010, he played for the Smart Gilas
during the Stankovic Cup Asia Tournament
helping the team to a 4th place finish.
Along with Kelly Williams
, the Filipino-Tongan player was granted the permission to play for the Smart Gilas for the 2010 Asian Games
in November. The team eventually reached the 6th place in the tournament. In January 2011, Taulava declared his availability for Smart Gilas to represent the country at the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship, which will be held in Wuhan, China. The 2003 MVP also said: "I’ll make all the necessary sacrifice for Team Pilipinas and our country. Let’s all unite for flag and country and make 2011 a year for Philippine basketball." In August 2011, Taulava joined the Smart Gilas Team for the 2011 William Jones Cup
; in the preliminary round of the tournament, the Philippine team compiled a promising 5-2 record, before being eliminated in the semifinals by Iran. On August 9, 2011, during a game against Malaysia, Taulava got involved in an altercation with Yoong Jing Kwaan. The episode happened in the third quarter of the match; with less than 20 seconds remaining in the period, Taulava suddenly went down on the floor in pain after Yoong Jing Kwaan grabbed and squeezed his private parts. The Fil-Tongan then stood up, chased the Malaysian player and hit him twice in the head. The two were later tossed out with 7.4 seconds left in the period. Smart Gilas eventually won, 86-68. Taulava would later apologize for his actions.
In 2011, Taulava announced his plan to retire from international competitions after the stint at the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship. Taulava has been a member of the Philippines national basketball team
since 2002.
It is claimed that Taulava's mother, Pauline Hernandez Mateeaki, was born in the Samar Province. However, the documents are said to be inaccurate. Some reports even claim Hernandez was born in Tonga. While Taulava is now cleared by the Justice Department, it remains to be seen if his citizenship will be questioned again in the near future.
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. Its population stood at 109,673 as of the 2010 Census...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
) is a American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-born Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
-Tonga
Tonga
Tonga, officially the Kingdom of Tonga , is a state and an archipelago in the South Pacific Ocean, comprising 176 islands scattered over of ocean in the South Pacific...
n professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player playing in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
for the Meralco Bolts
Meralco Bolts
The Meralco Bolts is a professional basketball team of the Philippine Basketball Association founded in 2010 when the Manila Electric Company bought the Sta...
in the Philippine Basketball Association
Philippine Basketball Association
The Philippine Basketball Association , is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines composed of 10 company-branded franchised teams. It is the first and oldest professional basketball league in Asia and the second oldest in the world after the NBA...
.
Standing 6 ft 9 in (2.13 m) tall and weighing 245 pounds (111 kg), he is considered by many to one of the greatest and most dominant Filipino basketball player to ever play the center
Center (basketball)
The center, colloquially known as the five or the post, is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. The center is normally the tallest player on the team, and often has a great deal of strength and body mass as well...
position in the PBA. Throughout his 11-year career, Taulava has used his size and strength to overpower opponents for points and rebounds. He is also a many-time member of the Philippines national basketball team
Philippines national basketball team
The men's national basketball team of the Philippines represents the Philippines in international basketball competitions. It is managed by its national basketball federation, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas...
in international competitions.
Taulava's individual accolades include the 2003 MVP award and two All-Star Game MVP awards.
However, Taulava is also one of the most controversial figures in Philippine basketball due to his numerous issues about his citizenship since he arrived in the local basketball scene in 1997.
He is also known for his dyed hair, although he has also shaved his head bald numerous times in the past.
Philippine Basketball League
In 1997 Taulava, a 6.9 ft inch center from Tonga, along with several Filipino-foreign cagers bannered Blu Detergent in the PBL Vis-Min Cup, where he showed some promise. In 1998, Blu management included Taulava to their roster in the PBL Centennial Cup.Asi emerged as one of the top players in the league, alongside Tanduay rival Eric Menk
Eric Menk
Eric Conrad Menk is a Filipino-American professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association for the Barangay Ginebra Kings...
. The two had a rivalry of sorts when both players matched-up in two games between Blu and Tanduay.
Taulava led the Detergent Kings and Tia Marias to the semi-finals but failed to lead his team in the finals due to severe bleeding and insomnia.
Talk 'N Text Phone Pals
He was directly hired by the Mobiline Phone Pals to boost up their frontline. From 1999 to 2002, he was only able to lead the team to a single finals stint which happened during the 2002 Commissioner's Cup but they ended up as runners-up.2003 became a fruitful year for Taulava when he led the Phone Pals to the All-Filipino Championship while being named as the Best Player of the Conference. At season's end, he became the first Fil-foreign cager since Great Taste's Ricardo Brown in 1985 to win the Most Valuable Player Award.
In 2004, they ended up at third place. Taulava, along with teammate Jimmy Alapag, was named as the co-MVP of the All-Star Game held in Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
.
During the 2004-05 PBA season
2004-05 PBA season
The 2004-05 PBA season is the 30th season of the Philippine Basketball Association. Instead of the usual calendar year of February-December, the league changed its schedule to the current October-July format, while limiting the number of conferences from three to two...
, the Department of Justice announced that Taulava and five other Fil-foreign cagers have irregular documents. PBA commissioner Noli Eala indefinitely suspended him and some of the other players. But, the Phone Pals was still able to have a good elimination round record of 12-6. Then, a series of controversies rocked during the course of the Philippine Cup Finals as the Phone Pals lost in five games. In the Fiesta Conference
2005 PBA Fiesta Conference
-Wildcard playoffs:The #3 vs. #10 and the #4 vs. #9 matchups are in the "twice-to-beat" format; the team with the higher seed only needs to win once to advance, but needs to be beaten twice in order to be eliminated. The other two matchups are a best-of-three series....
, he led them again to the finals but still lost to the San Miguel Beermen in five.
During the 2005 offseason, Taulava played for Team Pilipinas
Philippines national basketball team
The men's national basketball team of the Philippines represents the Philippines in international basketball competitions. It is managed by its national basketball federation, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas...
in the William Jones Cup and the Brunei Cup tournaments.
During the 2005-06 PBA season
2005-06 PBA season
-Final results:*Fiesta Conference Finals: Red Bull def. Purefoods , 4 games to 2**Finals MVP: Lordy Tugade *Third place: Air21 -Final results:*Fiesta Conference Finals: (3) Red Bull (9-7) def. (1) Purefoods (10-6), 4 games to 2**Finals MVP: Lordy Tugade (Red Bull)*Third place: Air21 -Final...
, Taulava was named MVP of the All-Star Game held in Cagayan de Oro City
Cagayan de Oro City
Cagayan de Oro; , officially the City of Cagayan de Oro, is the provincial capital city of the province of Misamis Oriental in the Philippines...
in 2006 as he led the South All-Stars to a 122-120 win over the North All-Stars.
In 2006-2007
2006-07 PBA season
The 2006–07 PBA season is the 32nd season of the Philippine Basketball Association . The season started September 28 in Guam and began its formal opening on October 1 at the Araneta Coliseum, and ended on July 20...
, the Phone Pals reached the semi-finals during the Philippine Cup but lost to the Barangay Ginebra Kings in six games. On the following conference, the team reached the finals despite his absence. However, they were still not able to get the crown against the Alaska Aces
Alaska Aces (PBA)
The Alaska Aces is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association since 1986 under the ownership of the Alaska Milk Corporation and the owner of 13 PBA championships with the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference as their latest...
.
Coca-Cola Tigers
On November 2007, he was traded to the Coca-Cola Tigers in exchange for Ali PeekAli Peek
Albert Henry Peek better known as Ali Peek is a Filipino-American professional basketball player who plays for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association. He plays mostly at the Center position, although he is also used as a Power Forward occasionally...
and the Tigers 2008 first round pick. Asi's numbers and style of play was then rejuvenated with the new team, thus lift the Tigers from the wildcard to quarterfinals but eventually lost to the Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
, 2-0.
In the 2007-2008 season, Taulava averaged 13.5 points, 1.9 assists, 12.5 rebounds, 0.4 steals and 0.6 blocks per game.
On March 29, 2008, in an out-of-town game on Panabo City, Davao del Norte, Taulava tossed in seven points, including a short stab with 11:11 left in the third quarter which made him the 58th member of the PBA 5,000-point club.
Taulava made his 12th PBA All-Star appearance in the 2010 PBA All-Star Weekend
2010 PBA All-Star Weekend
The 2010 PBA All-Star Week is the annual all-star weekend of the Philippine Basketball Association 's 2009–10 PBA season. The events were held from April 22 to 25, 2010 at the Puerto Princesa Coliseum, Puerto Princesa, Palawan.-Obstacle Challenge:...
, as he played in the All-Star Game at the Puerto Princesa Coliseum in Palawan. The 2003 MVP awardee was part of the South team’s First 5 alongside Kelly Williams
Kelly Williams
Kelly Williams is a Filipino-American professional basketball player currently playing for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association...
, Eric Menk
Eric Menk
Eric Conrad Menk is a Filipino-American professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association for the Barangay Ginebra Kings...
, Cyrus Baguio
Cyrus Baguio
Cyrus Baguio is a professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association for the Alaska Aces. He is a former stalwart of the UST Growling Tigers during his college tenure with the team. The former UST star was known for his open court forays and one-on-one skills...
and James Yap
James Yap
James Carlos Yap Sr. is a Filipino professional basketball player for the B-Meg Llamados in the Philippine Basketball Association...
. They eventually lost the game against the North All-Stars, 133-130.
Meralco Bolts
On September 22, 2010, he was traded to the expansion team Meralco BoltsMeralco Bolts
The Meralco Bolts is a professional basketball team of the Philippine Basketball Association founded in 2010 when the Manila Electric Company bought the Sta...
in exchange for Jason Misolas
Jason Misolas
Jason Misolas is a Filipino professional basketball player who last played for the Barako Bull Energy Boosters in the Philippine Basketball Association.- References :...
and Khasim Mirza
Khasim Mirza
Khasim Mirza is a Filipino professional basketball player who currently plays for the Shopinas.com Clickers in the Philippine Basketball Association....
as part of a three-team deal with the Barako Bull Energy Boosters. When asked upon the center's arrival to the new team, coach Ryan Gregorio said: "Asi (Taulava) is a great welcome addition for us. We definitely need size since it is only Marlou (Aquino) who’s our legitimate center." He also added: "His addition certainly deepens our rotation up front. I am very happy that we got him (Taulava). With him on the team, it improves our team in a flash. Like I said before, if we can fast-track things we will. This is a big development for us." However after the departure of Marlou Aquino
Marlou Aquino
Marlou B. Aquino is a Filipino professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association who last played for the Meralco Bolts. Known by his moniker The Skyscraper, he is also known, along with Dennis Espino, as one-half of the so-called Twin Towers of the disbanded Sta...
to the Barako Bull Energy Boosters, Taulava became Meralco's only center.
Taulava made his 2010-11 season
2010–11 PBA season
The 2010–11 PBA Season is the 36th season of the Philippine Basketball Association. It started on October 3, 2010 and ended on August 21, 2011. The season marked the return of the original three-conference format, starting with the Philippine Cup, or the traditional All-Filipino Conference...
debut for the Bolts on October 3, 2010, against the Barangay Ginebra Kings
Barangay Ginebra Kings
The Barangay Ginebra Kings is a professional basketball team of the Philippine Basketball Association founded in 1979 and owned by the Ginebra San Miguel, Inc., a subsidiary of the San Miguel Corporation...
, wearing the number 55 instead of his more common number 88. The Filipino-Tongan player recorded 7 points and 8 rebounds in his first game with Meralco. His first double-double came twelve days after, as he scored 15 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a 84-92 loss against his former team Talk N' Text.
Meralco opened the 2011 PBA Commissioner's Cup
2011 PBA Commissioner's Cup
-Air21-Alaska series:-Talk 'N Text-Air21 series:-Smart Gilas-Barangay Ginebra series:-Finals:- Imports :The following is the list of imports, which had played for their respective teams at least once, with the returning imports in italics...
with a game against the Barangay Ginebra Kings
Barangay Ginebra Kings
The Barangay Ginebra Kings is a professional basketball team of the Philippine Basketball Association founded in 1979 and owned by the Ginebra San Miguel, Inc., a subsidiary of the San Miguel Corporation...
on February 18, 2011. In his first game of the year, the Filipino-Tongan player recorded a season high with 23 points and 10 rebounds but the Bolts eventually lost to Ginebra 115-98.
As of now, he is wearing the number 5 because it is also the number he wore in his recent stints at international competitions.
Season
|-| align="left" | 1999
| align="left" | Mobiline
| 37 || 43.1 || .459 || .000 || .604 || 12.0 || 3.4 || .5 || .8 || 17.7
|-
| align="left" | 2000
| align="left" | Mobiline
| 12 || 40.6 || .524 || .000 || .569 || 13.9 || 3.5 || 1.0 || .5 || 21.5
|-
| align="left" | 2001
| align="left" | Mobiline/Talk 'N Text
| 22 || 39.1 || .452 || .200 || .631 || 12.8 || 1.5 || .5 || 1.3 || 19.9
|-
| align="left" | 2002
| align="left" | Talk 'N Text
| 10 || 37.3 || .430 || .000 || .747 || 11.3 || 5.4 || .8 || 1.2 || 21.3
|-
| align="left" | 2003
| align="left" | Talk 'N Text
| 54 || 42.2 || .493 || .254 || .544 || 13.7 || 3.6 || .5 || 1.3 || 23.4
|-
| align="left" | 2004-05
| align="left" | Talk 'N Text
| 34 || 37.5 || .554 || .378 || .667 || 11.1 || 2.0 || .8 || .8 || 20.2
|-
| align="left" | 2005-06
| align="left" | Talk 'N Text
| 41 || 35.1 || .491 || .125 || .455 || 13.0 || 1.6 || .5 || 1.1 || 14.9
|-
| align="left" | 2006-07
| align="left" | Talk 'N Text
| 29 || 31.3 || .534 || .000 || .617 || 10.9 || 2.1 || .1 || .8 || 16.6
|-
| align="left" | 2007-08
| align="left" | TNT/Coca-Cola
| 45 || 32.0 || .448 || .250 || .490 || 12.5 || 1.9 || .4 || .6 || 23.5
|-
| align="left" | 2008-09
| align="left" | Coca-Cola
| 32 || 36.7 || .439 || .308 || .552 || 12.8 || 2.9 || .5 || .5 || 16.9
|-
| align="left" | 2009-10
| align="left" | Coca-Cola
| 31 || 32.1 || .369 || .000 || .591 || 11.4 || 3.1 || .2 || .3 || 11.2
|-
| align="left" | 2010-11
| align="left" | Meralco
Meralco Bolts
The Meralco Bolts is a professional basketball team of the Philippine Basketball Association founded in 2010 when the Manila Electric Company bought the Sta...
| 31 || 23.0 || .481 || .000 || .495 || 7.9 || .7 || .2 || .5 || 17.5
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 378 || 35.8 || .475 || .248 || .566 || 12.0 || 2.5 || .4 || .8 || 16.8
International career
In 2002, Taulava played for Team Philippines in the 2002 Asian Games2002 Asian Games
The 2002 Asian Games, also known as XIV Asiad is a multi-sport event held in Busan, South Korea from September 29 to October 14, 2002. Busan is the second city, after Seoul in 1986 to host the Games. A total of 419 events in 38 sports were contested by 7,711 athletes from 44 countries...
in Busan
Busan
Busan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
. Taulava showed promise during the said tournament in the center position while also had a hard time on guarding Chinese center Yao Ming
Yao Ming
Yao Ming is a retired Chinese professional basketball player who last played for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association...
. In the end, the Philippines went home without a medal after suffering a harsh defeat in the semifinals against host Korea and lost in the bronze medal match against Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan national basketball team
The Kazakhstan national basketball team represents Kazakhstan in basketball international competitions. They belong to the FIBA Asia zone.Kazakhstan's best finish in international competition was 3rd in the 2002 Asian Games, beating the Philippines in the bronze medal game, and a fourth place...
.
In 2005, Taulava was added in the Team Pilipinas Training Pool of Chot Reyes. He was part of the country's third-place finish in the William Jones Cup
William Jones Cup
The R. William Jones Cup is an international basketball tournament held annually in Taipei, Taiwan. It was named after Renato William Jones, a basketball promoter and one of the founders of the International Basketball Federation .The Jones Cup tournament started in 1977 and is held annually...
tournament behind Passing Lane Sports of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and host Chinese Taipei
Chinese Taipei national basketball team
The Chinese Taipei national basketball team is the basketball team representing Taiwan in international competitions, organized and run by the CTBA...
. Taulava also led Team Pilipinas to the championship of the 5th Brunei Sultan Cup.
In 2006, Taulava participated in the team's 110-102 victory over the Dennis Rodman
Dennis Rodman
Dennis Keith Rodman is a retired American Hall of Fame professional basketball player of the National Basketball Association's Detroit Pistons, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks. Born in Trenton, New Jersey, he was nicknamed "Dennis the Menace" and "The...
led American team on May 1.
In 2007, Taulava was once again a national team member in 2007 FIBA Asia Championship in Japan. Despite Taulava's tremendous showing at the center position, the team failed to pass the preliminary round which was considered the "group of death" losing to eventual champion Iran and Jordan and winning only one game against China.
In 2008, he was again named to the RP Training Pool
Philippines national basketball team
The men's national basketball team of the Philippines represents the Philippines in international basketball competitions. It is managed by its national basketball federation, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas...
under Coach Yeng Guiao
Yeng Guiao
Joseller "Yeng" Guiao is a Filipino professional basketball head coach for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the Philippine Basketball Association, and was also the head coach of the Philippine National Basketball Team. Guiao won four PBA titles since starting his head coaching job for Swift in...
.
In 2010, he played for the Smart Gilas
Smart Gilas
Smart Gilas Pilipinas is a developmental Philippine national basketball team sponsored by Smart Communications and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas...
during the Stankovic Cup Asia Tournament
FIBA Asia Stanković Cup 2010
2010 FIBA Asia Stanković Cup was the 3rd FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup, the basketball tournament of FIBA Asia was held in Beirut, Lebanon from 7th of August to 15th of August 2010, in Ghazir Club Court involving 10 national teams from Asia....
helping the team to a 4th place finish.
Along with Kelly Williams
Kelly Williams
Kelly Williams is a Filipino-American professional basketball player currently playing for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association...
, the Filipino-Tongan player was granted the permission to play for the Smart Gilas for the 2010 Asian Games
2010 Asian Games
The 2010 Asian Games, also known as the XVI Asiad, was a multi-sport event celebrated in Guangzhou, China from November 12 to November 27, 2010. Guangzhou was the second Chinese city to host the Games, after Beijing in 1990...
in November. The team eventually reached the 6th place in the tournament. In January 2011, Taulava declared his availability for Smart Gilas to represent the country at the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship, which will be held in Wuhan, China. The 2003 MVP also said: "I’ll make all the necessary sacrifice for Team Pilipinas and our country. Let’s all unite for flag and country and make 2011 a year for Philippine basketball." In August 2011, Taulava joined the Smart Gilas Team for the 2011 William Jones Cup
2011 William Jones Cup
The 2011 TAIYEN William Jones Cup is the 33rd tournament of the William Jones Cup that is taking place at Hsinchuang Gymnasium in New Taipei, Republic of China from August 6 to 13, 2011.-Squads:...
; in the preliminary round of the tournament, the Philippine team compiled a promising 5-2 record, before being eliminated in the semifinals by Iran. On August 9, 2011, during a game against Malaysia, Taulava got involved in an altercation with Yoong Jing Kwaan. The episode happened in the third quarter of the match; with less than 20 seconds remaining in the period, Taulava suddenly went down on the floor in pain after Yoong Jing Kwaan grabbed and squeezed his private parts. The Fil-Tongan then stood up, chased the Malaysian player and hit him twice in the head. The two were later tossed out with 7.4 seconds left in the period. Smart Gilas eventually won, 86-68. Taulava would later apologize for his actions.
In 2011, Taulava announced his plan to retire from international competitions after the stint at the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship. Taulava has been a member of the Philippines national basketball team
Philippines national basketball team
The men's national basketball team of the Philippines represents the Philippines in international basketball competitions. It is managed by its national basketball federation, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas...
since 2002.
PBA
- Member, PBA 5,000 point club
- 2003 PBA Most Valuable Player
- 2004 PBA All-Stars Game Most Valuable Player (shared with Jimmy AlapagJimmy AlapagJim Olmedo Alapag , better known as Jimmy Alapag, is a Filipino-American professional basketball player for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association...
) - 2009 Defensive Player of the Year
- All-Filipino Best Player of the Conference ( 2003 )
- Reinforced Finals MVP ( 2003 )
- All-Star MVP ( 2006–2007 )
- 2009 PBA PBA All-Defensive Team
- 2003 PBA PBA All-Defensive Team
- 2003 Mythical First Team
- 2008 Mythical First Team
- 2009 Mythical First Team
- 2002 Mythical Second Team
International
- 2002 Philippines-Chinese Taipei Basketball Series
- 2002 Philippines-Qatar Basketball Series
- 2002 Philippines-Melbourne Tigers Basketball Series
- 2002 Four Nations Invitational Tournament (Italy), 3rd place
- 2002 Asian Games, 4th place
- 2005 William Jones Cup, 3rd place (Bronze)
- 2005 Brunei Cup champions
- 2006 Philippines-Lebanon Basketball Series
- 2006 Brunei Cup champions
- 2007 FIBA Asia Champions Cup
- 2007 SEABA champions
- 2007 William Jones Cup, 3rd place (Bronze)
- 2007 Four Nations Invitational Tournament (Philippines) champions
- 2007 Philippines-Kuwait Basketball Series
- 2007 FIBA Asia Championship, 9th place
- 2009 Philippines-Australian Great White Sharks Basketball Series
- 2009 Philippines-PBA All-Star Exhibition Series
- 2009 SEABA champions
- 2011 Smart Ultimate All-Star Challenge (Smart Gilas)
- 2011 William Jones Cup, 3rd place (Bronze)
Controversy
Taulava's citizenship has been questioned ever since he arrived in the PBL in 1998. A government scrunity from 1999-2000 about the alleged number of fake Fil-foreign cagers led to his deportation in April 2000. Taulava proved his citizenship when he returned to the country in 2001. Three years later, his name became a subject of DOJ's scrunity on the said issue that led to his indefinite suspension in the PBA.It is claimed that Taulava's mother, Pauline Hernandez Mateeaki, was born in the Samar Province. However, the documents are said to be inaccurate. Some reports even claim Hernandez was born in Tonga. While Taulava is now cleared by the Justice Department, it remains to be seen if his citizenship will be questioned again in the near future.