Atoy Co
Encyclopedia
Fortunato Co, Jr., better known as Atoy Co, is a former Philippine Basketball Association
(PBA) basketball player and actor who was part of the fabled Crispa Redmanizers
ballclub that won two Grand Slams
, in 1976 and 1983. He won the Most Valuable Player
(MVP) award, in 1979
and a 9-time Mythical First Team Member. He was a national team player that participated in the 1974 Asian Games.
during his college career at the NCAA. Before joining Mapua he was playing for the Philippine Cultural High School in Abad Santos.
Discovered by Amang Lopez, the sweet shooting talent brought his basketball wares in the Institute as a simple cager named Fortunato Co. Equipped with a deadly perimeter shot and a killer first step, the 6'2" swingman scorched the net red hot as he fired hoop after hoop. His awkward and unorthodox way of shooting the ball made him a household name and an overnight basketball god. Moves that can only be seen in the NBA suddenly found their way to Philippines sports through Atoy Co. Back then, Philippine Basketball mainly revolved on bank shots and lay-ups but as Co threw long shots, another facet of the game bloomed, a facet that would later spell chances for his PBA team, the Crispa Redmanizers.
As a student, he can clearly recall that his family was not that well off.. He used the opportunity of playing college ball to attend higher education. He narrated that to go to Mapua, then located at Doroteo Jose, he had to hitch a ride and walk the rest of the distance to attend practices and classes. Belt-tightening was not new to Atoy during his college days. He figuratively crawled his way up to where he is right now.
During those times, basketball clinics and trainings did not exist. Sheer perseverance and undying passion for the sport were the factors that catapulted him to the heights of college basketball. Memories of the old days can be seen flashing through the eyes of the fabled player as he tried to recall his Mapua days. Practice mainly ate up his time, but once in a while he confided that he played billiards and killed time hanging around the campus and eating his favorite banana-cue.
Atoy Co loved Mapua—he still does. The school became his vehicle to his illustrious career. His stint as a Cardinal paved the way for his stature in Philippine Basketball history. Being one of the 25 Greatest Players of Philippine Basketball, Atoy Co thanked the Institute for the opportunities it gave him. Let’s in turn thank him by remembering his contributions to Mapua basketball.
Indeed Atoy Co is a fortune and a gem that the Mapua Institute of Technology will always treasure. http://tnb.mapua.edu.ph/archives/features.asp?iid=47
He was by far the best shooter there ever was in the Philippine Basketball Association long before the arrival of Allan Caidic
. He was the main proponent of the famous fade-away shot and his patented “stop on a dime” jumper was unmatched in his storied career. A great scorer, he was the first player to score 5,000 points achieving it after four years, one month and five days after his debut on April 22, 1975. In 1984, he also became the first player to score 10,000 points in the PBA’s history. Had the PBA introduced the 3-point shot in 1975, he would have been the first to record 1,000 3-point shots, way ahead of Caidic and Ronald Magsanoc. Dubbed as the Fortune Cookie, he was named MVP in 1979 and a 9-time Mythical Team member. He ended his career as the PBA’s No. 4 in All-Time Scoring with 12,994 points behind fellow pioneers Ramon Fernandez
and Alberto Guidaben and Alvin Patrimonio
of batch 1988 as well as holding the distinction of being the first PBA player to have scored 5,000 and 10,000 points. He also was a career 78.6% FT shooter having converted 1549/1970 FT attempts and dished-off 2,640 assists (3.5 apg) in 14 seasons in the PBA from 1975-1988 in a grand total of 749 games in 24395:05 minutes.
In 2000, he was named as one of the PBA's 25 greatest players of all-time in elaborate awards ceremonies that highlighted the 25th year anniversary of the league.
In 2003, he played in the Crispa-Toyota Reunion Game that kick-started the PBA's 2003 All-Star Weekend.
In 2005, Co played for the Virgilio “Baby” Dalupan-coached TM PBA Legends that defeated the TM PBA Greats, 96-92, in an exhibition match as the featured event of the league’s 30th year anniversary festivities. The two (2) teams were made up of the 25 Greatest Players that were chosen by coaches Dalupan and Robert Jaworski
.
Later that same year, Co was part of the twelve (12) initial inductees to the PBA Hall of Fame alongside fellow Crispa players Bogs Adornado
and Philip Cezar
, and Toyota stalwarts Jaworski, Francis Arnaiz
and Fernandez together with former PBA Commissioners Leo Prieto
, Emerson Coseteng and Atty. Rudy Salud as well as legendary Crispa coach and team manager, respectively, Dalupan and Danny Floro, and the late anchorman Joe Cantada
.
over at RPN (now Solar TV)
then made a short career of mostly playing sidekick to action stars such as Philip Salvador (a close personal friend of Atoy). Among his movie credits were "Masahol pa sa Hayop", "Delima Gang" & "Uhaw na Bulaklak" http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1953911/
He also became a politician as he served as a long-time City Councilor of Pasig City
. Prior to that, he had served as a kagawad in barangay
Kapitolyo before he joined the party of Mayor Vicente Eusebio. He recently stepped down from office after serving three straight terms (the maximum allowed by Philippine law).
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...
(PBA) basketball player and actor who was part of the fabled Crispa Redmanizers
Crispa Redmanizers
The Crispa Redmanizers was a basketball team in the Manila Industrial Commercial Athletic Association , the Philippine Basketball Association and the Philippine Amateur Basketball League from the 1960s to the early 1990s.- Profile and history :...
ballclub that won two Grand Slams
Grand Slam (PBA)
The Grand Slam in the Philippine Basketball Association refers to a PBA team who has won all three conferences in a single season. After the PBA reduced the number of conferences from three to two beginning in 2004, the term became quite obsolete to some...
, in 1976 and 1983. He won the Most Valuable Player
Philippine Basketball Association Most Valuable Player award
The Philippine Basketball Association awards the Most Valuable Player award at the end of the season. The winner is selected via votes from the press, players, coaches and top PBA officials....
(MVP) award, in 1979
1979 PBA season
The 1979 PBA Season was the fifth season of the Philippine Basketball Association .-Trivia:*The PBA's fifth season saw three different teams emerging champions in each conference....
and a 9-time Mythical First Team Member. He was a national team player that participated in the 1974 Asian Games.
College career
Co was a member of the Mapua CardinalsMapúa Cardinals
The Mapúa Cardinals is the National Collegiate Athletic Association basketball team of the Mapúa Institute of Technology.The Mapúa Cardinals holds the NCAA record for the most number of General Championships in the seniors division with a total of 20—the last of these championships was won in 1993...
during his college career at the NCAA. Before joining Mapua he was playing for the Philippine Cultural High School in Abad Santos.
King Cardinal
We all know him by the moniker Fortune Cookie, but the Mapua Institute of Technology will always remember him as the Fortune Rookie when he joined the team in 1970.Discovered by Amang Lopez, the sweet shooting talent brought his basketball wares in the Institute as a simple cager named Fortunato Co. Equipped with a deadly perimeter shot and a killer first step, the 6'2" swingman scorched the net red hot as he fired hoop after hoop. His awkward and unorthodox way of shooting the ball made him a household name and an overnight basketball god. Moves that can only be seen in the NBA suddenly found their way to Philippines sports through Atoy Co. Back then, Philippine Basketball mainly revolved on bank shots and lay-ups but as Co threw long shots, another facet of the game bloomed, a facet that would later spell chances for his PBA team, the Crispa Redmanizers.
As a student, he can clearly recall that his family was not that well off.. He used the opportunity of playing college ball to attend higher education. He narrated that to go to Mapua, then located at Doroteo Jose, he had to hitch a ride and walk the rest of the distance to attend practices and classes. Belt-tightening was not new to Atoy during his college days. He figuratively crawled his way up to where he is right now.
During those times, basketball clinics and trainings did not exist. Sheer perseverance and undying passion for the sport were the factors that catapulted him to the heights of college basketball. Memories of the old days can be seen flashing through the eyes of the fabled player as he tried to recall his Mapua days. Practice mainly ate up his time, but once in a while he confided that he played billiards and killed time hanging around the campus and eating his favorite banana-cue.
Atoy Co loved Mapua—he still does. The school became his vehicle to his illustrious career. His stint as a Cardinal paved the way for his stature in Philippine Basketball history. Being one of the 25 Greatest Players of Philippine Basketball, Atoy Co thanked the Institute for the opportunities it gave him. Let’s in turn thank him by remembering his contributions to Mapua basketball.
Indeed Atoy Co is a fortune and a gem that the Mapua Institute of Technology will always treasure. http://tnb.mapua.edu.ph/archives/features.asp?iid=47
PBA career
He first played in the PBA on April 22, 1975, scoring 34 points and leading Crispa to a 113-102 win over CFC, the team's first victory after starting the season with three (3) straight defeats.He was by far the best shooter there ever was in the Philippine Basketball Association long before the arrival of Allan Caidic
Allan Caidic
Alan Vito Flores Caidic is a retired professional basketball player from the Philippines and is currently an assistant coach of the Barangay Ginebra Kings in the PBA...
. He was the main proponent of the famous fade-away shot and his patented “stop on a dime” jumper was unmatched in his storied career. A great scorer, he was the first player to score 5,000 points achieving it after four years, one month and five days after his debut on April 22, 1975. In 1984, he also became the first player to score 10,000 points in the PBA’s history. Had the PBA introduced the 3-point shot in 1975, he would have been the first to record 1,000 3-point shots, way ahead of Caidic and Ronald Magsanoc. Dubbed as the Fortune Cookie, he was named MVP in 1979 and a 9-time Mythical Team member. He ended his career as the PBA’s No. 4 in All-Time Scoring with 12,994 points behind fellow pioneers Ramon Fernandez
Ramón Fernández
Ramon S. Fernandez is generally regarded as the greatest basketball player produced by the Philippine Basketball Association. Fernandez won four Most Valuable Player awards and a record of 19 PBA championships bagged...
and Alberto Guidaben and Alvin Patrimonio
Alvin Patrimonio
Alvin Vergara Patrimonio , nicknamed "The Captain" and "Captain Lionheart" is a retired Filipino professional basketball player from the Philippine Basketball Association and is the current team manager of his former team, the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants.Patrimonio holds several PBA records...
of batch 1988 as well as holding the distinction of being the first PBA player to have scored 5,000 and 10,000 points. He also was a career 78.6% FT shooter having converted 1549/1970 FT attempts and dished-off 2,640 assists (3.5 apg) in 14 seasons in the PBA from 1975-1988 in a grand total of 749 games in 24395:05 minutes.
In 2000, he was named as one of the PBA's 25 greatest players of all-time in elaborate awards ceremonies that highlighted the 25th year anniversary of the league.
In 2003, he played in the Crispa-Toyota Reunion Game that kick-started the PBA's 2003 All-Star Weekend.
In 2005, Co played for the Virgilio “Baby” Dalupan-coached TM PBA Legends that defeated the TM PBA Greats, 96-92, in an exhibition match as the featured event of the league’s 30th year anniversary festivities. The two (2) teams were made up of the 25 Greatest Players that were chosen by coaches Dalupan and Robert Jaworski
Robert Jaworski
Robert Salazar Jaworski , also known as Sonny Jaworski, Bobby Jaworski, Robert Jaworski, Sr. or simply Jawo, is a former Philippine senator, basketball coach and Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association and PBA basketball player.Known as The Big J and called The Living Legend...
.
Later that same year, Co was part of the twelve (12) initial inductees to the PBA Hall of Fame alongside fellow Crispa players Bogs Adornado
Bogs Adornado
William "Bogs" Adornado is a former Filipino athlete who played basketball in both the amateur and professional ranks. He made his mark playing in the Philippine Basketball Association from 1975 to 1987...
and Philip Cezar
Philip Cezar
Philip "The Scholar" Cezar is a former Philippine Basketball Association basketball player. He was part of the fabled Crispa Redmanizers ballclub that won two Grand Slams, in 1976 and 1983. He won the Most Valuable Player award in 1980. He was also a many-time Philippine national team player in...
, and Toyota stalwarts Jaworski, Francis Arnaiz
Francis Arnaiz
Francis C. Arnaiz is a former Filipino professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association. He played for Toyota and Ginebra San Miguel from 1975-1986...
and Fernandez together with former PBA Commissioners Leo Prieto
Leo Prieto
Leopoldo "Leo" L. Prieto was a Filipino sports executive who served as the first Commissioner of the Philippine Basketball Association...
, Emerson Coseteng and Atty. Rudy Salud as well as legendary Crispa coach and team manager, respectively, Dalupan and Danny Floro, and the late anchorman Joe Cantada
Joe Cantada
"Smokin'" Joe Cantada, born Jose Maria Cantada was a Filipino TV host, anchor & commentator. He died of lung cancer in March 1992....
.
Post-PBA career
Atoy Co ventured into the showbiz after his playing days were over, first as a co-host for the noontime show Student CanteenStudent Canteen
Student Canteen is the first and original noontime show on Philippine television which ran for 30 years in different decades. The show ran in different networks from 1958 to 1972, 1975 to 1986 and 1989-1990.-The ABS-CBN years:...
over at RPN (now Solar TV)
Radio Philippines Network
Radio Philippines Network, Inc. is a broadcast television network in the Philippines co-owned by the Government Communications Group, Solar Entertainment Corporation, Far East Managers and Investors Inc., and private sectors. This station studios are located at Broadcast City, Old Balara, Capitol...
then made a short career of mostly playing sidekick to action stars such as Philip Salvador (a close personal friend of Atoy). Among his movie credits were "Masahol pa sa Hayop", "Delima Gang" & "Uhaw na Bulaklak" http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1953911/
He also became a politician as he served as a long-time City Councilor of Pasig City
Pasig City
The City of Pasig is one of the city municipalities of Metro Manila in the Philippines and was the former capital of the province of Rizal prior to the formation of this grouping of cities designated as the National Capital Region...
. Prior to that, he had served as a kagawad in barangay
Barangay
A barangay is the smallest administrative division in the Philippines and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward...
Kapitolyo before he joined the party of Mayor Vicente Eusebio. He recently stepped down from office after serving three straight terms (the maximum allowed by Philippine law).
Trivia
- During his PBA career, the name on the back of his jersey is mentioned as "F. Co. Jr.", instead of the usual surname.
- Co wore jersey #60 during his final seasons with Great Taste, due to the use of the #6 jersey by teammate and former Toyota rival Abe King. When King left the team, Co reverted to #6, and when King re-signed, he wore #1. This was during the Great Taste Milk incarnation of the team.
Quotes
- from Norman BlackNorman BlackNorman Augustus Black is an American retired professional basketball player in the CBA, NBA, and PBA who has since settled in the Philippines. He is also a former head coach of the San Miguel Beermen, Mobiline Phone Pals, Pop Cola 800s, and Sta. Lucia Realtors...
, former PBA coach and presently Ateneo head coach in the UAAP - "How many players do you see go on a fastbreak with the lane wide open, stop and take a jumper? Atoy did that a lot. And the thing that amazed me was that he made his jump shots as if he were making lay-ups."
- from Rudy Salud, former PBA Commissioner - "Sweet-shooting. He would hit shots that many coaches would say, 'No, no, no . . . . good!'"
- from Tommy ManotocTommy ManotocTommy Manotoc is a former Filipino professional basketball coach in the PBA, for the U/Tex Wranglers, San Miguel Beer, Crispa Redmanizers, and the Mobiline Phone Pals and later became deputy commissioner of the PBA after Mariano Yenko died. He was also a former broadcaster for the PBA on Viva TV...
, former coach at Crispa - "A pure talent. Naging movie star lang masyado. (He just became too much of a movie star) Offensive-wise, what you've seen with Michael Jordan, Atoy Co already had back then. He was the first off-guard to introduce the various ways to shoot. Noong araw, bago ka tumira, dapat naka-set ka, nakaharap ka sa basket. Si Atoy, nakatalikod man o naka-baliktad and paa, tumitira. (Back then, before you shoot you had to be set for the shot facing the basket. Atoy could shoot the ball even if he wasn't facing the basket or even if his feet were inverted) To me, he innovated offensive basketball. The moves, the ballet, siya ang nag-umpisa (he started it all)."
- from Shin Dong Pa, legendary Korean shooter - on forgotten basketball moves - "Basketball has become too scientific because of the NBA. In our time, many Asians can shoot on either leg. In the Philippines today, only Johnny Abarrientos can do that as I understand he was a former dancer." So goes with Atoy Co.
PBA career highlights
- Member of the 1976 and 1983 Crispa Grand Slam Team
- 1-time Most Valuable Player (1979)
- 9-time Mythical First Team Selection (1975, 1976, 1977, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984)
- Member, PBA's 25 Greatest Players
- Member, PBA Hall of Fame http://www.pba.com.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=462&Itemid=59
- Member, 5,000 & 10,000 points clubs, first PBA player to score 5,000 and 10,000 points.
- Member, 2,000 assists club
External links
- http://www.pba.ph/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=470&Itemid=59