Hector Calma
Encyclopedia
Hector Calma is a retired Filipino
professional basketball player. At 5 feet and 6 inches, he played at the point guard
position and was most notably associated with the San Miguel Beer
team of the Philippine Basketball Association
.
of the Adamson Falcons
, which played in the UAAP. Calma was a member of the Adamson team which in 1978 captured for the first time the UAAP Men's Basketball Championship
, a feat which the university has yet to accomplish again. Calma attained further prominence as a member of the national team which qualified for several international tournaments during the 1980s, under the patronship of Danding Cojuangco and the guidance of coach Ron Jacobs. He was at the helm of the 1982 squad that captured the Asian Youth Championship of that year, beating China in the finals. In 1985, with Calma starting at point guard, the national team unexpectedly captured the William Jones Cup
, beating out in the process a highly regarded American team composed of NCAA Division I players and coached by Purdue
's Gene Keady
. The following year, the Philippine national team would win the Asian Basketball Confederation Championship
for the first time since 1973.
During that period, his widely reported relationship with the swimmer (and future TV host) Christine Jacob
also kept his name in the public eye. Calma eventually married Inez Ortiz, a former employee of the San Miguel public relations office.
, winning the 1985 PBA Reinforced Conference
. This marked Calma's first appearance in the PBA, albeit as an amateur playing with a guest team.
Calma's formal professional basketball career began at the age of 26 in the 1986 PBA Open Conference
when he, along with several of his national teammates, were absorbed by San Miguel Beer
when it rejoined the PBA under the name Magnolia Cheese after a brief period of disbandment. Within a year, the renamed San Miguel Beer
, coached by Norman Black
, would win its first PBA Championship with Calma starting at point guard.
From 1987 to 1989, San Miguel would win 6 of 7 PBA conference championships, including the coveted Grand Slam
in 1989. Calma was not known for his scoring, but his skills as a playmaker sparked the SMB offense during those storied years. In a team that featured explosive scorers such as Samboy Lim
, Ricardo Brown, and Ramon Fernandez
, Calma's playmaking skills was highly regarded. As a result, Calma was named three times to the PBA Mythical First Team
, in 1987, 1988, and 1989. During those 3 years, Calma posted average of 10.6 points (on 50.3% shooting) and 5.3 assists per game. Yet as the 1990 official PBA Annual noted, "Numbers just can't fully-determine this little guy's true worth - he just creates so many offensive situations which most often draw the line between victory and defeat."
After the FIBA
allowed in 1989 the participation of professional basketball players in international competitions, Calma was recruited twice to rejoin the Philippine National Team. Calma played in the 1990 and 1994 teams that participated in the Asian Games
, the 1990 team capturing the silver medal.
and Johnny Abarrientos
. After his retirement in 1994, Calma was involved in the front office of the Coca-Cola Tigers
and the San Miguel Beermen
. He currently serves as the team manager of the Beermen.
In 2000, Calma was named to the PBA's 25th Anniversary All-Time Team
. He was joined in that honor by two of his teammates from the SMB Grand Slam team, Ramon Fernandez
and Samboy Lim
Hector Calma (born March 2, 1960) is a retired Filipino
professional basketball player. At 5 feet and 6 inches, he played at the point guard
position and was most notably associated with the San Miguel Beer
team of the Philippine Basketball Association
.
of the Adamson Falcons
, which played in the UAAP. Calma was a member of the Adamson team which in 1978 captured for the first time the UAAP Men's Basketball Championship
, a feat which the university has yet to accomplish again. Calma attained further prominence as a member of the national team which qualified for several international tournaments during the 1980s, under the patronship of Danding Cojuangco and the guidance of coach Ron Jacobs. He was at the helm of the 1982 squad that captured the Asian Youth Championship of that year, beating China in the finals. In 1985, with Calma starting at point guard, the national team unexpectedly captured the William Jones Cup
, beating out in the process a highly regarded American team composed of NCAA Division I players and coached by Purdue
's Gene Keady
. The following year, the Philippine national team would win the Asian Basketball Confederation Championship
for the first time since 1973.
During that period, his widely reported relationship with the swimmer (and future TV host) Christine Jacob
also kept his name in the public eye. Calma eventually married Inez Ortiz, a former employee of the San Miguel public relations office.
, winning the 1985 PBA Reinforced Conference
. This marked Calma's first appearance in the PBA, albeit as an amateur playing with a guest team.
Calma's formal professional basketball career began at the age of 26 in the 1986 PBA Open Conference
when he, along with several of his national teammates, were absorbed by San Miguel Beer
when it rejoined the PBA under the name Magnolia Cheese after a brief period of disbandment. Within a year, the renamed San Miguel Beer
, coached by Norman Black
, would win its first PBA Championship with Calma starting at point guard.
From 1987 to 1989, San Miguel would win 6 of 7 PBA conference championships, including the coveted Grand Slam
in 1989. Calma was not known for his scoring, but his skills as a playmaker sparked the SMB offense during those storied years. In a team that featured explosive scorers such as Samboy Lim
, Ricardo Brown, and Ramon Fernandez
, Calma's playmaking skills was highly regarded. As a result, Calma was named three times to the PBA Mythical First Team
, in 1987, 1988, and 1989. During those 3 years, Calma posted average of 10.6 points (on 50.3% shooting) and 5.3 assists per game. Yet as the 1990 official PBA Annual noted, "Numbers just can't fully-determine this little guy's true worth - he just creates so many offensive situations which most often draw the line between victory and defeat."
After the FIBA
allowed in 1989 the participation of professional basketball players in international competitions, Calma was recruited twice to rejoin the Philippine National Team. Calma played in the 1990 and 1994 teams that participated in the Asian Games
, the 1990 team capturing the silver medal.
and Johnny Abarrientos
. After his retirement in 1994, Calma was involved in the front office of the Coca-Cola Tigers
and the San Miguel Beermen
. He currently serves as the team manager of the Beermen.
In 2000, Calma was named to the PBA's 25th Anniversary All-Time Team
. He was joined in that honor by two of his teammates from the SMB Grand Slam team, Ramon Fernandez
and Samboy Lim
Hector Calma (born March 2, 1960) is a retired Filipino
professional basketball player. At 5 feet and 6 inches, he played at the point guard
position and was most notably associated with the San Miguel Beer
team of the Philippine Basketball Association
.
of the Adamson Falcons
, which played in the UAAP. Calma was a member of the Adamson team which in 1978 captured for the first time the UAAP Men's Basketball Championship
, a feat which the university has yet to accomplish again. Calma attained further prominence as a member of the national team which qualified for several international tournaments during the 1980s, under the patronship of Danding Cojuangco and the guidance of coach Ron Jacobs. He was at the helm of the 1982 squad that captured the Asian Youth Championship of that year, beating China in the finals. In 1985, with Calma starting at point guard, the national team unexpectedly captured the William Jones Cup
, beating out in the process a highly regarded American team composed of NCAA Division I players and coached by Purdue
's Gene Keady
. The following year, the Philippine national team would win the Asian Basketball Confederation Championship
for the first time since 1973.
During that period, his widely reported relationship with the swimmer (and future TV host) Christine Jacob
also kept his name in the public eye. Calma eventually married Inez Ortiz, a former employee of the San Miguel public relations office.
, winning the 1985 PBA Reinforced Conference
. This marked Calma's first appearance in the PBA, albeit as an amateur playing with a guest team.
Calma's formal professional basketball career began at the age of 26 in the 1986 PBA Open Conference
when he, along with several of his national teammates, were absorbed by San Miguel Beer
when it rejoined the PBA under the name Magnolia Cheese after a brief period of disbandment. Within a year, the renamed San Miguel Beer
, coached by Norman Black
, would win its first PBA Championship with Calma starting at point guard.
From 1987 to 1989, San Miguel would win 6 of 7 PBA conference championships, including the coveted Grand Slam
in 1989. Calma was not known for his scoring, but his skills as a playmaker sparked the SMB offense during those storied years. In a team that featured explosive scorers such as Samboy Lim
, Ricardo Brown, and Ramon Fernandez
, Calma's playmaking skills was highly regarded. As a result, Calma was named three times to the PBA Mythical First Team
, in 1987, 1988, and 1989. During those 3 years, Calma posted average of 10.6 points (on 50.3% shooting) and 5.3 assists per game. Yet as the 1990 official PBA Annual noted, "Numbers just can't fully-determine this little guy's true worth - he just creates so many offensive situations which most often draw the line between victory and defeat."
After the FIBA
allowed in 1989 the participation of professional basketball players in international competitions, Calma was recruited twice to rejoin the Philippine National Team. Calma played in the 1990 and 1994 teams that participated in the Asian Games
, the 1990 team capturing the silver medal.
and Johnny Abarrientos
. After his retirement in 1994, Calma was involved in the front office of the Coca-Cola Tigers
and the San Miguel Beermen
. He currently serves as the team manager of the Beermen.
In 2000, Calma was named to the PBA's 25th Anniversary All-Time Team
. He was joined in that honor by two of his teammates from the SMB Grand Slam team, Ramon Fernandez
and Samboy Lim
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 ....
professional basketball player. At 5 feet and 6 inches, he played at the point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
position and was most notably associated with the San Miguel Beer
San Miguel Beermen
The Petron Blaze Boosters is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team has been a member of the league since its inception in 1975 and hold the most PBA titles with 19.The team is owned by the Petron Corporation, a subsidiary of the Philippines' largest food...
team of 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...
.
Collegiate and pre-PBA career
Calma first became known on the collegiate basketball scene as a point guardPoint guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
of the Adamson Falcons
Adamson Soaring Falcons
The Adamson Soaring Falcons are the collegiate men's varsity teams of Adamson University that play in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. The collegiate women's varsity teams are called the Lady Falcons while the high school varsity teams are called the Baby Falcons.The...
, which played in the UAAP. Calma was a member of the Adamson team which in 1978 captured for the first time the UAAP Men's Basketball Championship
UAAP Basketball Champions
The University Athletic Association of the Philippines holds its basketball tournaments from July to October of a calendar year.The tournament is divided into two divisions, the Seniors' division, which is further divided into the Men's tournament, for male collegiate players, and the Women's...
, a feat which the university has yet to accomplish again. Calma attained further prominence as a member of the national team which qualified for several international tournaments during the 1980s, under the patronship of Danding Cojuangco and the guidance of coach Ron Jacobs. He was at the helm of the 1982 squad that captured the Asian Youth Championship of that year, beating China in the finals. In 1985, with Calma starting at point guard, the national team unexpectedly captured 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...
, beating out in the process a highly regarded American team composed of NCAA Division I players and coached by Purdue
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
's Gene Keady
Gene Keady
Lloyd Eugene "Gene" Keady is a basketball coach. Currently an assistant coach at St. John's, he is most notable for being the head basketball coach at Purdue University for 25 years, from 1980 to 2005.-Kansas State :...
. The following year, the Philippine national team would win the Asian Basketball Confederation Championship
FIBA Asia Championship
The FIBA Asia Championship for Men is a tournament which takes place every two years between teams of the continent. This is the Asian qualifying tournament for the FIBA World Championship and the Olympic basketball tournament...
for the first time since 1973.
During that period, his widely reported relationship with the swimmer (and future TV host) Christine Jacob
Christine Jacob
Christine Sotto Jacob-Sandejas, also known as Christine Jacob, is a Filipinaswimmer, actress, T.V. host, and newscaster. She was born April 30, 1967 in the Philippines to a Scottish American father Roger Jacob and a former T.V. host Rosemarie , and grew up in the United States in her elementary...
also kept his name in the public eye. Calma eventually married Inez Ortiz, a former employee of the San Miguel public relations office.
Professional career
In 1985, the national team, under the banner of Northern Consolidated Cement, competed as a guest team in the PBAPhilippine 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...
, winning the 1985 PBA Reinforced Conference
1985 PBA season
The 1985 PBA season was the 11th season of the Philippine Basketball Association .-Notable Events:*The season marked the first time without the famed Crispa Redmanizers participating in the league, a new team, Shell Azodrin took over the franchise of the disbanded Crispa.*The PBA found a new home...
. This marked Calma's first appearance in the PBA, albeit as an amateur playing with a guest team.
Calma's formal professional basketball career began at the age of 26 in the 1986 PBA Open Conference
1986 PBA season
The 1986 PBA season was the 12th season of the Philippine Basketball Association .-Notable Events:*Alaska Milk marked its first participation in the league...
when he, along with several of his national teammates, were absorbed by San Miguel Beer
San Miguel Beermen
The Petron Blaze Boosters is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team has been a member of the league since its inception in 1975 and hold the most PBA titles with 19.The team is owned by the Petron Corporation, a subsidiary of the Philippines' largest food...
when it rejoined the PBA under the name Magnolia Cheese after a brief period of disbandment. Within a year, the renamed San Miguel Beer
San Miguel Beermen
The Petron Blaze Boosters is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team has been a member of the league since its inception in 1975 and hold the most PBA titles with 19.The team is owned by the Petron Corporation, a subsidiary of the Philippines' largest food...
, coached by Norman Black
Norman Black
Norman 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...
, would win its first PBA Championship with Calma starting at point guard.
From 1987 to 1989, San Miguel would win 6 of 7 PBA conference championships, including the coveted Grand Slam
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 1989. Calma was not known for his scoring, but his skills as a playmaker sparked the SMB offense during those storied years. In a team that featured explosive scorers such as Samboy Lim
Samboy Lim
Avelino B. Lim, Jr. , better known as Samboy Lim, is a former basketball player of the Philippine Basketball Association. As a shooting guard, the iconic Lim distinguished himself with Magic Johnson-like ball handling skills and Julius "Dr...
, Ricardo Brown, and 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...
, Calma's playmaking skills was highly regarded. As a result, Calma was named three times to the PBA Mythical First Team
Philippine Basketball Association Mythical Team award
The Philippine Basketball Association Mythical Team is the award given to the best player in each of the five basketball positions: point guard, shooting guard , small forward, power forward and center. A Mythical Second Team was institutionalized in 1984.-Mythical Team Selections:-Mythical first...
, in 1987, 1988, and 1989. During those 3 years, Calma posted average of 10.6 points (on 50.3% shooting) and 5.3 assists per game. Yet as the 1990 official PBA Annual noted, "Numbers just can't fully-determine this little guy's true worth - he just creates so many offensive situations which most often draw the line between victory and defeat."
After the FIBA
International Basketball Federation
The International Basketball Federation, more commonly known as FIBA , from its French name Fédération Internationale de Basketball, is an association of national organizations which governs international competition in basketball...
allowed in 1989 the participation of professional basketball players in international competitions, Calma was recruited twice to rejoin the Philippine National Team. Calma played in the 1990 and 1994 teams that participated in the Asian Games
Asian Games
The Asian Games, officially known as Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until the 1978 Games. Since the 1982 Games they have been organised by the...
, the 1990 team capturing the silver medal.
Retirement
Calma's career faded in the 1990s with the emergence of younger point guards such as Ronnie MagsanocRonnie Magsanoc
Ronald "Ronnie" Magsanoc is a former Filipino professional basketball point guard. He was the former assistant coach of the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants and a color commentator for the television coverage of the Philippine Basketball Association...
and Johnny Abarrientos
Johnny Abarrientos
Johnny Abarrientos is a retired Filipino professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association. He was also a many-time member of the Philippine National team, and was the 1996 PBA MVP, becoming the shortest player to win the league's highest individual award.He is known by many...
. After his retirement in 1994, Calma was involved in the front office of the Coca-Cola Tigers
Coca-Cola Tigers
The Powerade Tigers is a professional basketball team of the Philippine Basketball Association founded in 2002 when the then-San Miguel Corporation-owned Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines bought the RFM-owned Cosmos Bottling Corporation. In 2006, the Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Company under the Coca-Cola...
and the San Miguel Beermen
San Miguel Beermen
The Petron Blaze Boosters is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team has been a member of the league since its inception in 1975 and hold the most PBA titles with 19.The team is owned by the Petron Corporation, a subsidiary of the Philippines' largest food...
. He currently serves as the team manager of the Beermen.
In 2000, Calma was named to the PBA's 25th Anniversary All-Time Team
PBA's 25th Anniversary All-Time Team
The Philippine Basketball Association’s 25 greatest players were named at the league’s silver anniversary in 2000. -See also:* Philippine Basketball Association Most Valuable Player award...
. He was joined in that honor by two of his teammates from the SMB Grand Slam team, 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 Samboy Lim
Samboy Lim
Avelino B. Lim, Jr. , better known as Samboy Lim, is a former basketball player of the Philippine Basketball Association. As a shooting guard, the iconic Lim distinguished himself with Magic Johnson-like ball handling skills and Julius "Dr...
See also
- Philippine Basketball AssociationPhilippine Basketball AssociationThe 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...
- Philippine national basketball team
- San Miguel BeermenSan Miguel BeermenThe Petron Blaze Boosters is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team has been a member of the league since its inception in 1975 and hold the most PBA titles with 19.The team is owned by the Petron Corporation, a subsidiary of the Philippines' largest food...
- History of Philippine Basketball
- PBA's 25th Anniversary All-Time TeamPBA's 25th Anniversary All-Time TeamThe Philippine Basketball Association’s 25 greatest players were named at the league’s silver anniversary in 2000. -See also:* Philippine Basketball Association Most Valuable Player award...
- Ron Jacobs
Hector Calma (born March 2, 1960) is a retired 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 ....
professional basketball player. At 5 feet and 6 inches, he played at the point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
position and was most notably associated with the San Miguel Beer
San Miguel Beermen
The Petron Blaze Boosters is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team has been a member of the league since its inception in 1975 and hold the most PBA titles with 19.The team is owned by the Petron Corporation, a subsidiary of the Philippines' largest food...
team of 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...
.
Collegiate and pre-PBA career
Calma first became known on the collegiate basketball scene as a point guardPoint guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
of the Adamson Falcons
Adamson Soaring Falcons
The Adamson Soaring Falcons are the collegiate men's varsity teams of Adamson University that play in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. The collegiate women's varsity teams are called the Lady Falcons while the high school varsity teams are called the Baby Falcons.The...
, which played in the UAAP. Calma was a member of the Adamson team which in 1978 captured for the first time the UAAP Men's Basketball Championship
UAAP Basketball Champions
The University Athletic Association of the Philippines holds its basketball tournaments from July to October of a calendar year.The tournament is divided into two divisions, the Seniors' division, which is further divided into the Men's tournament, for male collegiate players, and the Women's...
, a feat which the university has yet to accomplish again. Calma attained further prominence as a member of the national team which qualified for several international tournaments during the 1980s, under the patronship of Danding Cojuangco and the guidance of coach Ron Jacobs. He was at the helm of the 1982 squad that captured the Asian Youth Championship of that year, beating China in the finals. In 1985, with Calma starting at point guard, the national team unexpectedly captured 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...
, beating out in the process a highly regarded American team composed of NCAA Division I players and coached by Purdue
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
's Gene Keady
Gene Keady
Lloyd Eugene "Gene" Keady is a basketball coach. Currently an assistant coach at St. John's, he is most notable for being the head basketball coach at Purdue University for 25 years, from 1980 to 2005.-Kansas State :...
. The following year, the Philippine national team would win the Asian Basketball Confederation Championship
FIBA Asia Championship
The FIBA Asia Championship for Men is a tournament which takes place every two years between teams of the continent. This is the Asian qualifying tournament for the FIBA World Championship and the Olympic basketball tournament...
for the first time since 1973.
During that period, his widely reported relationship with the swimmer (and future TV host) Christine Jacob
Christine Jacob
Christine Sotto Jacob-Sandejas, also known as Christine Jacob, is a Filipinaswimmer, actress, T.V. host, and newscaster. She was born April 30, 1967 in the Philippines to a Scottish American father Roger Jacob and a former T.V. host Rosemarie , and grew up in the United States in her elementary...
also kept his name in the public eye. Calma eventually married Inez Ortiz, a former employee of the San Miguel public relations office.
Professional career
In 1985, the national team, under the banner of Northern Consolidated Cement, competed as a guest team in the PBAPhilippine 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...
, winning the 1985 PBA Reinforced Conference
1985 PBA season
The 1985 PBA season was the 11th season of the Philippine Basketball Association .-Notable Events:*The season marked the first time without the famed Crispa Redmanizers participating in the league, a new team, Shell Azodrin took over the franchise of the disbanded Crispa.*The PBA found a new home...
. This marked Calma's first appearance in the PBA, albeit as an amateur playing with a guest team.
Calma's formal professional basketball career began at the age of 26 in the 1986 PBA Open Conference
1986 PBA season
The 1986 PBA season was the 12th season of the Philippine Basketball Association .-Notable Events:*Alaska Milk marked its first participation in the league...
when he, along with several of his national teammates, were absorbed by San Miguel Beer
San Miguel Beermen
The Petron Blaze Boosters is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team has been a member of the league since its inception in 1975 and hold the most PBA titles with 19.The team is owned by the Petron Corporation, a subsidiary of the Philippines' largest food...
when it rejoined the PBA under the name Magnolia Cheese after a brief period of disbandment. Within a year, the renamed San Miguel Beer
San Miguel Beermen
The Petron Blaze Boosters is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team has been a member of the league since its inception in 1975 and hold the most PBA titles with 19.The team is owned by the Petron Corporation, a subsidiary of the Philippines' largest food...
, coached by Norman Black
Norman Black
Norman 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...
, would win its first PBA Championship with Calma starting at point guard.
From 1987 to 1989, San Miguel would win 6 of 7 PBA conference championships, including the coveted Grand Slam
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 1989. Calma was not known for his scoring, but his skills as a playmaker sparked the SMB offense during those storied years. In a team that featured explosive scorers such as Samboy Lim
Samboy Lim
Avelino B. Lim, Jr. , better known as Samboy Lim, is a former basketball player of the Philippine Basketball Association. As a shooting guard, the iconic Lim distinguished himself with Magic Johnson-like ball handling skills and Julius "Dr...
, Ricardo Brown, and 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...
, Calma's playmaking skills was highly regarded. As a result, Calma was named three times to the PBA Mythical First Team
Philippine Basketball Association Mythical Team award
The Philippine Basketball Association Mythical Team is the award given to the best player in each of the five basketball positions: point guard, shooting guard , small forward, power forward and center. A Mythical Second Team was institutionalized in 1984.-Mythical Team Selections:-Mythical first...
, in 1987, 1988, and 1989. During those 3 years, Calma posted average of 10.6 points (on 50.3% shooting) and 5.3 assists per game. Yet as the 1990 official PBA Annual noted, "Numbers just can't fully-determine this little guy's true worth - he just creates so many offensive situations which most often draw the line between victory and defeat."
After the FIBA
International Basketball Federation
The International Basketball Federation, more commonly known as FIBA , from its French name Fédération Internationale de Basketball, is an association of national organizations which governs international competition in basketball...
allowed in 1989 the participation of professional basketball players in international competitions, Calma was recruited twice to rejoin the Philippine National Team. Calma played in the 1990 and 1994 teams that participated in the Asian Games
Asian Games
The Asian Games, officially known as Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until the 1978 Games. Since the 1982 Games they have been organised by the...
, the 1990 team capturing the silver medal.
Retirement
Calma's career faded in the 1990s with the emergence of younger point guards such as Ronnie MagsanocRonnie Magsanoc
Ronald "Ronnie" Magsanoc is a former Filipino professional basketball point guard. He was the former assistant coach of the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants and a color commentator for the television coverage of the Philippine Basketball Association...
and Johnny Abarrientos
Johnny Abarrientos
Johnny Abarrientos is a retired Filipino professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association. He was also a many-time member of the Philippine National team, and was the 1996 PBA MVP, becoming the shortest player to win the league's highest individual award.He is known by many...
. After his retirement in 1994, Calma was involved in the front office of the Coca-Cola Tigers
Coca-Cola Tigers
The Powerade Tigers is a professional basketball team of the Philippine Basketball Association founded in 2002 when the then-San Miguel Corporation-owned Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines bought the RFM-owned Cosmos Bottling Corporation. In 2006, the Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Company under the Coca-Cola...
and the San Miguel Beermen
San Miguel Beermen
The Petron Blaze Boosters is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team has been a member of the league since its inception in 1975 and hold the most PBA titles with 19.The team is owned by the Petron Corporation, a subsidiary of the Philippines' largest food...
. He currently serves as the team manager of the Beermen.
In 2000, Calma was named to the PBA's 25th Anniversary All-Time Team
PBA's 25th Anniversary All-Time Team
The Philippine Basketball Association’s 25 greatest players were named at the league’s silver anniversary in 2000. -See also:* Philippine Basketball Association Most Valuable Player award...
. He was joined in that honor by two of his teammates from the SMB Grand Slam team, 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 Samboy Lim
Samboy Lim
Avelino B. Lim, Jr. , better known as Samboy Lim, is a former basketball player of the Philippine Basketball Association. As a shooting guard, the iconic Lim distinguished himself with Magic Johnson-like ball handling skills and Julius "Dr...
See also
- Philippine Basketball AssociationPhilippine Basketball AssociationThe 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...
- Philippine national basketball team
- San Miguel BeermenSan Miguel BeermenThe Petron Blaze Boosters is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team has been a member of the league since its inception in 1975 and hold the most PBA titles with 19.The team is owned by the Petron Corporation, a subsidiary of the Philippines' largest food...
- History of Philippine Basketball
- PBA's 25th Anniversary All-Time TeamPBA's 25th Anniversary All-Time TeamThe Philippine Basketball Association’s 25 greatest players were named at the league’s silver anniversary in 2000. -See also:* Philippine Basketball Association Most Valuable Player award...
- Ron Jacobs
Hector Calma (born March 2, 1960) is a retired 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 ....
professional basketball player. At 5 feet and 6 inches, he played at the point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
position and was most notably associated with the San Miguel Beer
San Miguel Beermen
The Petron Blaze Boosters is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team has been a member of the league since its inception in 1975 and hold the most PBA titles with 19.The team is owned by the Petron Corporation, a subsidiary of the Philippines' largest food...
team of 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...
.
Collegiate and pre-PBA career
Calma first became known on the collegiate basketball scene as a point guardPoint guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
of the Adamson Falcons
Adamson Soaring Falcons
The Adamson Soaring Falcons are the collegiate men's varsity teams of Adamson University that play in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. The collegiate women's varsity teams are called the Lady Falcons while the high school varsity teams are called the Baby Falcons.The...
, which played in the UAAP. Calma was a member of the Adamson team which in 1978 captured for the first time the UAAP Men's Basketball Championship
UAAP Basketball Champions
The University Athletic Association of the Philippines holds its basketball tournaments from July to October of a calendar year.The tournament is divided into two divisions, the Seniors' division, which is further divided into the Men's tournament, for male collegiate players, and the Women's...
, a feat which the university has yet to accomplish again. Calma attained further prominence as a member of the national team which qualified for several international tournaments during the 1980s, under the patronship of Danding Cojuangco and the guidance of coach Ron Jacobs. He was at the helm of the 1982 squad that captured the Asian Youth Championship of that year, beating China in the finals. In 1985, with Calma starting at point guard, the national team unexpectedly captured 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...
, beating out in the process a highly regarded American team composed of NCAA Division I players and coached by Purdue
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
's Gene Keady
Gene Keady
Lloyd Eugene "Gene" Keady is a basketball coach. Currently an assistant coach at St. John's, he is most notable for being the head basketball coach at Purdue University for 25 years, from 1980 to 2005.-Kansas State :...
. The following year, the Philippine national team would win the Asian Basketball Confederation Championship
FIBA Asia Championship
The FIBA Asia Championship for Men is a tournament which takes place every two years between teams of the continent. This is the Asian qualifying tournament for the FIBA World Championship and the Olympic basketball tournament...
for the first time since 1973.
During that period, his widely reported relationship with the swimmer (and future TV host) Christine Jacob
Christine Jacob
Christine Sotto Jacob-Sandejas, also known as Christine Jacob, is a Filipinaswimmer, actress, T.V. host, and newscaster. She was born April 30, 1967 in the Philippines to a Scottish American father Roger Jacob and a former T.V. host Rosemarie , and grew up in the United States in her elementary...
also kept his name in the public eye. Calma eventually married Inez Ortiz, a former employee of the San Miguel public relations office.
Professional career
In 1985, the national team, under the banner of Northern Consolidated Cement, competed as a guest team in the PBAPhilippine 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...
, winning the 1985 PBA Reinforced Conference
1985 PBA season
The 1985 PBA season was the 11th season of the Philippine Basketball Association .-Notable Events:*The season marked the first time without the famed Crispa Redmanizers participating in the league, a new team, Shell Azodrin took over the franchise of the disbanded Crispa.*The PBA found a new home...
. This marked Calma's first appearance in the PBA, albeit as an amateur playing with a guest team.
Calma's formal professional basketball career began at the age of 26 in the 1986 PBA Open Conference
1986 PBA season
The 1986 PBA season was the 12th season of the Philippine Basketball Association .-Notable Events:*Alaska Milk marked its first participation in the league...
when he, along with several of his national teammates, were absorbed by San Miguel Beer
San Miguel Beermen
The Petron Blaze Boosters is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team has been a member of the league since its inception in 1975 and hold the most PBA titles with 19.The team is owned by the Petron Corporation, a subsidiary of the Philippines' largest food...
when it rejoined the PBA under the name Magnolia Cheese after a brief period of disbandment. Within a year, the renamed San Miguel Beer
San Miguel Beermen
The Petron Blaze Boosters is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team has been a member of the league since its inception in 1975 and hold the most PBA titles with 19.The team is owned by the Petron Corporation, a subsidiary of the Philippines' largest food...
, coached by Norman Black
Norman Black
Norman 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...
, would win its first PBA Championship with Calma starting at point guard.
From 1987 to 1989, San Miguel would win 6 of 7 PBA conference championships, including the coveted Grand Slam
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 1989. Calma was not known for his scoring, but his skills as a playmaker sparked the SMB offense during those storied years. In a team that featured explosive scorers such as Samboy Lim
Samboy Lim
Avelino B. Lim, Jr. , better known as Samboy Lim, is a former basketball player of the Philippine Basketball Association. As a shooting guard, the iconic Lim distinguished himself with Magic Johnson-like ball handling skills and Julius "Dr...
, Ricardo Brown, and 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...
, Calma's playmaking skills was highly regarded. As a result, Calma was named three times to the PBA Mythical First Team
Philippine Basketball Association Mythical Team award
The Philippine Basketball Association Mythical Team is the award given to the best player in each of the five basketball positions: point guard, shooting guard , small forward, power forward and center. A Mythical Second Team was institutionalized in 1984.-Mythical Team Selections:-Mythical first...
, in 1987, 1988, and 1989. During those 3 years, Calma posted average of 10.6 points (on 50.3% shooting) and 5.3 assists per game. Yet as the 1990 official PBA Annual noted, "Numbers just can't fully-determine this little guy's true worth - he just creates so many offensive situations which most often draw the line between victory and defeat."
After the FIBA
International Basketball Federation
The International Basketball Federation, more commonly known as FIBA , from its French name Fédération Internationale de Basketball, is an association of national organizations which governs international competition in basketball...
allowed in 1989 the participation of professional basketball players in international competitions, Calma was recruited twice to rejoin the Philippine National Team. Calma played in the 1990 and 1994 teams that participated in the Asian Games
Asian Games
The Asian Games, officially known as Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Games were regulated by the Asian Games Federation from the first Games in New Delhi, India, until the 1978 Games. Since the 1982 Games they have been organised by the...
, the 1990 team capturing the silver medal.
Retirement
Calma's career faded in the 1990s with the emergence of younger point guards such as Ronnie MagsanocRonnie Magsanoc
Ronald "Ronnie" Magsanoc is a former Filipino professional basketball point guard. He was the former assistant coach of the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants and a color commentator for the television coverage of the Philippine Basketball Association...
and Johnny Abarrientos
Johnny Abarrientos
Johnny Abarrientos is a retired Filipino professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association. He was also a many-time member of the Philippine National team, and was the 1996 PBA MVP, becoming the shortest player to win the league's highest individual award.He is known by many...
. After his retirement in 1994, Calma was involved in the front office of the Coca-Cola Tigers
Coca-Cola Tigers
The Powerade Tigers is a professional basketball team of the Philippine Basketball Association founded in 2002 when the then-San Miguel Corporation-owned Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines bought the RFM-owned Cosmos Bottling Corporation. In 2006, the Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Company under the Coca-Cola...
and the San Miguel Beermen
San Miguel Beermen
The Petron Blaze Boosters is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team has been a member of the league since its inception in 1975 and hold the most PBA titles with 19.The team is owned by the Petron Corporation, a subsidiary of the Philippines' largest food...
. He currently serves as the team manager of the Beermen.
In 2000, Calma was named to the PBA's 25th Anniversary All-Time Team
PBA's 25th Anniversary All-Time Team
The Philippine Basketball Association’s 25 greatest players were named at the league’s silver anniversary in 2000. -See also:* Philippine Basketball Association Most Valuable Player award...
. He was joined in that honor by two of his teammates from the SMB Grand Slam team, 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 Samboy Lim
Samboy Lim
Avelino B. Lim, Jr. , better known as Samboy Lim, is a former basketball player of the Philippine Basketball Association. As a shooting guard, the iconic Lim distinguished himself with Magic Johnson-like ball handling skills and Julius "Dr...
See also
- Philippine Basketball AssociationPhilippine Basketball AssociationThe 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...
- Philippine national basketball team
- San Miguel BeermenSan Miguel BeermenThe Petron Blaze Boosters is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team has been a member of the league since its inception in 1975 and hold the most PBA titles with 19.The team is owned by the Petron Corporation, a subsidiary of the Philippines' largest food...
- History of Philippine Basketball
- PBA's 25th Anniversary All-Time TeamPBA's 25th Anniversary All-Time TeamThe Philippine Basketball Association’s 25 greatest players were named at the league’s silver anniversary in 2000. -See also:* Philippine Basketball Association Most Valuable Player award...
- Ron Jacobs