James Yap
Encyclopedia
James Carlos Yap Sr. is a Filipino
professional basketball player for the B-Meg Llamados in the Philippine Basketball Association
. Yap enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Bacolod Tay Tung High School and then at Iloilo Central Commercial High School, where he sparked his team to three consecutive Iloilo PRISAA titles. He then went on to play at the collegiate level for the UE Red Warriors
and helped the team to the Final Four in 2002 after years of absence. However, the Red Warriors lost to the Blue Eagles
, the eventual champions. In the following season of UAAP, Yap led the Red Warriors to the Final Four for the second straight time. Eventually in the semifinals series, the Warriors lost to the Far Eastern University
Tamaraws
. Nevertheless, Yap was named as the Most Valuable Player in 2003.
Yap also played for the Philippine Basketball League
from 2001 to 2004. He decided to declare his eligibility for the PBA Draft, and was selected with the 2nd overall pick in the 2004 PBA Draft by the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants. One of the focal points of the Purefoods offense, he is the 2005-2006 and 2009-2010 season's Most Valuable Player and he is also 2009-2010 Philippine Cup Conference MVP. Yap is also an eight-time PBA South All-Star team starter through 2004 to 2011 and a many-time member of the RP Basketball Team
.
.
Yap emerged to be one of the most promising basketball stars in the Iloilo/Negros region back in the late 1990s. Early on that decade, he played for the Bacolod Tay Tung High School
and made his mark. He was transferred to Iloilo Central Commercial High School
, displaying his skills. Manila Standard. Along the way, he sparked his team to three consecutive Iloilo PRISAA titles. It was now rumored that the Negros Slashers
of the now-defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association
was going to sign Yap.
Instead, Yap went on to play at the collegiate level. He played for the UE Red Warriors
under former national team coach Boysie Zamar. In 2002, known for his quick-release shooting and all-around presence, he, alongside Paul Artadi
and Ronald Tubid
, brought the Red Warriors to the Final Four after years of absence. However, second seed University of the East
lost to a dramatic semifinal series as they faced the Ateneo de Manila University
Blue Eagles
, the eventual champions. In the same year, he led UE to the first Bantay Bata Crossover Cup, exacting a sweet revenge against Ateneo in the Finals. A month after, he once again led UE to the inaugural Collegiate Champions League crown, beating FEU.
In the 66th season of UAAP, Yap led the Red Warriors to the Final Four for the second straight time as he topped his teammates in points and rebounding, and closed second to Artadi in overall efficiency rating. Eventually in the semifinals series, the Warriors lost to a much more defense-orchestrated team, the Far Eastern University
Tamaraws
led by tactician coach Koy Banal and star player Arwind Santos
. Nevertheless, Yap was named as the Most Valuable Player from coaches, players, and media votes. In the same year, he, along with incourt partner Paul Artadi
, was teamed up with other UAAP and PBL counterparts to lead the Philippines in the 2003 Southeast Asian Games
to a gold medal finish and was eventually honored by Philippines Sportswriter Association as the best basketball player in the amateurs alongside the best player in the professional level, Asi Taulava
.
Yap played in the Philippine Basketball League
from 2001 to 2004. In 2001, he played for the ICTSI-La Salle Archers forming a backcourt tandem with Mike Cortez
that almost had their team beating the veteran-laden Shark Energy Drink in the finals. In 2002, along with Mark Cardona
and Joseph Yeo
, he helped put the Archers in the playoffs against the Blu Detergent Kings. In 2003, he had to sit out the whole conference after ICTSI refused to sign his release papers to make him eligible to play for Sunkist-Pampanga. In 2004, Yap signed up for one conference with the Welcoat Paintmasters, teaming up with the comebacking Jojo Tangkay
, leading them to a runner-up finish. He and Tangkay lost to Peter June Simon
of the Fash team for the MVP plum.
, and was selected as the second overall pick by the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants. Bothered by an ailing shoulder, Yap had a slow start in the 2004-05 season. Later on, he improved as he had numerous games of which he scored 20 or more points. However, Purefoods failed to get past the quarterfinal round against the Shell Turbo Chargers
. Yap eventually lost to Rich Alvarez
in the Rookie of the Year
award race.
then had a career-high 37 points to beat Barangay Ginebra Kings
. Near the end of the round, he played an important role in the win against the powerhouse team Talk 'N Text. The victory put the Purefoods team in a best-of-seven semifinals slot.
After the accumulation of player statistics at the end of the semis, Yap edged out teammate Kerby Raymundo
and Red Bulls' Enrico Villanueva
for the Philippine Basketball Association Most Valuable Player award
. This made him, at 24 years of age, the fifth youngest player, and second sophomore to have won the individual award. He was the statistical leader and garnered more than 7000 combined votes from players, the 4-man committee, and the media, almost 5000 votes ahead of the rest of the candidates. Yap was the first Purefoods player since Alvin Patrimonio
to win the MVP award. He was also named to the Mythical First Team alongside teammates Raymundo and Roger Yap
, and on-court rivals Enrico Villanueva and Lordy Tugade
.
playoffs. He scored six of the Giants' 11 3-pointers. In the following game against the Coca Cola Tigers, the Escalante native recorded 40 points as Purefoods lost 100-97, thus being eliminated from the Conference. Despite failing to deliver the win for his team, Yap's efforts equaled former PBA player Nelson Asaytono
's record of scoring 40+ points in back-to-back games.
On July 9, 2008, during a game against Talk N' Text at the Ynares Center in Antipolo
, Yap got involved in an altercation between teammate Jondan Salvador
and TNT import Terrence Leather. The episode happened in the fourth and last quarter of the game, after Salvador and Leather got involved in a physical play. Apparently Leather was not pleased by the contact, and after exchanging a few words with Salvador he threw him the ball. Yap reacted during the confrontation between the two players and kicked Leather in the legs. The American player chased Yap, who ran away following the kick, but was pacified by his teammates and game officials. In a joint interview with his wife, Kris, the 2005-2006 MVP apologized to basketball fans following the incident, and asked them not to follow his bad example.
In the 2007-2008 season, Yap averaged 21.3 points, 1.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 0.3 blocks per game.
During the 2009 PBA All-Star Weekend
at the Araneta Coliseum, Yap scored 21 points to defeat San Miguel Beermen
guard Dondon Hontiveros
and Burger King Whoppers guard Gary David
in the Three-Point Shootout contest.
started on October 11, 2009. Purefoods finished third in the elimination round with a 12–6 record, outlasted the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the quarterfinals in five games, and defeated the #2 seed and sister team San Miguel Beermen in six games after trailing the series 1–2. In the Finals
, Purefoods swept Alaska, 4-0, to be crowned 2009-2010 PBA Philippine Cup
champions. During their series against the Aces in the finals, Yap scored 24, 32, 14, and 18 points respectively. For leading his team to this incredible feat, Yap was named Best Player of the Conference (BPC), as well as Finals MVP. He also won his second MVP award, for the 2009-2010 PBA season. Yap was lauded for winning the award despite numerous distractions he had to deal with off the court. During his acceptance speech, Yap tearfully dedicated his latest trophy to his son Baby James.
During the 2009-10 season
, Yap was selected to his 7th All-Star Game appearance. In March 2011, via fan voting, Yap was voted to his 7th consecutive PBA All-Star Game; the Escalante native collected the most number of votes with 28, 444 to become the starting guard for the South team.
Starting the 2010 Fiesta Conference, the team changed its name from Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants to B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados. The end of the season, however, marked the departure of coach Ryan Gregorio
, who left the Llamados after seven years and signed a deal with PBA returnee Meralco Bolts
. Gregorio was succeeded by his assistant and multi-titled Philippine Basketball League coach Jorge Gallent
.
, it was announced that Yap would be re-signing with B-Meg. The Llamados entered the 2010-11 PBA Philippine Cup as defending champions. In the first round of the tournament, the former University of the East standout averaged 15.1 points per game, while the team ended the Classification Phase with a record of 7-7. The two-time MVP and Peter June Simon
led the team to the quarter-finals, in which B-Meg scored back-to-back wins against the Meralco Bolts
. For the series, Yap averaged 22.0 points, as the Llamados defeated Meralco in two games. Following this series, the Llamados found themselves on a collision course with the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the semifinals. In a losing effort in Game 1 (B-Meg lost 91-98), Yap was able to record a personal conference-high of 36 points. Yap suffered breathing difficulties and struggled with his shooting in Game 2, scoring 13 points in 31 minutes, but still played a main role and came up with a game-winning steal in the final seconds of the last quarter that gave B-Meg a 88-87 victory. The Tropang Texters won Game 3, but the defending champions tied the series 2-2 in Game 4 with a 98-93 win, despite a late rally by TNT in the fourth quarter. Talk N' Text would eventually defeat the Llamados in Game 5 (97-83) and Game 6 (89-72), thus eliminating the defending champions from the tournament.
The 2011 PBA Commissioner's Cup
, the second conference of the season, began of February 18, 2011. After compiling a 0-2 record in the first 2 games of the elimination round, the Llamados broke their losing streak with a 121-92 win against the Air21 Express
. In the following game against the Barangay Ginebra Kings on March 6, Yap recorded 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as B-Meg won 89-96; it was Yap's first double-double since the 2006 Philippine Cup. The two-time MVP was also named Player of the Week from February 28 to March 6. On March 13, 2011, Yap injured his calf in a 91-97 loss against the Alaska Aces. He missed the following four games of the elimination round against Meralco, Smart Gilas, San Miguel and Talk N' Text. The Llamados were eventually eliminated in the first round of the Commissioner's Cup with a 4-5 record. The team's quest for a championship in the 2010-11 season was ended when they were eliminated in the semifinals of the 2011 PBA Governors Cup
.
| align="left" | 2004-05
| align="left" | Purefoods
| 63 || 26.9 || .389 || .277 || .782 || 4.7 || 1.0 || .5 || .2 || 12.5
|-
| align="left" | 2005-06
| align="left" | Purefoods
| 57 || 36.4 || .400 || .343 || .780 || 4.4 || 1.2 || 1.2 || .4 || 17.6
|-
| align="left" | 2006-07
| align="left" | Purefoods
| 41 || 38.4 || .405 || .340 || .781 || 4.2 || 1.8 || .7 || .4 || 19.7
|-
| align="left" | 2007-08
| align="left" | Purefoods
| 50 || 37.0 || .396 || .359 || .802 || 4.1 || 1.6 || .8 || .3 || 21.3
|-
| align="left" | 2008-09
| align="left" | Purefoods
| 36 || 35.0 || .394 || .308 || .720 || 4.3 || 1.6 || .8 || .2 || 18.1
|-
| align="left" | 2009-10
| align="left" | Purefoods/B-Meg Derby Ace
| 64 || 33.9 || .396 || .302 || .701 || 3.5 || 2.0 || .6 || .2 || 18.0
|-
| align="left" | 2010-11
| align="left" | Derby Ace
| 40 || 36.1 || .382 || .292 || .717 || 4.3 || 1.8 || .6 || .3 || 18.5
|-
| align="left" | 2011-12
| align="left" | B-Meg
| 1 || 137.0 || .235 || .000 || 1.000 || 15.0 || 13.0 || 10.0 || 1.0 || 10.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 352 || 34.4 || .395 || .319 || .751 || 4.2 || 1.5 || 0.7 || 0.3 || 17.7
, the daughter of slain former senator, Benigno Aquino, Jr.
and the late former President
Corazon Aquino
. Kris is also the sister of current Philippine president Benigno Aquino III.
Yap and Kris Aquino's relationship was rumored as early as 2005 before they acknowledged this on various interviews. By 2006, both have admitted to having tied the knot as early as mid 2005; the actual date of their marriage was July 10 under civil rites kept unknown to the public.
His marriage with Aquino was rocked by the revelation of a former receptionist from a beauty clinic that she had a relationship with Yap, which the latter vehemently denied in an interview with Korina Sanchez
.
This eventually led to Aquino asking for some "space" from the star cager. Yap again denied the receptionist's allegations in a press statement. The issue has since died down after Aquino's pregnancy was revealed.
On April 19, 2007, his first son with Aquino was born. James Aquino Yap, Jr., nicknamed Baby James or Bimby, was born at the Makati Medical Center
, Makati City
at 5:08 pm local time and weighing 4.3 lbs. He was baptized on May 19, 2007 at the Don Bosco Church in Makati, with 10 godparents.
As of June 26, 2010, Kris Aquino announced that she had separated from Yap, citing personal reasons.
Yap has made a cameo appearance as Diether Ocampo
's body double in Aquino's 2010 film, Dalaw
.
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 for the B-Meg Llamados 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...
. Yap enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Bacolod Tay Tung High School and then at Iloilo Central Commercial High School, where he sparked his team to three consecutive Iloilo PRISAA titles. He then went on to play at the collegiate level for the UE Red Warriors
UE Red Warriors
The UE Red Warriors is the men's varsity team of the University of the East in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. The women's varsity team is called the Amazons, while the junior varsity team is called the Junior Warriors .-About UE:University of the East is one of the eight...
and helped the team to the Final Four in 2002 after years of absence. However, the Red Warriors lost to the Blue Eagles
Ateneo Blue Eagles
The Ateneo Blue Eagles is the name of the collegiate men's varsity basketball team of the Ateneo de Manila University that plays in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, the premiere sports league in the country. The collegiate women's varsity basketball team is called the Lady...
, the eventual champions. In the following season of UAAP, Yap led the Red Warriors to the Final Four for the second straight time. Eventually in the semifinals series, the Warriors lost to the Far Eastern University
Far Eastern University
Far Eastern University in the University Belt area, West Sampaloc, City of Manila, is a nonsectarian, private university in the Philippines. Created by the merger of Far Eastern College and the Institute of Accounts, Business and Finance, FEU became a university in 1934 under the guidance of...
Tamaraws
FEU Tamaraws
The FEU Tamaraws is the collegiate men's varsity team of Far Eastern University in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines...
. Nevertheless, Yap was named as the Most Valuable Player in 2003.
Yap also played for the Philippine Basketball League
Philippine Basketball League
The Philippine Basketball League is a commercial semi-professional basketball league in the Philippines. The league is composed of several commercial teams with several collegiate and provincial stars.-History:...
from 2001 to 2004. He decided to declare his eligibility for the PBA Draft, and was selected with the 2nd overall pick in the 2004 PBA Draft by the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants. One of the focal points of the Purefoods offense, he is the 2005-2006 and 2009-2010 season's Most Valuable Player and he is also 2009-2010 Philippine Cup Conference MVP. Yap is also an eight-time PBA South All-Star team starter through 2004 to 2011 and a many-time member of the RP 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...
.
Amateur career
Yap was born in Escalante, Negros Occidental. As a child, Yap already showed athleticism playing football, baseball, and track and field until high school. Growing up, he looked up to one of the most prolific players in the history of Philippine Basketball, Samboy LimSamboy 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...
.
Yap emerged to be one of the most promising basketball stars in the Iloilo/Negros region back in the late 1990s. Early on that decade, he played for the Bacolod Tay Tung High School
Bacolod Tay Tung High School
Bacolod Tay Tung High School is a co-educational Chinese educational institution in Bacolod City in the province of Negros Occidental, Philippines...
and made his mark. He was transferred to Iloilo Central Commercial High School
Iloilo Central Commercial High School
Iloilo Central Commercial High School is an educational institution located on Iznart Street, Iloilo City, Philippines. It was founded by the Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Iloilo, Inc.-History:...
, displaying his skills. Manila Standard. Along the way, he sparked his team to three consecutive Iloilo PRISAA titles. It was now rumored that the Negros Slashers
Negros Slashers
The Negros Slashers also known as the RCPI-Negros Slashers was a former professional basketball team in the Metropolitan Basketball Association from 1998 to 2002. The team enjoyed considerable success, winning the MBA National Championship in 2002, the last season of the said league...
of the now-defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association
Metropolitan Basketball Association
The Metropolitan Basketball Association or Metroball was a professional basketball league in the Philippines founded in 1998.The MBA overtook the Philippine Basketball Association's plans on regionalization when the league adopted a home-and-away format where teams, instead of representing...
was going to sign Yap.
Instead, Yap went on to play at the collegiate level. He played for the UE Red Warriors
UE Red Warriors
The UE Red Warriors is the men's varsity team of the University of the East in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines. The women's varsity team is called the Amazons, while the junior varsity team is called the Junior Warriors .-About UE:University of the East is one of the eight...
under former national team coach Boysie Zamar. In 2002, known for his quick-release shooting and all-around presence, he, alongside Paul Artadi
Paul Artadi
Paul Anthony Dy Artadi is a professional Filipino basketball player for the Barako Bull Energy in the Philippine Basketball Association....
and Ronald Tubid
Ronald Tubid
Ronald Tubid is a Filipino professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association for the Barangay Ginebra Kings...
, brought the Red Warriors to the Final Four after years of absence. However, second seed University of the East
University of the East
The University of the East is a private nonsectarian university located in University Belt Area, district of Sampaloc, Manila, Philippines. The university was founded in 1946 as a coeducational institution...
lost to a dramatic semifinal series as they faced the Ateneo de Manila University
Ateneo de Manila University
The Ateneo de Manila University is a private teaching and research university run by the Society of Jesus in the Philippines. It began in 1859 when the City of Manila handed control of the Escuela Municipal de Manila in Intramuros, Manila, to the Jesuits...
Blue Eagles
Ateneo Blue Eagles
The Ateneo Blue Eagles is the name of the collegiate men's varsity basketball team of the Ateneo de Manila University that plays in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines, the premiere sports league in the country. The collegiate women's varsity basketball team is called the Lady...
, the eventual champions. In the same year, he led UE to the first Bantay Bata Crossover Cup, exacting a sweet revenge against Ateneo in the Finals. A month after, he once again led UE to the inaugural Collegiate Champions League crown, beating FEU.
In the 66th season of UAAP, Yap led the Red Warriors to the Final Four for the second straight time as he topped his teammates in points and rebounding, and closed second to Artadi in overall efficiency rating. Eventually in the semifinals series, the Warriors lost to a much more defense-orchestrated team, the Far Eastern University
Far Eastern University
Far Eastern University in the University Belt area, West Sampaloc, City of Manila, is a nonsectarian, private university in the Philippines. Created by the merger of Far Eastern College and the Institute of Accounts, Business and Finance, FEU became a university in 1934 under the guidance of...
Tamaraws
FEU Tamaraws
The FEU Tamaraws is the collegiate men's varsity team of Far Eastern University in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines...
led by tactician coach Koy Banal and star player Arwind Santos
Arwind Santos
Arwind Santos is a Filipino professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association playing for the Petron Blaze Boosters. He also played college hoops at Far Eastern University in the UAAP and the Magnolia Ice Cream Spinners in the Philippine Basketball League...
. Nevertheless, Yap was named as the Most Valuable Player from coaches, players, and media votes. In the same year, he, along with incourt partner Paul Artadi
Paul Artadi
Paul Anthony Dy Artadi is a professional Filipino basketball player for the Barako Bull Energy in the Philippine Basketball Association....
, was teamed up with other UAAP and PBL counterparts to lead the Philippines in the 2003 Southeast Asian Games
2003 Southeast Asian Games
The 22nd Southeast Asian Games were held in Hanoi, Vietnam from 5 December - 13 December 2003. The games were opened by Vietnamese prime minister Phan Van Khai in the newly constructed My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi. The games torch was lit by Nguyen Thuy Hien of Wushu...
to a gold medal finish and was eventually honored by Philippines Sportswriter Association as the best basketball player in the amateurs alongside the best player in the professional level, Asi Taulava
Asi Taulava
Pauliasi M. Taulava also known as Asi Taulava is a American-born Filipino-Tongan professional basketball player playing in the Philippines for the Meralco Bolts in the Philippine Basketball Association....
.
Yap played in the Philippine Basketball League
Philippine Basketball League
The Philippine Basketball League is a commercial semi-professional basketball league in the Philippines. The league is composed of several commercial teams with several collegiate and provincial stars.-History:...
from 2001 to 2004. In 2001, he played for the ICTSI-La Salle Archers forming a backcourt tandem with Mike Cortez
Mike Cortez
Mike Cortez is a professional basketball player for the Barangay Ginebra Kings in the Philippine Basketball Association. Cortez gained prominence in the amateur ranks for the De La Salle Green Archers in the UAAP and the ICTSI Archers in the Philippine Basketball League...
that almost had their team beating the veteran-laden Shark Energy Drink in the finals. In 2002, along with Mark Cardona
Mark Cardona
Mark "Macmac" Cardona is a Filipino professional basketball player currently playing for the Meralco Bolts in the Philippine Basketball Association...
and Joseph Yeo
Joseph Yeo
Joseph Henry L. Yeo , better known as Joseph Yeo, is a Filipino-Chinese professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association who currently plays for the Petron Blaze Boosters...
, he helped put the Archers in the playoffs against the Blu Detergent Kings. In 2003, he had to sit out the whole conference after ICTSI refused to sign his release papers to make him eligible to play for Sunkist-Pampanga. In 2004, Yap signed up for one conference with the Welcoat Paintmasters, teaming up with the comebacking Jojo Tangkay
Jojo Tangkay
Jercules "Jojo" Tangkay is a professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association who notably played for the Welcoat Dragons. He was drafted 16th overall by Sta. Lucia in 2001....
, leading them to a runner-up finish. He and Tangkay lost to Peter June Simon
Peter June Simon
Peter June Simon is a professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association playing for the B-Meg Llamados. In the 2008 PBA All-Star Game, he was voted as the Most Valuable Player.-College:...
of the Fash team for the MVP plum.
Rookie season (2004–05)
Yap entered the 2004 PBA Draft2004 PBA Draft
The 2004 Philippine Basketball Association Rookie Draft is an event which will allows teams to draft players from the amateur ranks. It was held on January 16, 2004 at the Glorietta Mall at Makati City.-Round 1:-Round 2:...
, and was selected as the second overall pick by the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants. Bothered by an ailing shoulder, Yap had a slow start in the 2004-05 season. Later on, he improved as he had numerous games of which he scored 20 or more points. However, Purefoods failed to get past the quarterfinal round against the Shell Turbo Chargers
Shell Turbo Chargers
The Shell Turbo Chargers is a former Philippine Basketball Association team under the ownership of Pilipinas Shell Corporation. Shell has been a member of the PBA since 1985 until 2005 when the team filed for a leave of absence after the season. Shell sold its franchise to PBL team Welcoat Paints...
. Yap eventually lost to Rich Alvarez
Rich Alvarez
Richard D. "Rich" Alvarez is a Filipino professional basketball player and currently playing for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters of the Philippine Basketball Association. Alvarez was the first overall pick of 2004 PBA Draft by the Shell Turbo Chargers...
in the Rookie of the Year
Philippine Basketball Association Rookie of the Year award
-List of awardees:...
award race.
First MVP award (2005–06)
In the 2005-06 season, the Escalante native received more playing time and began to show more of his abilities as a talented young guard. In the 2005-06 Fiesta Conference, Yap was 4th in the statistical race, behind at the end of the semifinals series, while the Giants finished 4-2 at the series conclusion. In the classification round of the Philippine Cup, he recorded 34 points against the Sta. Lucia RealtorsSta. Lucia Realtors
The Sta. Lucia Realtors was a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association.The Universal Robina Corporation team is one of the founding members of the PBA. Formerly known as Great Taste and Presto-Tivoli Ice Cream, they have won a total of 6 championships. Sta...
then had a career-high 37 points to beat 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...
. Near the end of the round, he played an important role in the win against the powerhouse team Talk 'N Text. The victory put the Purefoods team in a best-of-seven semifinals slot.
After the accumulation of player statistics at the end of the semis, Yap edged out teammate Kerby Raymundo
Kerby Raymundo
Kerby Mariano Raymundo is a Filipino professional basketball player currently playing for the B-Meg Llamados in the Philippine Basketball Association...
and Red Bulls' Enrico Villanueva
Enrico Villanueva
Jose Enrico P. Villanueva , better known simply as Enrico Villanueva, and by the nicknames Raging Bull and E-Vill, is a Filipino professional basketball player for the Barangay Ginebra Kings in the Philippine Basketball Association...
for the Philippine Basketball Association Most Valuable Player award
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....
. This made him, at 24 years of age, the fifth youngest player, and second sophomore to have won the individual award. He was the statistical leader and garnered more than 7000 combined votes from players, the 4-man committee, and the media, almost 5000 votes ahead of the rest of the candidates. Yap was the first Purefoods player since 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...
to win the MVP award. He was also named to the Mythical First Team alongside teammates Raymundo and Roger Yap
Roger Yap
Roger Yap is a Filipino professional basketball player currently playing for the B-Meg Llamados in the Philippine Basketball Association....
, and on-court rivals Enrico Villanueva and Lordy Tugade
Lordy Tugade
Lordy Tugade is a Filipino professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association who currently plays and recently signed by the Petron Blaze Boosters....
.
Ups and downs (2006–09)
Yap played in 41 games during the 2006-07 season. He averaged 19.7 points, 1.8 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 0.6 steals per game. On June 1, 2007, Yap scored a career-high 41 points in a 109-97 win over the Welcoat Paints, leading Purefoods to a spot in the wildcard phase of the 2007 PBA Fiesta Conference2007 PBA Fiesta Conference
-Barangay Ginebra-San Miguel series:-Talk 'N Text-Air21 series:-Red Bull-Talk 'N Text series:-Alaska-San Miguel series:-Third-place playoff:-Finals:Prior to Game 1, Sandwich performed "Laban kung Laban," the TV theme song of the PBA....
playoffs. He scored six of the Giants' 11 3-pointers. In the following game against the Coca Cola Tigers, the Escalante native recorded 40 points as Purefoods lost 100-97, thus being eliminated from the Conference. Despite failing to deliver the win for his team, Yap's efforts equaled former PBA player Nelson Asaytono
Nelson Asaytono
Nelson Asaytono is a retired professional basketball player of the Philippine Basketball Association, also known as "The Bull" for his monster dunks...
's record of scoring 40+ points in back-to-back games.
On July 9, 2008, during a game against Talk N' Text at the Ynares Center in Antipolo
Antipolo
Antipolo is a city in the Philippines located in the province of Rizal; about 25 kilometers east of Manila. It is the largest city in the Calabarzon Region in terms of population...
, Yap got involved in an altercation between teammate Jondan Salvador
Jondan Salvador
Jondan Salvador is a Filipino professional basketball who currently plays for the Barako Bull Energy PBA Team in the Philippine Basketball Association. He plays the Power Forward and Center positions. He was a former Mythical Five awardee with the St. Benilde Blazers during his NCAA years...
and TNT import Terrence Leather. The episode happened in the fourth and last quarter of the game, after Salvador and Leather got involved in a physical play. Apparently Leather was not pleased by the contact, and after exchanging a few words with Salvador he threw him the ball. Yap reacted during the confrontation between the two players and kicked Leather in the legs. The American player chased Yap, who ran away following the kick, but was pacified by his teammates and game officials. In a joint interview with his wife, Kris, the 2005-2006 MVP apologized to basketball fans following the incident, and asked them not to follow his bad example.
In the 2007-2008 season, Yap averaged 21.3 points, 1.6 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 0.8 steals and 0.3 blocks per game.
During the 2009 PBA All-Star Weekend
2009 PBA All-Star Weekend
The 2009 PBA All-Star Week is the annual all-star weekend of the Philippine Basketball Association 's 2008-09 PBA season. This year's all-star game will be totally different from the past All-Star games, as this year's event will have 3 all-star games in different cities, particularly: Victorias,...
at the Araneta Coliseum, Yap scored 21 points to defeat 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...
guard Dondon Hontiveros
Dondon Hontiveros
Donaldo "Dondon" Hontiveros is a Filipino professional basketball player actively playing for the Petron Blaze Boosters in the Philippine Basketball Association. He has a son named Isaiah with singer and fellow Cebu native Gail Blanco.A devout Christian, Hontiveros studied and honed his basketball...
and Burger King Whoppers guard Gary David
Gary David
Gary David is a Filipino Professional basketball player currently playing for the Powerade Tigers in the Philippine Basketball Association. He is widely perceived as one of the most prolific scorers in the PBA today....
in the Three-Point Shootout contest.
Second MVP award (2009–10)
The 2009-10 Philippine Cup2009–10 PBA Philippine Cup
The 2009–10 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup or known as the 2009–10 KFC PBA Philippine Cup for sponsorship reasons, is the first conference of the 2009–10 PBA season. The tournament started on October 11, 2009 and ended on March 3, 2010. The conference featured Smart Gilas as...
started on October 11, 2009. Purefoods finished third in the elimination round with a 12–6 record, outlasted the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the quarterfinals in five games, and defeated the #2 seed and sister team San Miguel Beermen in six games after trailing the series 1–2. In the Finals
2009–10 PBA Philippine Cup Finals
The 2009-10 PBA Philippine Cup Finals is the championship basketball best-of-7 series of the 2009-10 PBA Philippine Cup, and the conclusion of the conference's playoffs...
, Purefoods swept Alaska, 4-0, to be crowned 2009-2010 PBA Philippine Cup
2009–10 PBA Philippine Cup
The 2009–10 Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup or known as the 2009–10 KFC PBA Philippine Cup for sponsorship reasons, is the first conference of the 2009–10 PBA season. The tournament started on October 11, 2009 and ended on March 3, 2010. The conference featured Smart Gilas as...
champions. During their series against the Aces in the finals, Yap scored 24, 32, 14, and 18 points respectively. For leading his team to this incredible feat, Yap was named Best Player of the Conference (BPC), as well as Finals MVP. He also won his second MVP award, for the 2009-2010 PBA season. Yap was lauded for winning the award despite numerous distractions he had to deal with off the court. During his acceptance speech, Yap tearfully dedicated his latest trophy to his son Baby James.
During the 2009-10 season
2009–10 PBA season
The 2009–10 PBA Season was the 35th season of the Philippine Basketball Association . The season formally opened on October 11, 2009 and ended on August 18, 2010...
, Yap was selected to his 7th All-Star Game appearance. In March 2011, via fan voting, Yap was voted to his 7th consecutive PBA All-Star Game; the Escalante native collected the most number of votes with 28, 444 to become the starting guard for the South team.
Starting the 2010 Fiesta Conference, the team changed its name from Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants to B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados. The end of the season, however, marked the departure of coach Ryan Gregorio
Ryan Gregorio
Paul Ryan C. Gregorio is a Filipino professional basketball head coach of the Meralco Bolts in the Philippine Basketball Association. He began his PBA head coaching job with the Purefoods TJ Giants in 2002 on an acting capacity and won his first PBA Championship on the same year at the age of 29...
, who left the Llamados after seven years and signed a deal with PBA returnee 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...
. Gregorio was succeeded by his assistant and multi-titled Philippine Basketball League coach Jorge Gallent
Jorge Gallent
Jorge Gallent is a Filipino professional basketball head coach for the B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados in the Philippine Basketball Association.-UAAP Days:...
.
2010–11 season
With Yap's contract expiring in September 2010, Derby Ace offered him a three-year deal with an option for the player to extend it for another two years once the second season of the new deal ends. A few weeks before the beginning of the 2010-11 season2010–11 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...
, it was announced that Yap would be re-signing with B-Meg. The Llamados entered the 2010-11 PBA Philippine Cup as defending champions. In the first round of the tournament, the former University of the East standout averaged 15.1 points per game, while the team ended the Classification Phase with a record of 7-7. The two-time MVP and Peter June Simon
Peter June Simon
Peter June Simon is a professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association playing for the B-Meg Llamados. In the 2008 PBA All-Star Game, he was voted as the Most Valuable Player.-College:...
led the team to the quarter-finals, in which B-Meg scored back-to-back wins against 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...
. For the series, Yap averaged 22.0 points, as the Llamados defeated Meralco in two games. Following this series, the Llamados found themselves on a collision course with the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the semifinals. In a losing effort in Game 1 (B-Meg lost 91-98), Yap was able to record a personal conference-high of 36 points. Yap suffered breathing difficulties and struggled with his shooting in Game 2, scoring 13 points in 31 minutes, but still played a main role and came up with a game-winning steal in the final seconds of the last quarter that gave B-Meg a 88-87 victory. The Tropang Texters won Game 3, but the defending champions tied the series 2-2 in Game 4 with a 98-93 win, despite a late rally by TNT in the fourth quarter. Talk N' Text would eventually defeat the Llamados in Game 5 (97-83) and Game 6 (89-72), thus eliminating the defending champions from the tournament.
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...
, the second conference of the season, began of February 18, 2011. After compiling a 0-2 record in the first 2 games of the elimination round, the Llamados broke their losing streak with a 121-92 win against the Air21 Express
Air21 Express
The Barako Bull Energy is a Philippine Basketball Association team that began in 2002.Barako Bull is owned by Energy Food and Drinks Inc., a subsidiary of the Linaheim Corporate Services, owners of the defunct Laguna Lakers of the Metropolitan Basketball Association...
. In the following game against the Barangay Ginebra Kings on March 6, Yap recorded 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as B-Meg won 89-96; it was Yap's first double-double since the 2006 Philippine Cup. The two-time MVP was also named Player of the Week from February 28 to March 6. On March 13, 2011, Yap injured his calf in a 91-97 loss against the Alaska Aces. He missed the following four games of the elimination round against Meralco, Smart Gilas, San Miguel and Talk N' Text. The Llamados were eventually eliminated in the first round of the Commissioner's Cup with a 4-5 record. The team's quest for a championship in the 2010-11 season was ended when they were eliminated in the semifinals of the 2011 PBA Governors Cup
2011 PBA Governors Cup
- Imports :The following is the list of imports, which had played for their respective teams at least once, with the returning imports in italics. Highlighted are the imports who stayed with their respective teams for the entire conference....
.
Regular Season
|-| align="left" | 2004-05
| align="left" | Purefoods
| 63 || 26.9 || .389 || .277 || .782 || 4.7 || 1.0 || .5 || .2 || 12.5
|-
| align="left" | 2005-06
| align="left" | Purefoods
| 57 || 36.4 || .400 || .343 || .780 || 4.4 || 1.2 || 1.2 || .4 || 17.6
|-
| align="left" | 2006-07
| align="left" | Purefoods
| 41 || 38.4 || .405 || .340 || .781 || 4.2 || 1.8 || .7 || .4 || 19.7
|-
| align="left" | 2007-08
| align="left" | Purefoods
| 50 || 37.0 || .396 || .359 || .802 || 4.1 || 1.6 || .8 || .3 || 21.3
|-
| align="left" | 2008-09
| align="left" | Purefoods
| 36 || 35.0 || .394 || .308 || .720 || 4.3 || 1.6 || .8 || .2 || 18.1
|-
| align="left" | 2009-10
| align="left" | Purefoods/B-Meg Derby Ace
| 64 || 33.9 || .396 || .302 || .701 || 3.5 || 2.0 || .6 || .2 || 18.0
|-
| align="left" | 2010-11
| align="left" | Derby Ace
| 40 || 36.1 || .382 || .292 || .717 || 4.3 || 1.8 || .6 || .3 || 18.5
|-
| align="left" | 2011-12
| align="left" | B-Meg
| 1 || 137.0 || .235 || .000 || 1.000 || 15.0 || 13.0 || 10.0 || 1.0 || 10.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 352 || 34.4 || .395 || .319 || .751 || 4.2 || 1.5 || 0.7 || 0.3 || 17.7
Personal life
Yap is the son of Carlos and Annie Yap. He was married to host-actress Kris AquinoKris Aquino
Kristina Bernadette Cojuangco Aquino , commonly known as Kris Aquino, is a Filipino television and movie personality who gained prominence from her talk shows, game shows, and numerous endorsements. Known as the Queen of All Media and Philippines' Queen of Talk, she is the youngest daughter of...
, the daughter of slain former senator, Benigno Aquino, Jr.
Benigno Aquino, Jr.
Benigno Simeon "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. was a Filipino Senator and a former Governor of Tarlac. Aquino, together with Gerry Roxas and Jovito Salonga, formed the leadership of the opposition to the Marcos regime in the years leading to the imposition of martial law in the Philippines...
and the late former President
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
Corazon Aquino
Corazon Aquino
Maria Corazon Sumulong Cojuangco-Aquino was the 11th President of the Philippines and the first woman to hold that office in Philippine history. She is best remembered for leading the 1986 People Power Revolution, which toppled Ferdinand Marcos and restored democracy in the Philippines...
. Kris is also the sister of current Philippine president Benigno Aquino III.
Yap and Kris Aquino's relationship was rumored as early as 2005 before they acknowledged this on various interviews. By 2006, both have admitted to having tied the knot as early as mid 2005; the actual date of their marriage was July 10 under civil rites kept unknown to the public.
His marriage with Aquino was rocked by the revelation of a former receptionist from a beauty clinic that she had a relationship with Yap, which the latter vehemently denied in an interview with Korina Sanchez
Korina Sanchez
Korina Maria Sanchez-Roxas is a Filipina broadcast journalist, TV host and commercial endorser.-Early life:Korina Sanchez was born on October 5, 1964 in Hong Kong. Her father, Ramon P. Sanchez, Sr. , was the General Manager of then Hong Kong landmark, Ambassador Hotel. She is the only girl of Ramon...
.
This eventually led to Aquino asking for some "space" from the star cager. Yap again denied the receptionist's allegations in a press statement. The issue has since died down after Aquino's pregnancy was revealed.
On April 19, 2007, his first son with Aquino was born. James Aquino Yap, Jr., nicknamed Baby James or Bimby, was born at the Makati Medical Center
Makati Medical Center
Makati Medical Center is a 717-bed tertiary hospital in the Philippines. The hospital began operation on . Since its start in 1969, the Makati Medical Center has been the birthplace for many dramatic firsts in medical history in the Philippines, in Asia, and the world...
, Makati City
Makati City
The City of Makati is one of the 17 cities that make up Metro Manila, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. Makati is the financial center of the Philippines and one of the major financial, commercial and economic hubs in Asia...
at 5:08 pm local time and weighing 4.3 lbs. He was baptized on May 19, 2007 at the Don Bosco Church in Makati, with 10 godparents.
As of June 26, 2010, Kris Aquino announced that she had separated from Yap, citing personal reasons.
Yap has made a cameo appearance as Diether Ocampo
Diether Ocampo
Diether Ocampo, born in July 19, 1974 in Bacoor, Cavite, Philippines is a Filipino actor, singer and model.-Background:Ocampo's elementary education and high school were spent in Bacoor,Cavite and he attended his college education in De La Salle University-Dasmarinas. He has German and Chinese...
's body double in Aquino's 2010 film, Dalaw
Dalaw
Dalaw is a horror-suspense film starring Kris Aquino and Diether Ocampo. It is produced and released by Star Cinema and CineMedia. It is an official entry to the 36th Metro Manila Film Festival.-Plot:...
.
Individual Honors
- 2003 UAAP Mythical First Team
- 2003 UAAP Most Valuable Player
- 2003 PBL Mythical First Team
- 2003 PSA Player of the Year (amateur basketball)
- 2004 PBL Mythical First Team
- 2005 PBA All Rookie Team
- 2005 PBA Sportsmanship Award
- 2006 PBA Mythical First Team
- 2006 PBA Most Valuable Player
- 2006 PSA Player of the Year (pro basketball)
- 2008 PBA Three point shootout Champion
- 2008 PBAPC POW Order of Merit Award
- 2010 People Asia Magazine Men Who Matter
- 2010 PBA Philippine Cup Best Player of the Conference (BPC)
- 2010 PBA Philippine Cup Finals MVP
- 2010 PBA Mythical First Team
- 2010 PBA Most Valuable Player
- 2010 PSA Player of the Year (pro basketball)
- 2011 PBA Mythical Second Team
Team Achievements
- 2002-2003 Collegiate Champions League, Champions
- 2003 Southeast Asian Games, Gold Medalists
- 2004 Philippine Basketball League, First-runners up
- 2005-2006 PBA Fiesta Conference, First-runners up
- 2005-2006 PBA Philippine Cup, Champions
- 2007-2008 PBA Philippine Cup, First-runners up
- 2009 Powerade-Team Pilipinas, 8th Southeast Asian Basketball Association Men’s Champions
- 2009-2010 PBA Philippine Cup, Champions
Monickers
- King James
- Big Game James
- The Man with a Million Moves (given by Mico Halili)
- Hari Ng Big Shots
- Boy Thunder (college monicker)
Product Endorsements
- Star Margarine
- Goldilocks BakeshopGoldilocks BakeshopGoldilocks Bakeshop is a bakeshop industry in the Philippines which produces and distribute Philippine cakes and pastry. The chain was named after Goldilocks, a character from the fairy tale Goldilocks and the Three Bears....
- NikeNike, Inc.Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
PhilippinesPhilippinesThe 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... - Sun Life FinancialSun Life FinancialSun Life Financial Inc. is an international financial services company known primarily as a life insurance company. Based in Toronto, Canada, Sun Life and its partners provide insurance, retirement and investment solutions for individuals and businesses around the world including Canada, the United...