Leo Prieto
Encyclopedia
Leopoldo "Leo" L. Prieto (May 19, 1920 – April 7, 2009) was a Filipino
sports executive who served as the first Commissioner of the Philippine Basketball Association
. Acknowledged by some as "the father of the PBA", Prieto was named Commissioner of the PBA upon its founding in 1975, and served in that capacity until his resignation in 1983.
During Prieto's tenure as Commissioner of the PBA, the league prominently featured the rivalry between the Crispa Redmanizers
and the Toyota Super Corollas
. Prieto was lauded for his integrity and his ability to manage egos. Prieto himself described the requirements expected of a PBA Commissioner as one "must have a good grasp of the game" and one who "who the [PBA Board of Governors] can trust and respect."
Before becoming Commissioner of the PBA, Prieto coached the Philippines men's national basketball team in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, leading them to a seventh-place finish. He also coached the YCO Painters to several championships in the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association
. Prieto also was a president of the Manila Jockey Club, and an avid supporter of football in the Philippines.
Prieto died on April 7, 2009, two weeks after suffering a stroke.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
sports executive who served as the first Commissioner 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...
. Acknowledged by some as "the father of the PBA", Prieto was named Commissioner of the PBA upon its founding in 1975, and served in that capacity until his resignation in 1983.
During Prieto's tenure as Commissioner of the PBA, the league prominently featured the rivalry between the Crispa Redmanizers
Crispa Redmanizers
The Crispa Redmanizers was a basketball team in the Manila Industrial Commercial Athletic Association , the Philippine Basketball Association and the Philippine Amateur Basketball League from the 1960s to the early 1990s.- Profile and history :...
and the Toyota Super Corollas
Toyota Super Corollas
The Toyota Super Corollas was a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association from 1975-1983. The team had various monikers such as the Comets, the Silver Tamaraws, the Tamaraws, the Super Diesels, the Super Corollas and the Silver Coronas.Their nine PBA titles is the...
. Prieto was lauded for his integrity and his ability to manage egos. Prieto himself described the requirements expected of a PBA Commissioner as one "must have a good grasp of the game" and one who "who the [PBA Board of Governors] can trust and respect."
Before becoming Commissioner of the PBA, Prieto coached the Philippines men's national basketball team in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, leading them to a seventh-place finish. He also coached the YCO Painters to several championships in the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association
Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association
The Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association is a defunct sports association which existed from 1938 to 1981. It is best known for its basketball league for amateur players....
. Prieto also was a president of the Manila Jockey Club, and an avid supporter of football in the Philippines.
Prieto died on April 7, 2009, two weeks after suffering a stroke.