Olsen Racela
Encyclopedia
, better known as , is a retired Filipino
professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association
. He is also a part time analyst, assistant coach of the Petron Blaze Boosters, and the current head coach of the Philippines under-16 basketball team. He is considered the best point guard
in the league. He is also a former member of the Ateneo Blue Eagles
in the UAAP and the Philippine national basketball team on many occasions.
early in his life. It was just a game back then. A couple of shots through a hoop in his old neighborhood. Among his brothers, he shone out with the better basketball skills which gave him a spot in Ateneo de Manila University
's varsity team.
and the RP Youth Team.
in what became the turnaround of his young career. Under new San Miguel head coach Ron Jacobs, Racela's skills were noticed under a rebuilding Beermen squad of Nelson Asaytono
, Freddie Abuda
and Mike Mustre.
In 1998, Racela's game would improve and was rewarded with a spot on the Tim Cone
-coached Philippine Centennial Team
that took home a bronze medal in the 1998 Asian Games
in Bangkok, Thailand. A season later, with Racela as its top point guard, San Miguel became the league's new dynasty under Jong Uichico
, winning five titles from 1999-2001.
Despite the missed free-throws, Racela continued to shine in his point guard duties with San Miguel. In 2004, he dished his 2,000th career assist and was the starting point guard when the Beermen won another title in the 2005 PBA Fiesta Conference.
Starting in the 2006-07 All Filipino Conference, Racela occasionally plays off the bench in preparation for his retirement and life as an assistant coach.
On August 11, 2010, Racela became the fifth player alongside Ramon Fernandez
, Robert Jaworski
, Abet Guidaben
& Philip Cezar
to play at least 900 games in the PBA.
at the start of Game 4 of the finals. He had played the entire finals series before he hanged up his #17 jersey in which Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters subdued San Miguel Beermen
in 6 games.
His brother, Raoul Cesar or "Nash", is currently the assistant coach of the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters under head coach Chot Reyes
. Nash also coached the Batangas Blades
in the Metropolitan Basketball Association
.
| align="left" | 1993
| align="left" | Coney Island/Purefoods
| 43 || 8.3 || .514 || .333 || .700 || 0.9 || 1.3 || .4 || .1 || 3.4
|-
| align="left" | 1994
| align="left" | Coney Island/Purefoods
| 62 || 15.6 || .479 || .444 || .661 || 0.9 || 1.5 || .4 || .1 || 3.7
|-
| align="left" | 1995
| align="left" | Purefoods
| 59 || 24.8 || .502 || .222 || .851 || 1.7 || 3.1 || 1.2 || .1 || 6.7
|-
| align="left" | 1996
| align="left" | Purefoods Corned Beef
| 58 || 22.6 || .454 || .115 || .795 || 1.5 || 3.0 || .8 || .1 || 6.4
|-
| align="left" | 1997
| align="left" | San Miguel
| 62 || 40.0 || .439 || .316 || .876 || 1.8 || 4.7 || .7 || .1 || 11.4
|-
| align="left" | 1998
| align="left" | San Miguel
| 49 || 38.2 || .455 || .292 || .847 || 2.8 || 4.5 || 1.1 || .2 || 8.8
|-
| align="left" | 1999
| align="left" | San Miguel
| 53 || 34.2 || .399 || .233 || .843 || 2.3 || 3.6 || .8 || .1 || 7.3
|-
| align="left" | 2000
| align="left" | San Miguel
| 58 || 32.9 || .461 || .383 || .839 || 2.3 || 3.0 || .6 || .1 || 9.6
|-
| align="left" | 2001
| align="left" | San Miguel
| 70 || 34.3 || .395 || .381 || .871 || 2.2 || 2.8 || .8 || .03 || 10.9
|-
| align="left" | 2002
| align="left" | San Miguel
| 12 || 26.2 || .384 || .294 || .800 || 1.9 || 4.6 || .9 || .2 || 9.7
|-
| align="left" | 2003
| align="left" | San Miguel
| 50 || 32.5 || .417 || .373 || .865 || 3.0 || 4.8 || 1.1 || .1 || 10.8
|-
| align="left" | 2004-05
| align="left" | San Miguel
| 78 || 34.0 || .398 || .354 || .827 || 2.2 || 5.3 || 1.1 || .1 || 11.4
|-
| align="left" | 2005-06
| align="left" | San Miguel
| 43 || 32.6 || .367 || .305 || .863 || 2.7 || 4.3 || 1.1 || .1 || 8.3
|-
| align="left" | 2006-07
| align="left" | San Miguel
| 62 || 26.3 || .373 || .286 || .872 || 2.3 || 3.5 || 1.0 || .1 || 8.5
|-
| align="left" | 2007-08
| align="left" | Magnolia
| 47 || 20.0 || .426 || .391 || .912 || 1.6 || 2.5 || .6 || .1 || 6.3
|-
| align="left" | 2008-09
| align="left" | San Miguel
| 56 || 20.0 || .387 || .327 || .828 || 1.9 || 3.2 || .6 || .04 || 6.0
|-
| align="left" | 2009-10
| align="left" | San Miguel
| 39 || 11.0 || .393 || .328 || .833 || 0.8 || 1.2 || .6 || .03 || 3.2
|-
| align="left" | 2010-11
| align="left" | San Miguel
| 24 || 12.0 || .344 || .303 || .875 || 0.8 || 1.7 || .3 || .0 || 3.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 925 || 27.0 || .419 || .334 || .841 || 1.9 || 3.3 || .8 || .1 || 7.8
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 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...
. He is also a part time analyst, assistant coach of the Petron Blaze Boosters, and the current head coach of the Philippines under-16 basketball team. He is considered the best 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...
in the league. He is also a former member of the Ateneo 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...
in the UAAP and the Philippine national basketball team on many occasions.
Early life
Olsen Racela, born on November 1, was so named because he was born on All Saint's Day (his brother Nash was born on National Heroes' Day). As a young boy, he started playing basketballBasketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
early in his life. It was just a game back then. A couple of shots through a hoop in his old neighborhood. Among his brothers, he shone out with the better basketball skills which gave him a spot in 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...
's varsity team.
Amateur career
Racela played for the Blue Eagles in a backup role to Jun Reyes and was a member of the Blue Eagles team that won the UAAP title in 1988. He also played in the Philippine Amateur Basketball LeaguePhilippine 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:...
and the RP Youth Team.
Purefoods
In 1993, Racela was selected 12th by Purefoods in the 1993 PBA Rookie Draft. From 1993-1996, he played the backup role to Dindo Pumaren and won two titles with the Purefoods franchise under a limited role with the team.San Miguel Beermen
In 1997, Racela moved to the San Miguel BeermenSan 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...
in what became the turnaround of his young career. Under new San Miguel head coach Ron Jacobs, Racela's skills were noticed under a rebuilding Beermen squad of 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...
, Freddie Abuda
Freddie Abuda
Freddie Abuda is a former Philippine Basketball Association player. He was drafted by Purefoods, then known Coney Island Ice Cream, in the 2nd round as the 10th overall pick....
and Mike Mustre.
In 1998, Racela's game would improve and was rewarded with a spot on the Tim Cone
Tim Cone
Earl Timothy Cone, better known as Tim Cone, is an American head coach of B-Meg Llamados in the Philippine Basketball Association. He is known for leading the Aces to 13 PBA titles in its franchise history while leading the 1996 Milkmen to a rare PBA Grandslam. He also once coached the Philippine...
-coached Philippine Centennial Team
Philippine Centennial Team
The Philippine Centennial Team was the nickname of the Philippine Basketball Association -backed national basketball team in 1998. The team consists of professional players in the country that includes national team veterans Allan Caidic and Alvin Patrimonio, both sharing the distinction of being...
that took home a bronze medal in the 1998 Asian Games
1998 Asian Games
The 13th Asian Games were held from December 6 to December 20, 1998 in Bangkok, Thailand. This was the first time that Thailand bid for the event after it shouldered the two postponed hosting rights in 1970 and 1978.-Emblem:...
in Bangkok, Thailand. A season later, with Racela as its top point guard, San Miguel became the league's new dynasty under Jong Uichico
Jong Uichico
Joseph Enrique Uichico, better known as Jong Uichico, is a Filipino professional basketball head coach for the Barangay Ginebra Kings in the Philippine Basketball Association. Uichico is a former Philippines national basketball team Youth member and a former player and head coach of the La Salle...
, winning five titles from 1999-2001.
2002 Busan Asiad
He made his second stint in the national team in 2002 for the Asian Games in Busan, South Korea. With Racela as point guard, the Nationals made it all the way through the semifinals against host South Korea. In the final minute, Racela scored a three-pointer to give the Philippines the lead. However, after recovering the possession and was fouled, he missed two crucial free throws that could have given the country a four-point lead. Instead, Lee Sang Min's buzzer-beating triple gave the Koreans a dramatic 69-68 victory. Some argued that the blame rest on Jong Uichico's coaching in which he didn't set out a plan to ease Racela's pressure from the 15th foot line.Despite the missed free-throws, Racela continued to shine in his point guard duties with San Miguel. In 2004, he dished his 2,000th career assist and was the starting point guard when the Beermen won another title in the 2005 PBA Fiesta Conference.
Starting in the 2006-07 All Filipino Conference, Racela occasionally plays off the bench in preparation for his retirement and life as an assistant coach.
On August 11, 2010, Racela became the fifth player alongside 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...
, Robert Jaworski
Robert Jaworski
Robert Salazar Jaworski , also known as Sonny Jaworski, Bobby Jaworski, Robert Jaworski, Sr. or simply Jawo, is a former Philippine senator, basketball coach and Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association and PBA basketball player.Known as The Big J and called The Living Legend...
, Abet Guidaben
Abet Guidaben
Alberto "Abet" Guidaben is a former Philippine Basketball Association basketball player. He was part of the fabled Crispa Redmanizers ballclub that won two Grand Slams, in 1976 and 1983...
& Philip Cezar
Philip Cezar
Philip "The Scholar" Cezar is a former Philippine Basketball Association basketball player. He was part of the fabled Crispa Redmanizers ballclub that won two Grand Slams, in 1976 and 1983. He won the Most Valuable Player award in 1980. He was also a many-time Philippine national team player in...
to play at least 900 games in the PBA.
League's oldest active Player and Retirement
After Johnny Abarrientos announced his retirement, Racela will play for another PBA season with San Miguel. He turned 40 on November 1, 1970 and was the senior statesman of the PBA during that season. He announced his retirement on January 28, 2011 at the Araneta ColiseumAraneta Coliseum
The Smart Araneta Coliseum, known as The Big Dome is an indoor multi-purpose sports arena located in the Cubao area of Quezon City, Philippines...
at the start of Game 4 of the finals. He had played the entire finals series before he hanged up his #17 jersey in which Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters subdued 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...
in 6 games.
Personal life
Racela's nickname was based on the day of his birth as it was during All-Saints Day.His brother, Raoul Cesar or "Nash", is currently the assistant coach of the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters under head coach Chot Reyes
Chot Reyes
Vincent P. Reyes , better known as Chot Reyes, is a Filipino basketball head coach of the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in the Philippine Basketball Association...
. Nash also coached the Batangas Blades
Batangas Blades
The Batangas Blades is a former professional basketball team of the now-defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association from 1998-2002....
in the 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...
.
School leagues
- 1984: Ateneo de ManilaAteneo de Manila UniversityThe 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...
- PAYA Aspirants - 1985: Ateneo de ManilaAteneo de Manila UniversityThe 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...
- PAYA Juniors - 1986 Ateneo de ManilaAteneo de Manila UniversityThe 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...
- UAAP Juniors - 1987-1992: Ateneo de ManilaAteneo de Manila UniversityThe 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...
- UAAP Seniors
Philippine Basketball League
- 1989: Crispa RedmanizersCrispa RedmanizersThe 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 :...
- 1990-1991: A&W Rootbeers
- 1992: Pop Cola
Philippine Basketball Association
- 1993-1996: Purefoods TJ Hotdogs
- 1997-Present: 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...
National teams
- 1987 Asian Youth 18 years and below, QatarQatarQatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
- 1989 ABC Under-18 ChampionshipFIBA Asia Under-18 ChampionshipThe FIBA Asia Under-18 Championship refers to the under-18 championship for basketball in the International Basketball Federation's FIBA Asia zone. The event was formerly known simply as the Asian Basketball Confederation Juniors Championship...
, ManilaManilaManila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,... - 1998 Asian Games, Thailand
- 1998 Jones Cup, Taipei
- 2002 Asian Games, BusanBusanBusan , formerly spelled Pusan is South Korea's second largest metropolis after Seoul, with a population of around 3.6 million. The Metropolitan area population is 4,399,515 as of 2010. It is the largest port city in South Korea and the fifth largest port in the world...
, South Korea
Philippine Basketball Association
- 1993 Mr. Quality Minutes
- 1998-1999 2-time Mythical Second Team
- 2000-2001 2-time Mythical First Team
- 2000-01, 2003-04, 2006 5-time All-Star
- 2002-2003 Mythical Second team
- 2004 21st member of 2000-Assist Club
- 2010 5th member of 900 Games club
Season
|-| align="left" | 1993
| align="left" | Coney Island/Purefoods
| 43 || 8.3 || .514 || .333 || .700 || 0.9 || 1.3 || .4 || .1 || 3.4
|-
| align="left" | 1994
| align="left" | Coney Island/Purefoods
| 62 || 15.6 || .479 || .444 || .661 || 0.9 || 1.5 || .4 || .1 || 3.7
|-
| align="left" | 1995
| align="left" | Purefoods
| 59 || 24.8 || .502 || .222 || .851 || 1.7 || 3.1 || 1.2 || .1 || 6.7
|-
| align="left" | 1996
| align="left" | Purefoods Corned Beef
| 58 || 22.6 || .454 || .115 || .795 || 1.5 || 3.0 || .8 || .1 || 6.4
|-
| align="left" | 1997
| align="left" | San Miguel
| 62 || 40.0 || .439 || .316 || .876 || 1.8 || 4.7 || .7 || .1 || 11.4
|-
| align="left" | 1998
| align="left" | San Miguel
| 49 || 38.2 || .455 || .292 || .847 || 2.8 || 4.5 || 1.1 || .2 || 8.8
|-
| align="left" | 1999
| align="left" | San Miguel
| 53 || 34.2 || .399 || .233 || .843 || 2.3 || 3.6 || .8 || .1 || 7.3
|-
| align="left" | 2000
| align="left" | San Miguel
| 58 || 32.9 || .461 || .383 || .839 || 2.3 || 3.0 || .6 || .1 || 9.6
|-
| align="left" | 2001
| align="left" | San Miguel
| 70 || 34.3 || .395 || .381 || .871 || 2.2 || 2.8 || .8 || .03 || 10.9
|-
| align="left" | 2002
| align="left" | San Miguel
| 12 || 26.2 || .384 || .294 || .800 || 1.9 || 4.6 || .9 || .2 || 9.7
|-
| align="left" | 2003
| align="left" | San Miguel
| 50 || 32.5 || .417 || .373 || .865 || 3.0 || 4.8 || 1.1 || .1 || 10.8
|-
| align="left" | 2004-05
| align="left" | San Miguel
| 78 || 34.0 || .398 || .354 || .827 || 2.2 || 5.3 || 1.1 || .1 || 11.4
|-
| align="left" | 2005-06
| align="left" | San Miguel
| 43 || 32.6 || .367 || .305 || .863 || 2.7 || 4.3 || 1.1 || .1 || 8.3
|-
| align="left" | 2006-07
| align="left" | San Miguel
| 62 || 26.3 || .373 || .286 || .872 || 2.3 || 3.5 || 1.0 || .1 || 8.5
|-
| align="left" | 2007-08
| align="left" | Magnolia
| 47 || 20.0 || .426 || .391 || .912 || 1.6 || 2.5 || .6 || .1 || 6.3
|-
| align="left" | 2008-09
| align="left" | San Miguel
| 56 || 20.0 || .387 || .327 || .828 || 1.9 || 3.2 || .6 || .04 || 6.0
|-
| align="left" | 2009-10
| align="left" | San Miguel
| 39 || 11.0 || .393 || .328 || .833 || 0.8 || 1.2 || .6 || .03 || 3.2
|-
| align="left" | 2010-11
| align="left" | San Miguel
| 24 || 12.0 || .344 || .303 || .875 || 0.8 || 1.7 || .3 || .0 || 3.0
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 925 || 27.0 || .419 || .334 || .841 || 1.9 || 3.3 || .8 || .1 || 7.8