Richard D. "Rich" Alvarez (born October 30, 1980 in Yokosuka, Japan) is a Filipino professional basketball player and currently playing for the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters 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...

. Alvarez was the first overall pick of 2004 PBA Draft

2004 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:...

 by 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...

. Alvarez played College ball at 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...

, helping his 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...

 win the 2002 UAAP Men's Basketball Championship.

Shell Turbo Chargers

Alvarez played his first PBA game on the team's second game after former coach John Moran benched him in the first game. He thought that Alvarez was not yet ready to play, but after Leo Austria came, his game status went up and won the Rookie of the Year honors at season's end.

Teams played

• Nile C. Kinnick High School
  Nile C. Kinnick High School
  Nile C. Kinnick High School is a DoDEA high school now located in US Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan. It was renamed in 1959 for Nile Clarke Kinnick, Jr. This school usually has 500 to 600 students and is about 45 km from Tokyo...
  
  
• Ateneo de Manila
  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...
  
  
• Pioneer Insurance
• Hapee-Nenaco-Ateneo/Fash
  Hapee Complete Protectors
  The Licealiz Shampoo Hair Doctors is a basketball team currently playing in the Philippine Basketball League and is owned by the Lamoiyan Corporation. As with any team in the semi-pro PBL, the team regularly changes names, takes a leave of absence, then comes back and competes again...
  
  
• Team Philippines - 2003 SEA Games
• 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...
  
  
• Alaska Aces
  Alaska Aces (PBA)
  The Alaska Aces is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association since 1986 under the ownership of the Alaska Milk Corporation and the owner of 13 PBA championships with the 2010 PBA Fiesta Conference as their latest...
  
  
• Red Bull Barako
  Red Bull Barako
  The Barako Bull Energy Boosters was a professional basketball team of the Philippine Basketball Association that is owned by the Photokina Marketing Corporation...
  
  
• Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants
• 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...
  
  
• Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters

Awards

• Defensive Player of the Year (UAAP) - 2000
• 4-Time UAAP Mythical Five Member
• 2-Time UAAP MVP (2000, 2001)
• UAAP Champion (2002)
• PBL Champion
• SEA Games Gold medalist (2003)
• PBA Rookie of the Year (2004–05)

Personal Life

Rich began dating R&B singer, Kyla

Kyla

Melanie Hernandez Calumpad Alvarez , better known by her stage name Kyla, is an R&B singer, songwriter, producer, TV host, and occasional actress from the Philippines....

 in 2005. After six years of dating, Rich proposed in January. The wedding took place on November 28, 2011.

Television

Alvarez appeared as one of the cast of the television movie "1st Day High". He also appeared in some television guestings of GMA.

External links

• PBA.ph: Rich Alvarez Player Profile