The Last Giant MVP

James Carlos Yap will forever hold the distinction of being the last Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants' Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). With the ballclub bidding the PBA farewell couple of days ago, James Carlos Yap bagged his second MVP Award tonight in the Annual PBA Leo Prieto Awards held at the Araneta Coliseum. Just like his first MVP award four years ago, the award came equally sweet for the 28 year old native of Escalante, Negros, they called by numerous monikers, as he has to battle paramount family issues highlighted by his much publicized break-up with the sister of the Philippine President.


James Carlos Yap is one of the only two Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants players who earned the MVP award while playing for the team. The other is the Captain Lion Heart, Alvin Patrimonio who has four (4) MVP awards tucked under his belt. Collectively, these two players are the only Purefoods TJ Giants players that took home the highest individual award in the PBA and no one could ever join their exclusive class for now, not unless PTJG stage a comeback opening the opportunity for other players to join their elite club.


Picked second over-all back in the 2004 PBA Annual Rookie Draft Pick held January 16, 2004 at Glorietta Activity Center in Makati, this University of the East (UE Red Warrior)skipper didn’t made that much impression on his first year in the pro league. Averaging only 12.3 point-per-game on his first season, James Carlos Yap played his first PBA season being bothered by his ailing shoulder which tremendously affected his shooting touch, and eventually his game. He lost the Rookie of the Year Honors to Rich Alvarez, a former Ateneo Blue Eagle who was playing for the defunct Shell Turbo Chargers.


In his second season in the PBA, James Carlos Yap proved everyone else that there’s no such thing as sophomore jinx. On that year, Big Game James lead the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants to the PBA Fiesta Conference First Runner-up finish and went on to lead the squad and grab the Championship trophy in the succeeding PBA Philippine Cup or better known as the All Filipino Conference. For his effort, he earned his first MVP award from a tightly fought statistical battle with his teammate Kerby Raymundo and nemesis Enrico Villanueva of the Reb Bull Barako.


Worthy to be mentioned in James Carlos Yap’s sterling basketball career which earned him numerous awards since his amateur days is his best friend and teammate Paul Anthony Dy Artadi. The Paul Artadi and James Yap backcourt tandem can be traced back into their college days at the University of the East while playing at the UAAP. Paul “Kid Lightning” Artadi is the man that almost always has given James Yap the opportunity to look good with his amazing passing skills. The duo brought this familiarity advantage over at Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants where they played together for numerous seasons. Ironically, James Carlos Yap earned his two MVP awards in the PBA while playing alongside Paul Anthony Dy Artadi.


These accolades and awards being given to James Carlos Yap and the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants squad will soon be lost in oblivion. When the new PBA season begins late this year, the team will have a new head coach and a new team name. Between then and today, nothing’s really certain with the players and the fans watching at the sidelines. Seeing James Yap and Paul Artadi wearing different jersey than the ones they have always worn six years now may not be a pleasing sight to see on TV. My heart will still cheer and root for the old Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants Squad, saying so is short to admitting that my basketball passion will never be the same again. Only time will tell, for better or worse, one thing is sure, shit really happens!


Congratulations James Carlos Yap! The man with a million moves.