By Waylon Galvez
In a glittering career, Ranidel de Ocampo certainly has his own glorious moments, be it in the PBA or in the international arena as a member of Gilas Pilipinas.
The 45th PBA Season was supposed to be de Ocampo’s ‘farewell’ campaign but due to the unexpected stoppage of the league – no thanks to coronavirus – the 38-year-old veteran was forced to call it a day.
For sure, De Ocampo will go down in league history as one of the accomplished players having won six PBA championships, a pair of Press Corps finals MVP awards, a Best Player of the Conference, and two silver medals with the national team in the FIBA-Asia Championship.
But for him, his finest moments are:
First PBA title
After four seasons with Air21 (originally Federal Express which picked him No. 4 overall during the 2004 PBA Rookie Draft) the team shipped de Ocampo to TNT in the middle of the 2008-09 Philippine Cup.
There he quickly made an impact under coach Chot Reyes as he teamed up with Jimmy Alapag, Harvey Carey and Mark Cardona to help the Texters win the title against the Alaska Aces.
What made that first PBA championship even ‘sweeter’ for de Ocampo was that he captured it with his ‘kuya’ Yancy – then a backup center of TNT.
Finally a BPC
In was in 2014 when De Ocampo won his first – and only – Best Player of the Conference (BPC) when he emerged as the most consistent player in the season-ending Governors’ Cup.
That award put de Ocampo as automatic candidate in the MVP against TNT teammate Jayson Castro – BPC winner in the Commissioner’s Cup – and June Mar Fajardo of Petron Blaze (now San Miguel Beer).
De Ocampo and Castro lost to the 6-foot-10 Fajardo.
Finals MVP
On his fourth year with TNT, he was among the team pillars as he helped the Texters advance to the playoffs with a 12-2 record in the 2013 PH Cup that clinched them the No. 1 spot.
After an easy win against his former squad Air21 in the quarterfinals, De Ocampo powered the team to a 4-2 victory against Alaska in the semifinals, and in the Finals, TNT dominated Rain or Shine with a 4-0 sweep.
With averages of 18 points, eight rebounds and almost four assists in four games, de Ocampo bagged his first of only two Finals MVP.
Silver for Gilas
After twice being cut from the national team in two previous FIBA-Asia championships, De Ocampo finally made it to the roster when the country hosted the event in 2013.
He teamed up with Marc Pingris to form a formidable frontline alongside naturalized player Marcus Douthit for then PH team coach Chot Reyes.
The semifinal game against South Korea brought the best out of de Ocampo as he – together with Pingris and Jimmy Alapag – stepped up with Douthit out in the second half with an injury.
Against the taller Koreans, De Ocampo collected 11 points and six rebounds in an 86-79 win that earned the Philippines a ticket to the World Cup for the first time in 42 years.
Though they lost to Iran, 85-71, in the final, De Ocampo considered that tournament as his finest showing in a Gilas uniform.
Gilas in World Cup
The national team gave everything it got in the 2014 World Cup in Spain, and following two close defeats against Greece and Croatia, Gilas was on the verge of pulling off a stunning win.
Against former Olympic champion Argentina, de Ocampo scored 18 points and added five rebounds in an 85-81 defeat in the elimination round. Despite the loss, that highlighted the team’s campaign.
For de Ocampo, it was also one of the best in his career as he battled NBA players Luis Scola and Andres Nocioni.
