Philip Cezar: 1980 PBA MVP, 7-time Mythical 1st Team, 4-time All Defensive Team

Joe Cantada once said that Philip Cezar is the smartest player in the PBA. That says a lot considering the number of players with high basketball IQ during that era.
Cezar was an integral part of the Crispa Redmanizers who became the winningest ball club in the first decade of the PBA. He was called “The Scholar for his cerebral play, often acting like a point forward who orchestrated the team’s offense and anchored the team’s defense. He was also one of the best passing big men of his time.
From 1975-1988, Cezar averaged in double figures in scoring for Crispa, Shell, and Great Taste/Presto. This level of consistency earned Cezar spots in the Mythical 1st Team seven times and twice in the Mythical 2nd Team.
His best season was in 1980 when he was named league MVP after averaging 17.78 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.62 assists, and 1.5 blocks.
But it was on the defensive end where Cezar truly left an imprint. He was the original Tapal King who popularized the umbrella defense and was tasked to shadow the likes of Ramon Fernandez and high scoring imports.
Cezar made the All Defensive Team from 1985 to 1988, the first four years that the PBA handed out awards for the league’s top defensive players.
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