IF not for an online jab by Converge’s Juan Gomez de Liaño about this player who’s embraced the monicker ‘Mr. Never Heard,’ Raymond Aguilar won’t be enjoying a popularity that his team, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, is legendary known for.
Aguilar who? He’s the other Aguilar on head coach Tim Cone’s bench, the other being the more popular and many-time national team player Japeth.
Speaking of the Ginebra bench, Aguilar’s warmed his spot at the farthest end, waiting for that call from Cone to do what he does best-defend and hustle the opponent.
So who’s Aguilar and why is he in an Ginebra uniform?
Aguilar is now 39 years old and is the only remaining player besides San Miguel Beer’s Chris Ross-who’s shown signs he’s headed for an assistant coach’s job-from the 2009 Rookie Draft who’s actively plying his trade in the 50-year-old league.
Interestingly, he wasn’t drafted in that batch that included Ross, then No. 2 overall pick Rico Maierhofer who’s now a vlogger, Jervy Cruz and Ronnie Matias and it took five years for the collegiate journeyman from San Sebastian and National University to finally get to play in the Philippine Basketball Association.
TNT Tropang 5G signed him up in 2014-2015-primarily because of his relentless energy and not exactly what he contributes in terms of scoring-and then found himself at Kia (now Terrafirma) and Blackwater.
Amazingly, he was traded to Ginebra in 2017 from the Bossing in a deal that involved Art de la Cruz for Chris Ellis and Dave Marcelo.
He wore the Gin Kings colors alright, but most of the time, he’s assigned to bang it up with the top players in practice and was called to duty on rare occasions by Cone.
‘I never asked anybody why? I just love my role, and I embrace whatever they told me to do,’ said Aguilar, a true blue Marikeño who now resides in Antipolo City. ‘I really love what I do and am so satisfied with what the management is giving me. You must not lose your confidence.’
Despite his limited minutes, Aguilar, an Information Technology graduate of NU, is a family man off the court to wife Princess, a Tourism graduate at Lyceum University of the Philippines, and kids Raymond John Jr. (11), Rayver (10), Raynicia Juliana (6), Rayyan Jrew (3) and Raybron (2).
While not in practice or in a game, Aguilar always puts to heart his love of the game.
‘I coach kids in a youth league, including my sons,’ said Aguilar, who’s into construction and buy-and-sell of cars.
Just how long Aguilar’s been in the Philippine basketball scene is validated by the fact that he’s a veteran of the then semi-pro league, Philippine Basketball League, that folded way back in 2011-he played for Pharex, Pacific Pipes and Cebuana Lhuillier.
The 6-foot-5 Aguilar has so much gratitude for Cone, Ginebra governor Alfrancis Chua and San Miguel Corp. boss Ramon S. Ang for recognizing his worth as a player.
‘So thankful to coach Alfrancis, who is my mentor, for helping me through the years, and to Sir RSA (Ramon S. Ang), and coach Tim Cone,’ he said. ‘My commitment is to be in the best of shape every single day and never miss practice.’
‘Basketball is really my passion and I challenge my sons to excel. I have nothing to go but where basketball brings me,’ he said. ‘But after basketball, I aim to prosper in business, I’m hands on all the time … and we never know how long we’ll be playing the sport we love.’
So Mr. Never Heard, really?
Here’s a few facts-he scored a career-high 16 points in Ginebra’s 100-96 win over San Miguel Beer on January 28, 2018, in the Philippine Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, the same points he made-but having gone 4 of 6 from beyond the arc-with Blackwater on January 20, 2017, in a 90-99 Philippine Cup loss to Ginebra.
This guy may have warmth the bench long enough but envy this-he’s an eight-time PBA champion (six consecutive years from 2016 to 2022 and the latest, this season’s Commissioner’s Cup).