123-637: James Carlos Agravante Yap Sr. (born February 15, 1982) is a Filipino professional basketball player who last played for the Blackwater Bossing of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Known by his nickname Big Game James , he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players to ever play in the PBA . Beyond sports, Yap is also a politician, serving his first term as a city councilor for San Juan since 2022. Yap
246-498: A Mapua University standout, led the franchise to six championships and was named Most Valuable Player four times. Patrimonio retired in 2004 and currently serves as its team manager. Yap led Purefoods to seven titles including a notable grand slam in 2013–14, which is the only grand slam in the history of the franchise and received multiple MVP awards as well. While Pingris was named to the PBA's 40 greatest players playing alongside Yap as
369-501: A 1–3 deficit in the finals – a feat they had previously accomplished in 2006. They also looked to grab their first back-to-back championships in franchise history. However, the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters fought hard in Game 7 and defeated B-Meg, 83–76 despite Yap's 23-point performance. B-Meg missed crucial shots during crunch time, and import Marqus Blakely fouled out of the game early in
492-593: A 90–82 victory to help his team win the series 2–1, sending themselves to the semifinals against the Alaska Aces. However, San Mig failed to reach the finals as the team was ousted by the Aces in three games. The Mixers ended second in the elimination round of the 2013 PBA Governors' Cup , behind the Petron Blaze Boosters. With a twice to beat advantage, San Mig eliminated the Alaska Aces in two games in
615-569: A best-of-5 semifinals series. Despite their unexpected good showing in the Commissioner's Cup, they struggled in the last conference of the season, and never made it past the elimination round. Noy Castillo was named Most Improved Player of the 2001 season after leading the TJ Hotdogs in scoring throughout the year. In 2002, they got Kerby Raymundo from Red Bull as the new main man for the team. Altamirano concentrated his duties with
738-634: A best-of-five affair. In the semifinal series, the Mixers again lost Game 1 to the Express, 103–100 behind the splendid play of forward Sean Anthony . However, in a virtual repeat of their semifinal series against Barangay Ginebra in the Philippine Cup, the Mixers totally dominated the Express in the deciding Game 5 of their series, 99–83, to enter the finals against the undefeated Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters . San Mig Super Coffee drew first blood in
861-611: A career-high 37 points to beat the Barangay Ginebra Kings . Near the end of the round, he played an important role in the win against the powerhouse team Talk 'N Text. The victory put the Purefoods team in a first-place finish in the classification phase, earning them an outright semifinals berth for the second consecutive time. After the accumulation of player statistics at the end of the semis, Yap edged out teammate Kerby Raymundo and Red Bull's Enrico Villanueva for
984-787: A career-high 41 points in a 109–97 win over the Welcoat Paints , leading Purefoods to a spot in the wildcard phase of the 2007 PBA Fiesta Conference playoffs. He scored six of the Giants' 11 3-pointers. In the following game against the Coca-Cola Tigers , he scored 40 points as Purefoods lost 100–97, thus being eliminated from the Conference. Despite failing to deliver the win for his team, Yap's efforts equaled former PBA player Nelson Asaytono 's record of scoring 40+ points in back-to-back games. Purefoods had renamed its team to
1107-524: A dismal 9–27 win loss card (a franchise low). Their best player, Alvin Patrimonio , announced his retirement in November 2004, after playing his entire career with the team. During his rookie season, Yap mostly came off the bench. Bothered by an ailing shoulder, Yap had a slow start in the 2004–05 season but later on, he improved as he had numerous games where he scored 20 or more points. By the end of
1230-465: A finals appearance. Purefoods struggled in the 1999 PBA season All-Filipino Cup despite acquiring Filipino-American Al Segova and a new head coach in Derrick Pumaren . During the Commissioner's Cup, Codiñera was traded to Mobiline for Andy Seigle . The trade ended the long-time partnership of Patrimonio and Codiñera, who was known as the "Defense Minister." Segova was later banished after he
1353-558: A gold medal finish and was eventually honored by Philippines Sportswriter Association as the best basketball player in the amateurs alongside the best player in the professional level, Asi Taulava . Yap played in the Philippine Basketball League from 2001 to 2004. In 2001, he played for the ICTSI-La Salle Archers forming a backcourt tandem with Mike Cortez that almost had their team beating
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#17327941206481476-503: A house on fire by winning their first 3 games. However, the team only managed to win another game in their last 6 elimination games as they finished with a 4–5 record, good for 6th place. Due to the team's poor record, they were drawn to face the Alaska Aces in the best-of-three quarterfinal series. After losing the first game to the Aces, the team rebounded to win games 2 and 3 to enter the semifinals against upstart Air 21 Express in
1599-636: A much more defense-orchestrated team, the Far Eastern University Tamaraws led by tactician coach Koy Banal and star player Arwind Santos . Nevertheless, Yap was named as the Most Valuable Player from coaches, players, and media votes. In the same year, he, along with incourt partner Paul Artadi , was teamed up with other UAAP and PBL counterparts to lead the Philippines in the 2003 Southeast Asian Games to
1722-469: A record of 7–3 in the eliminations, but were eliminated in the semifinals with a record of 9–9. For the 1994 All-Filipino Conference, the team drafted three rookies – Rey Evangelista , Vince Hizon , and Peter Naron. The Stars also added another rookie in Richie Ticzon whom they acquired through a draft-day trade that sent veteran point guard Pumaren and Lago to Pepsi Mega . To add experience to
1845-601: A season-high 23 points against the Kia Sorento , leading his team to an 80–89 win. With a quest to defend their last title, the Hotshots ended the elimination round with a 6–5 record and reached the quarterfinals, where they faced the GlobalPort Batang Pier . The latter was able to clinch a twice to beat in the quarterfinals. Yap finished the 2014–15 season averaging 11.8 points in 27.9 minutes per game,
1968-418: A subsidiary of Ayala Corporation ) acquired the PBA franchise of the original Tanduay team , after Elizalde & Company, Inc. announced it was leaving the PBA. In 2001, Pure Foods Corporation, including its PBA franchise, was sold by Ayala Corporation to San Miguel Corporation . The following year, Pure Foods Corporation was renamed San Miguel Pure Foods Company, Inc. The franchise continued to play under
2091-592: A sweet revenge against Ateneo in the finals. A month after, he again led UE to the inaugural Collegiate Champions League crown, beating FEU. In the 66th season of UAAP , Yap led the Red Warriors to the Final Four for the second straight time as he topped his teammates in points and rebounding, and closed second to Artadi in overall efficiency rating. Eventually in the semifinals series, the Warriors lost to
2214-526: A talented young guard. In the 2005–06 Fiesta Conference , Yap was 4th in the statistical race, behind at the end of the semifinals series, while the Giants finished 4–2 at the series conclusion. In the classification round of the 2006 Philippine Cup , the Chunkee Giants finished with a 12–4 record. In the first round of the all-Filipino Cup, Yap recorded 34 points against the Sta. Lucia Realtors then had
2337-460: A team-high 21 points (3-5 from 3-point area), with 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal; (c) in ROS come-from-behind win against Northport on February 8, 2019, where he scored 19 points including 6-9 from three-point area with 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals; (d) and the last versus Magnolia last February 13, 2019 where he scored 18 points, 11 of which scored in the 4th quarter, with 5 rebounds to boot. In
2460-491: A three-year deal with an option for the player to extend it for another two years once the second season of the new deal ended. A few weeks before the beginning of the 2010–11 season , it was announced that Yap would be re-signing with B-Meg. The Llamados entered the 2010–11 PBA Philippine Cup as defending champions. In the first round of the tournament, the former University of the East standout averaged 15.1 points per game, while
2583-513: A ticket to the 2012 PBA Governors' Cup finals against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, after beating Ginebra 74–72, via a Peter June Simon game-winner. B-Meg dropped their first game 91–80, but the resilient Llamados bounced back and defeated Rain or Shine 85–80 in Game 2, where James Yap was named Best Player of the Game after a 24-point, 9-rebound performance. But B-Meg suffered two straight losses, 93–84 and 94–89 respectively, as Rain or Shine led
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#17327941206482706-403: A win away to clinch the best of five series. However, the team of legendary coach Baby Dalupan led a stunning comeback to win the series 3–2, giving the franchise its first PBA title. The championship was Dalupan's last but it made him the first coach in PBA history to win PBA championships in three different decades. The other coach who achieved this feat was Norman Black and Tim Cone . During
2829-675: Is in full display through the team's first eight games as he leads Rain or Shine in scoring with a 14.75 ppg average adding 2.88 rpg, 1.63 apg and 0.75 spg. Additionally, Yap won Player of the Week (POW) honors for the period February 5–13, 2019 by leading ROS to a 3–0 record on the way to a league-leading 7-1 overall record. Aside from this POW citation, Yap had already earned Player of the Game honors four times: (a) in their opening game against NLEX on January 18, 2019, where he topscored with 20 points including 4–7 in 3-point area and 3 assists; (b) versus San Miguel Beer on February 1, 2019, where he scored
2952-424: Is one of the most exciting players in the league and his partner PJ Simon the teams supersub and later on becomes an all star caliber player and nicknamed scoring apostle. During Patrimonio's birthday celebration on November 26, 2004 (Patrimonio's birthday was on November 17), he announced his retirement in an emotional speech, ending his illustrious 16-year career to concentrate his role as team manager. His number
3075-550: Is playing in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) beginning in the 2014–2015 season . The franchise started as one of the founding teams in the PBA Developmental League . It transferred to the PBA after being accepted as an expansion team. The team is named after Ever Bilena's brand of men's fragrances . Blackwater was one of the founding teams in the PBA Developmental League (PBA D-League). It won one PBA D-League championship. The team's predecessor
3198-563: The 2000 season and signed up with Tanduay Gold . Replacing him was the returning Altamirano for his second tour of duty with Purefoods. A distraction affected the team off the court when the Ayala Corporation sold Pure Foods Corporation (including its PBA franchise) to San Miguel Corporation . The problem with this development was that SMC already had two PBA ballclubs in San Miguel Beer and Barangay Ginebra, and it
3321-420: The 2003 Southeast Asian Games where they won the basketball gold. He was also a member of the national team that participated at the 2009 FIBA Asia Championship where he played 8 of the 9 games posting averages of 9.3 ppg (74 total points), 2.6 rpg (21 total rebounds) and 0.9 assists (7 total assists). The team ended up in 8th place. In the 2009 Southeast Asia Basketball Association (SEABA) Championships , Yap
3444-717: The 2014–15 season , the San Mig Coffee Mixers was renamed as the Purefoods Star Hotshots. The 2014–15 Philippine Cup , first conference of the season, started in October 2014. On November 23, 2014, Yap became the PBA's 20th all-time scoring leader, surpassing Jeffrey Cariaso (8,935) in a 77–74 win against the Meralco Bolts. In December, Yap was honored as one of the 40 greatest players in PBA history. The Purefoods Star Hotshots struggled in
3567-559: The 2023 PBA All-Star Weekend . On September 26, 2023, he signed another one-conference contract with the team. He was formally released by the team on January 29, 2024. On February 9, 2024, Yap signed a one-year contract with the Blackwater Bossing . As of the end of 2023–24 season Yap is a many-time member of the RP Basketball Team . Yap was a member of the Philippine National Team that played at
3690-440: The Alaska Aces for the third-most overall. The franchise plays under numerous brand names of the company but is best known by its original name, Purefoods . It remains as one of the most popular teams in the PBA, winning fourteen PBA titles and is the fourth team in PBA history to win a Grand Slam . The players most identified with the franchise are Alvin Patrimonio , James Yap , and Marc Pingris , among others. Patrimonio,
3813-746: The Asia League 's Summer Super 8 Invitational Tournament held in Macau . Roster *one-game playoffs **team had the twice-to-beat advantage 2016 2017 2018 2019 2024 Star Hotshots 1990 Third Conference 1991 All-Filipino 1993 All-Filipino 1994 Commissioner's 1997 All-Filipino 2002 Governors' 2006 Philippine 2009–10 Philippine 2012 Commissioner's 2013 Governors' 2013–14 Philippine 2014 Commissioner's 2014 Governors' 2018 Governors' The Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots , or simply known as
James Yap - Misplaced Pages Continue
3936-677: The Bacolod Tay Tung High School and made his mark. He was transferred to Iloilo Central Commercial High School , displaying his skills. Manila Standard . Along the way, he sparked his team to three consecutive Iloilo PRISAA titles. Instead, Yap went on to play at the collegiate level where he polished his skills. He played for the UE Red Warriors under former national team coach Boysie Zamar. In 2002, known for his quick-release shooting and all-around presence, he, alongside Paul Artadi and Ronald Tubid , brought
4059-596: The Magnolia Hotshots , are a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association . The team is owned by San Miguel Food and Beverage, Inc. , a subsidiary of San Miguel Corporation (SMC). The team is one of three PBA ball clubs currently owned by the SMC group of companies, along with Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and the San Miguel Beermen . They have 14 PBA championships, tied with
4182-548: The Philippine Basketball Association Most Valuable Player award by recording averages of 17.60 ppg, 4.35 rpg, 1.18 apg and 1.19 steals per game (spg) in 36.4 mpg. This made him, at 24 years of age, the fifth youngest player, and second sophomore to have won the individual award. He was the statistical leader and garnered more than 7000 combined votes from players, the 4-man committee, and the media, almost 5000 votes ahead of
4305-561: The triangle offense , the Llamados started the 2011–12 season with a 2–4 record in their first 6 matches of the 2011–12 PBA Philippine Cup . On October 29, 2011, in a closely fought game against Barako Bull, Yap hit a critical 3-pointer to tie the game 79–79 with 1.8 seconds left in the fourth period which sent the match into overtime. However, the Energy ultimately defeated B-Meg 87–84. After B-Meg struggled to win back-to-back games, Yap led
4428-522: The 1991 Most Valuable Player, the first of a record-tying four MVPs he had won. Purefoods failed to defend the crown in 1992 , losing in seven games to San Miguel . In 1993 , the team was renamed as the Coney Island Ice Cream Stars , an ice cream brand owned by Pure Foods Corporation. They drafted four rookies that year – Dwight Lago, Benny Cheng, Freddie Abuda , and Olsen Racela ; and acquired veteran forward Abe King from
4551-492: The 2010–11 season was ended when they were eliminated in the semifinals of the 2011 PBA Governors Cup . Nonetheless, at the end of the season, Yap was selected to the PBA Mythical Second Team. In the offseason, two weeks after resigning as head coach of the Alaska Aces, Tim Cone was appointed as the new head coach of the Llamados, replacing Jorge Gallent. With a new offensive scheme being enforced by Cone,
4674-455: The Aces in the finals, Yap scored 24, 32, 14, and 18 points respectively. For leading his team to this incredible feat, Yap was named Best Player of the Conference (BPC), as well as Finals MVP. He also won his second MVP award, for the 2009–2010 PBA season with averages of 17.98 ppg, 3.50 rpg, 2.02 apg and 0.64 spg while playing almost 34 minutes per ball game. Yap was lauded for winning the award despite numerous distractions he had to deal with off
4797-532: The Alaska Aces in a best-of-3 series in the quarterfinals, and bagged the semifinals slot by winning two consecutive games. The team faced Talk 'N Text in the semifinals. The Hotshots were able to win Game 1, 94–100, but lost the series as Talk 'N Text won the following 3 matches. The 2015 PBA Governors' Cup began in May 2015. The franchise was renamed, this time as the Star Hotshots. On May 30, 2015, Yap scored
4920-589: The All-Filipino Cup title, thus forfeiting the opportunity. Nonetheless, when the Beermen line-up was decimated with several injuries to their key players, they had to reinforce with Purefoods' Patrimonio, Codiñera, and Evangelista. Johnny Abarrientos of Alaska was also included in the team that placed fourth in the Asian Games. In the Commissioner's Cup, with Kenny Redfield as import, Purefoods won
5043-476: The Bolts. Purefoods started the 2015 PBA Commissioner's Cup well, going undefeated in their first 4 games. Due to his performances, Yap was elected Player of the Week from February 23 to March 1. The Hotshots took their spot in the quarterfinals by defeating their last opponents Barako Bull Energy and Meralco Bolts, but fell in ranking due to a quotient system and were not given a twice to beat advantage. They faced
James Yap - Misplaced Pages Continue
5166-519: The Elasto Painters failed to lock down a three-year contract extension deal according to a source from Spin.ph . In his very first game with the Elasto Painters on November 30, 2016, Yap made two 3-point shots to become the 6th player with at least 1,000 3-point conversions joining Jimmy Alapag (1,250), Allan Caidic (1,242), Ronnie Magsanoc (1,171), Dondon Hontiveros (1,119) and Al Solis (1,000). However, with his second conversion for
5289-495: The Hotdogs not to qualify for the quarterfinals. It was the first season that Purefoods failed to make the 20 win mark with a dismal 9–27 win loss card (a franchise low). The Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdogs acquired James Yap as the second overall draft pick in the 2004 PBA draft . Yap became the main man of the team that led Purefoods through the years. The former UE Red Warrior has won multiple Most Valuable Player awards. He
5412-514: The Llamados to an 8-game winning streak in the elimination round of the conference, thus earning them a top stop in the team standings and a twice-to-beat advantage. He was also named the PBA Player of the Week twice. In the quarterfinals B-Meg faced the 8th seeded Powerade Tigers. In an upset, they were eliminated by the Tigers in two games, as they lost 88–97 and 131–123 respectively. It was only
5535-459: The Llamados won the 2012 PBA Commissioner's Cup championship 4–3, and Yap was named Finals MVP. Yap was a starter for the Veterans squad in the 2012 PBA All-Star Game , where he shared with Dylan Ababou the distinction of holding the highest-scoring individual performance in the history of the game after dropping 44 points. Yap was also adjudged as All-Star Game MVP. The B-Meg Llamados booked
5658-450: The PABL and the national team . Purefoods then drafted Alvin Patrimonio , Jojo Lastimosa , Jerry Codiñera , Glenn Capacio and the number one overall pick of the rookie draft that year; Jack Tanuan . They also added Al Solis and Totoy Marquez from Shell . However, there was a surrounding controversy on the case of Patrimonio, as his PABL team Swift denied Patrimonio's release. The issue
5781-657: The PBA, the three teams will select players from a dispersal draft in July consisting of unprotected current PBA players and free agents. They will also pick rookies in the 2014 PBA draft in August. Blackwater and the NLEX Road Warriors became the first franchises to enter the PBA from its D-League . With the help of Gilas player Marcus Douthit , Blackwater got their first win in the 2015 PBA Commissioner's Cup against San Miguel Beermen , 80–77. In August 2020, it
5904-478: The Purefoods banner until 2010. Beginning 2010, the franchise played under other brand names of the company – B-Meg (from 2010 to 2012), San Mig Coffee (from 2012 to 2014) and Star (from 2014 to 2017). Beginning the 2017–18 PBA season , the team started playing under the Magnolia Chicken brand name. As part of the deal to join the league, Purefoods was allowed to take some amateur players from
6027-469: The Purefoods fans. In 1995 , Purefoods failed to enter the championship of the three conferences allotted, showing only two fourth-place finishes in the All-Filipino and the Commissioner's Cup. It was the first time in the team's eight-year history that they failed to make it to the All-Filipino finals. It was also the first time that they didn't make any finals appearance in a single season. During
6150-501: The Red Warriors to the Final Four after years of absence. However, second seed University of the East lost to a dramatic semifinal series as they faced the Ateneo Blue Eagles the eventual champions. Nevertheless, Yap established himself as one of the most prolific scorers averaging more than 20 points per game in just his third year in the league. In the same year, he led UE to the first Bantay Bata Crossover Cup, exacting
6273-704: The Tender Juicy Giants for the 2007 PBA Fiesta Conference . The Giants then had a 7–0 start at the 2007–08 Philippine Cup with Yap having a banner conference. Purefoods eventually clinched the semifinals berth and the No. 1 seed after defeating the Coca-Cola Tigers. In the semifinals, the Giants were up against Red Bull, the winner over the Magnolia Beverage Masters in the quarterfinals series. In game 4, Yap injured his groin in
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#17327941206486396-552: The Three-Point Shootout contest. The 2009–10 Philippine Cup started on October 11, 2009. Purefoods finished third in the elimination round with a 12–6 record, outlasted the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the quarterfinals in five games, and defeated the No. 2 seed and sister team San Miguel Beermen in six games after trailing the series 1–2. In the finals , Purefoods swept Alaska, 4–0, to be crowned 2009–2010 PBA Philippine Cup champions. During their series against
6519-621: The Tropang Texters in Game 4 with a 100–91 fightback to win their 3rd straight championship thus joining a select group of PBA teams to win the golden treble. Yap was named the PBA Commissioner's Cup Press Corps Finals MVP. In April 2014, Yap was voted by fans to start in his 11th All-Star game . He led the PBA All-Stars with 14 points but the team ultimately succumbed to a 93–101 defeat against Gilas Pilipinas. With
6642-501: The Turbo Chargers eliminated them in the same predicament. Prior to the start of the 2005–06 Fiesta Conference , Purefoods replaced their TJ Hotdogs moniker with the Chunkee Giants. The Chunkee Giants was a reference to the company's new chunky corned beef product Purefoods Chunkee Corned Beef. Purefoods selected PBL MVP Jondan Salvador with the fourth pick in the first round of the draft. To further strengthen its line-up,
6765-566: The Year at the end of the season. In 1989 , Purefoods lost in six games to San Miguel in the All-Filipino Conference. An incident also happened during the second round of the eliminations of that conference when Samboy Lim nearly suffered a career-ending injury when he drove over Lastimosa causing him to fall off-balance and hit head first on the parquet floor. This happened on July 18, 1989, with Purefoods winning 125–115. There
6888-640: The award. Gregorio and Coca-Cola mentor Chot Reyes was named co-winners of the Coach of the Year Award. In 2003, Gregorio was named as the head coach of the team as Altamirano was reassigned to the traveling SMC All-Stars (composed of former PBA all-stars). Purefoods each failed to enter the quarterfinals of the three conferences. In the Reinforced Conference, they had former NBA protege Lenny Cooke , but Cooke later suffered an injury, causing
7011-478: The championship in the 2013–14 Governor's Cup, San Mig Coffee recorded the first back-to-back Governor's Cup crowns in 14 years, the first four-peat in 17 years and of course the elusive and rare Grand Slam in 18 years. Yap also received the 2014 Governor's Cup Finals MVP Award with an average of 16.8 ppg (the team-high), his second consecutive Finals MVP award. He ended the season with average of 12.0 points, 37.1 percent shooting, 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists. Starting
7134-589: The comebacking Jojo Tangkay , leading them to a runner-up finish. He and Tangkay lost to PJ Simon of the Fash team for the MVP plum. Yap entered the 2004 PBA draft , and was selected as the second overall pick by the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants . The Giants were coming off a disappointing 2003 season, after failing to enter the quarterfinals of the three conferences. They ended the season with
7257-460: The court. During his acceptance speech, Yap tearfully dedicated his latest trophy to his son Baby James. During the 2009–10 season , Yap was selected to his 7th All-Star Game appearance. In March 2011, via fan voting, he was voted to his 7th consecutive PBA All-Star Game ; Yap collected the most votes with 28, 444 to become the starting guard for the South team. Starting the 2010 Fiesta Conference,
7380-691: The current 2020 PBA Philippine Cup being held in a bubble at the Angeles University Foundation (AUF) Sports Arena and Cultural Center in Pampanga, Yap moved into a tie for third place in the All-time List for Most 3-point shots converted with 1,171 after going 4/7 in Rain or Shine's game against the TNT Tropang Giga on November 10, 2020. He won Player of the Game honors in this game, an 80–74 victory, that completed
7503-419: The defending champions tied the series 2–2 in Game 4 with a 98–93 win, despite a late rally by TNT in the fourth quarter. Talk N' Text would eventually defeat the Llamados in Game 5 (97–83) and Game 6 (89–72), thus eliminating the defending champions from the tournament. Yap averaged 18.75 ppg, 1.77 apg, 4.30 rpg and 0.60 spg in 36 minutes playing time. The 2011 PBA Commissioner's Cup , the second conference of
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#17327941206487626-401: The disbanded Presto team. The Stars won the 1993 All-Filipino Cup defeating San Miguel, 4–2. Their head coach was Chot Reyes , who achieved a milestone for winning the title in his first conference as coach. Coney Island was renamed Purefoods Oodles during the Commissioner's Cup. They were bannered by Patrimonio, Codiñera, and Dindo Pumaren , with Capacio, Cabahug, King, and Racela completed
7749-413: The finals against Rain or Shine; he scored seven three-pointers and finished the game with 30 points. In the finals, Yap led the San Mig Coffee Mixers to the championship over Rain or Shine, 4–2, after winning Game 6, 93–87. Yap averaged a team-high 13.83 ppg and added averages of 4.33 rpg, 0.50 apg, 0.83 spg and 0.67 bpg. In the 2014 Commissioner's Cup , Yap and the San Mig Super Coffee team started like
7872-408: The finals with a 15-point victory in Game 1 of the finals, 95–80, in the process snapping the 13–0 romp of the TNT team. After the Tropang Texters evened the series 1–1 with an 86–76 victory in Game 2, San Mig regained the upper hand in the series with a nail-biting 77–75 win in Game 3 from a clutch corner shot by Yap over the outstretched arms of Texters defender, Kelly Williams. The team finished off
7995-404: The finals, which they lost to Alaska. Brown won Best Import honors after leading the TJ Hotdogs to the finals of the Governors' Cup, which they lost to San Miguel. It was the second time that a Purefoods import won the said award. (Brown would go on to win a second one in 2002 in the same conference). Also, Patrimonio found his way back to the Mythical Five selection. Pumaren left Purefoods after
8118-403: The finals. Purefoods lost the series 3–1 against a veteran and rugged team of playing coach Robert Jaworski . Controversy arose during the series as Fernandez was ordered to be benched by then-Purefoods Corporation president Rene Buhain amid rumors of game-fixing. This issue led to Fernandez's transfer to San Miguel for Abet Guidaben late in the season. Lastimosa was named as the 1988 Rookie of
8241-409: The first games of the Philippine Cup but eventually clinched the quarterfinals with a twice-to-win disadvantage, as they were relegated to seventh place after the elimination round; the team's quest to defend the title ended on December 11, 2014, when they were eliminated by the Meralco Bolts in the first game of the quarterfinals, 77–65. It was the first in 5 times the Hotshots lost a playoff's series to
8364-442: The first quarter after scoring ten points and did not return to the game. Purefoods, now without Yap, ultimately lost the game in overtime, 97–88. After the injury to Yap, Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio announced prior to Game 5 that the former UE standout would be day-to-day. However, Yap started on Game 5 and helped his team nail a one-point victory, 96–95. After being outscored in the following match, 123–97, Yap led Purefoods to win
8487-439: The first round in 5th position. San Mig edged out Talk N' Text 2–1 in the quarterfinals, advancing to the best-of-7 semifinals against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel. After missing a game tying three-pointer in the last few seconds of Game 4, Yap gave the Mixers a 3–2 lead, making a game-winning triple in a 79–76 win. In the crucial Game 7, Yap made dominant clutch plays to lead the team to a 110–87 victory and helping San Mig advance to
8610-409: The fourth period. At season's end, Yap was selected to the PBA Mythical First Team. For the 2012–13 season , the Llamados renamed their team as the San Mig Coffee Mixers. The team finished second in the elimination round of the 2012–13 Philippine Cup with a 10–4 win–loss card. The Mixers then faced the Petron Blaze Boosters in the quarterfinals with a twice-to-beat advantage, managing to win 92–87 as
8733-435: The fourth quarter. In Game 7 Purefoods struggled in the third quarter with key players in foul trouble, and wasn't able to rally with Sta. Lucia's offence. In the end it was Sta. Lucia who made the crucial shots down the stretch and won the game 100–88. By the end of the 2007–2008 season , Yap averaged 21.32 ppg, 1.58 apg, 4.06 rpg, 0.76 spg and 0.24 blocks per game (bpg) in 37 minutes playing time. The 2008–2009 season saw
8856-419: The game went into overtime. The victory earned San Mig a place in the semifinals against Rain or Shine. On December 21, Yap led his team to a 106–82 victory in Game 2 over the Elasto Painters as he scored 34 points including 7 triples in 47 minutes of play, to help equalize the series 1–1. In the following matches, however, Yap struggled with his shooting and failed to bring the Mixers to the finals as San Mig lost
8979-536: The game, he moved to solo 5th in the all-time list with 1,001. As of March 5, 2017, Hontiveros had made 1,133 3-point shots while Yap had 1,020. On May 25, 2018, during the Luzon leg of the 2018 PBA All-Star Week held at Batangas City, Yap won his second 3-point Shootout trophy after scoring 24 points in the final round outlasting up-and-coming players Stanley Pringle of Globalport and TNT's Terrence Romeo who scored 21 and 16 points respectively. His first 3-point crown
9102-400: The lowest since his debut back in 2004. On October 13, 2016, James Yap was sent to Rain or Shine Elasto Painters on a blockbuster trade in exchange for star point guard Paul Lee that led to a shocking reaction from the basketball fans. The deal was sealed in a meeting between Rain or Shine governor Mert Mondragon and Star officials led by team manager Alvin Patrimonio after Paul Lee and
9225-463: The national team in 2002 as an assistant coach. Taking over for a while was his assistant, Ryan Gregorio . Gregorio led Purefoods to a successful championship run in the Governors' Cup defeating Alaska in seven games after trailing 0–2. It marked the second time they've beaten Alaska in a finals series despite dropping the first two games. Kerby Raymundo , acquired from Red Bull prior to the start of
9348-598: The newly christened Purefoods Carne Norte Beefies lost in the finals of the Governors' Cup to Alaska, 4–1. Their import was the talented Mike Jones who lost in a battle for Best Import honors. Patrimonio won his fourth and final Most Valuable Player Award, tying former teammate and idol Ramon Fernandez for the most number of MVP awards won. After getting booted out of the semifinals of the 1998 All-Filipino Cup, Altamirano left Purefoods to join Mobiline . Chito Narvasa became his replacement but failed to lead Purefoods to
9471-428: The objective of winning a rare Grand Slam, the San Mig Coffee Mixers entered the 2014 Governors' Cup as defending champions, having won the previous year. They ended the elimination round in 4th place with a 5–4 record and clinched a twice to beat advantage in the quarterfinals, where they defeated the returning San Miguel Beermen 97–90. In the semifinals they battled Talk and Text in a best-of-5 series. On June 25, 2014,
9594-497: The offseason, Purefoods retooled its lineup by drafting Rodney Santos and reacquiring former Purefoods players Pumaren and Tanuan through trades conducted with Pepsi and Sta. Lucia respectively. The TJ Hotdogs met Alaska in the finals of the All-Filipino Conference in 1996 PBA season but was defeated in five games by the eventual grand slam winning Milkmen. In the Governors' Cup, Purefoods struggled as they fielded in several imports in hopes of reversing their misfortunes. After
9717-466: The offseason, Purefoods traded Lastimosa to Alaska for Cabahug and Al Solis to Sarsi for Jun Tan. They also signed free agent swingman Elmer Reyes. In 1991 , Patrimonio was offered a 5-year, PhP 25 million deal by Pepsi Cola , which was matched by Purefoods. With the development, he became the highest paid player in the league. With this, Purefoods was able to beat Sarsi to win the 1991 All-Filipino Conference under head coach Ely Capacio . Patrimonio won
9840-571: The quarterfinal cast of the Philippine Cup PBA Bubble. In their last game in the eliminations against the Phoenix Fuel Masters held on November 11, 2020, Yap drilled a 3-pointer at the 10:58 mark of the third quarter as he officially broke his tie with former PBA great Magsanoc for sole third place in the all-time list as he now has 1,172 3-PT conversions. On January 23, 2022, Yap signed a contract extension with
9963-497: The quarterfinals; the team then ousted the Meralco Bolts in the semifinals and faced the Boosters in the finals. The Mixers went on to win the series in seven games, giving Yap his 4th title with the team. The San Mig Coffee Mixers had a slow start in the 2013-14 season ; they went 3–7 in the first 10 games of the 2013–14 Philippine Cup and fell 9th in the team standings. However, the team managed to score 4 consecutive wins to end
10086-515: The rest of the candidates. Yap was the first Purefoods player since Alvin Patrimonio to win the MVP award. He was also named to the Mythical First Team alongside teammates Raymundo and Roger Yap , and on-court rivals Enrico Villanueva and Lordy Tugade . Yap played in 41 games during the 2006–07 season . He averaged 19.71 ppg, 1.76 apg, 4.22 rpg and 0.63 steals per game while playing an average of 38.39 mpg. On June 1, 2007, Yap scored
10209-584: The roster, Coney Island traded incoming sophomore Cheng to Ginebra for veteran Manny Victorino and acquired 1992 Rookie of the Year Bong Ravena from San Miguel in exchange for Kevin Ramas. The league gave an incentive to the champion of the said conference to have the honor of representing the country in the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima , Japan . But Coney Island lost in six games to San Miguel for
10332-595: The season, Reyes left the Purefoods team to become the head coach of Sta. Lucia Realty. In 1997 PBA season , rookie coach Eric Altamirano took over as coach of the Purefoods Corned Beef Cowboys . In his very first conference, Purefoods won the All-Filipino Cup defeating the Gordon's Gin Boars in six games for their first title in three years. After a sorry performance in the Commissioner's Cup,
10455-557: The season, began on February 18, 2011. After compiling a 0–2 record in the first two games of the elimination round, the Llamados broke their losing streak with a 121–92 win against the Air21 Express . In the following game against the Barangay Ginebra Kings on March 6, Yap recorded 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as B-Meg won 89–96; it was Yap's first double-double since the 2006 Philippine Cup. The two-time MVP
10578-584: The season, he averaged 12.48 points per game (ppg), 4.70 rebounds per game (rpg) and 1.03 assists per game (apg) in 26.9 minutes per game (mpg). However, Purefoods failed to get past the quarterfinal round against the Shell Turbo Chargers . Despite leading all rookies in scoring, Yap eventually lost to Rich Alvarez in the Rookie of the Year award race. In the 2005–06 season , Yap received more playing time and began to show more of his abilities as
10701-500: The season, in the finals, Yap further proved his reputation as a "clutch player" and helped his team win with many crucial shots in multiple games. This championship completed a rare four-peat for the Mixers, as they also won the 2013 PBA Governor's Cup. With such achievement, the Yap-Pingris-Simon trio broke the record for most championships in franchise history with 7, surpassing Alvin Patrimonio's previous record of 6. With
10824-409: The second consecutive time. However, on May 14, in a game against Red Bull, Eugene Tejada suffered a freak injury, which resulted to his paralyzation. In the semifinals, Purefoods won the series in seven games after trailing Alaska 1–3, becoming only the second team since the 1991 Ginebra San Miguel team to come back from a 1–3 deficit in a PBA best-of-seven series. In six games, the Chunkee Giants won
10947-408: The semifinals. In a losing effort in Game 1 (B-Meg lost 91–98), Yap recorded a personal conference-high of 36 points. Yap suffered breathing difficulties and struggled with his shooting in Game 2, scoring 13 points in 31 minutes, but still played a main role and came up with a game-winning steal in the final seconds of the last quarter that gave B-Meg an 88–87 victory. The Tropang Texters won Game 3, but
11070-708: The series 2–4. After starting the 2013 Commissioner's Cup 0–3, the Mixers acquired returning import Denzel Bowles, in a move to improve the team's results. On March 20, Yap scored his 800th career three-pointer in an 82–87 loss against the Air21 Express. With the help of Yap and Bowles' performances, San Mig ended the classification phase with a record of 8–6, fourth overall in the standings, which gave them an outright quarterfinal slot. The Mixers lost their first game 85–88, with Yap facing back problems as he scored 8 points in 25 minutes. After being held to 7 points in Game 2, Yap bounced back in Game 3 as he scored 20 points in
11193-440: The series 3–1. But in Game 5, James Yap retaliated with a conference-high 30 points to lead B-meg to a 91–81 victory. Yap dedicated his performance to his former mother-in-law, the late former President Corazon Aquino . Yap then chipped in 20 points in the crucial Game 6, as B-meg won in convincing fashion, 97–81, to tie the series at 3–3. With Game 7 at hand, B-Meg aimed to become just the fourth team in PBA history to come back from
11316-445: The series in 7 games, and finally clinch their 12th AFC finals stint (the most by any team in history) against Sta. Lucia Realtors. The Giants lost a controversial 7-game series with Yap serving a suspension in game 5 after the Giants had come back a 0–2 deficit to tie the series at 2–2. They managed to level the series at 3–3 thanks to a classic fourth quarter performance by Yap, who made 5 of 6 three-point attempts and scored 20 points in
11439-462: The supporting cast. For their reinforcement, they hired Ronnie Grandison who was able to take them straight to the finals. They had a chance to win back-to-back PBA titles but were defeated by corporate rival Swift in six games for the crown of the said tournament. Patrimonio won his second Most Valuable Player award after the season. In the Governors' Cup, Purefoods Oodles reverted to Purefoods Tender Juicy Hotdogs . With import Tharon Mayes, they had
11562-493: The team changed its name from Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants to B-Meg Derby Ace Llamados. The end of the season, however, marked the departure of coach Ryan Gregorio, who left the Llamados after seven years and signed a deal with PBA returnee Meralco Bolts . Gregorio was succeeded by his assistant and multi-titled Philippine Basketball League coach Jorge Gallent . With Yap's contract expiring in September 2010, B-Meg offered him
11685-596: The team ended the Classification Phase with a record of 7–7. The two-time MVP and Peter June Simon led the team to the quarterfinals, in which B-Meg scored back-to-back wins against the Meralco Bolts . For the series, Yap averaged 22.0 points, as the Llamados defeated Meralco in two games. Following this series, the Llamados found themselves on a collision course with the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters in
11808-603: The team playing only 37 games, their lowest in the James Yap-era while failing to advance to the semifinal round of the two conferences played for the season, the Philippine Cup and the Fiesta Conference. In the Philippine Cup, the team posted an 8–10 card to enter the wild-card phase where they were bundled out by the Air21 team 94–82 in the first pair of knockout games. On the other hand, in the Fiesta Conference,
11931-493: The team posted a 7–7 card where it reached the quarterfinals only to be booted out by the Rain or Shine team, 2–1. Notwithstanding, Yap again posted good numbers by averaging 18.08 ppg, 1.61 apg, 4.33 rpg in 35 minutes playing time. During the 2009 PBA All-Star Weekend at the Araneta Coliseum, Yap scored 21 points to defeat San Miguel Beermen guard Dondon Hontiveros and Burger King Whoppers guard Gary David in
12054-457: The team traded future draft picks to Air21 to acquire Marc Pingris and Egay Billones . They also signed veteran guard Roger Yap . They also hired Marquin Chandler as import and went on to record a 10–6 first-place finish in the classification phase, earning them an outright semis berth. The Giants beat the up-and-coming Express in six games of the semifinals. They lost in the finals of
12177-404: The team until the end of the 2021 season , but did not play a game as he was officially on a leave of absence due to him pursuing politics. On January 6, 2023, he officially rejoined Rain or Shine as he signed a one-conference contract. On January 22, he scored 14 points on his first game back since 2021 in a loss to the Meralco Bolts . He was named an All-Star for a record-tying 17th time during
12300-520: The team's enforcer and rebounder. He was a vocal leader of the famous 2013 Gilas Pilipinas team that defeated South Korea and bagged a medal. Prior to joining the PBA in 1988, Purefoods was a member of the Philippine Amateur Basketball League (PABL, later renamed the Philippine Basketball League ) and was one of the strongest teams during its tenure with the amateur league. In early 1988, Pure Foods Corporation (then,
12423-509: The third time in PBA history that the lowest seed eliminated the top seed in the quarterfinals. Following the upset in the All-Filipino Cup, B-Meg started the 2012 Commissioner's Cup strong with a 6–3 record and a second place-finish in the first round following a 96–94 win against the Powerade Tigers. Expected to lead his team, Yap struggled with his shooting and his performance declined as he averaged 12.9 points and 3.6 rebounds. He
12546-588: The title in a hard-fought series against the formidable Alaska Milkmen. Patrimonio won the Best Player of the Conference award, becoming only the second player (after teammate Jerry Codiñera who won it previously in the All-Filipino Cup) in PBA history to win the citation. Their reinforcement, Redfield took home the Best Import of the conference honors. It was also during this tournament that he
12669-423: The tournament to Red Bull in six games. But their runner-up finish was the best since winning the 2002 Governors' Cup. Chandler won Best Import honors while Raymundo lost to Enrico Villanueva for Best Player of the Conference honors. In the 2006 PBA Philippine Cup , the Chunkee Giants finished with a 12–4 record and a first-place finish in the classification phase, earning them an outright semifinals berth for
12792-542: The tournament, was the Finals MVP. Brown was the conference's Best Import while Evangelista was the Best Player of the Conference. However, Purefoods became a mediocre team in the Commissioner's Cup and the All-Filipino Cup finishing dead last in the succeeding conferences of the season. After the season, Ronnie Magsanoc won the Comeback Player of the Year Award and announced his retirement after he received
12915-483: The two-time MVP scored his 900th career three-point field goal in Game 4 of the semifinals against the Tropang Texters. San Mig prevailed over Talk and Text 3–2, to set up a rematch against Rain or Shine in the 2014 Governors' Cup finals . It was also their fourth straight finals appearance. The Mixers earned a historic grand slam by defeating the Elasto Painters in five games. Despite playing limited minutes and averaging career lows in most statistical categories for much of
13038-614: The veteran-laden Shark Energy Drink in the finals. In 2002, along with Mark Cardona and Joseph Yeo , he helped put the Archers in the playoffs against the Blu Detergent Kings. In 2003, he had to sit out the whole conference after ICTSI refused to sign his release papers to make him eligible to play for Sunkist-Pampanga. In 2004, Yap signed up for one conference with the Welcoat Paintmasters , teaming up with
13161-400: Was a huge public outcry after that game with many fans decrying Lastimosa's actions as dirty. In the season-ending 1990 Reinforced Conference, Purefoods took on Alaska Air Force for the title. This conference featured two imports and Purefoods tapped the services of Daren Queenan and Rob Rose , who replaced Walker Russell during the elimination round. The Air Force took a 2–0 lead with
13284-571: Was a member of the Powerade-Team Pilipinas that won the said tournament, beating Indonesia in the finals, 98–68. Yap declined the invitation to join the Smart Gilas 2.0 National Team Program including other SMC players like Arwind Santos , Marc Pingris and Alex Cabagnot because of personal reasons. Blackwater Bossing The Blackwater Bossing is a professional basketball team owned by Ever Bilena, Inc. that
13407-405: Was also named Player of the Week from February 28 to March 6. On March 13, 2011, Yap injured his calf in a 91–97 loss against the Alaska Aces. He missed the following four games of the elimination round against Meralco, Smart Gilas, San Miguel and Talk N' Text. The Llamados were eventually eliminated in the first round of the Commissioner's Cup with a 4–5 record. The team's quest for a championship in
13530-542: Was born in Escalante , Negros Occidental . As a child, Yap already showed athleticism playing football, baseball, and track and field until high school. Growing up, he looked up to one of the most prolific players in the history of Philippine Basketball, Samboy Lim . Yap emerged to be one of the most promising basketball stars in the Iloilo/Negros region back in the late 1990s. Early on that decade, he played for
13653-526: Was dubbed "Triple-Double Artist" by the media, as a testament to his all-around skills. Patrimonio won his second consecutive MVP and third overall. Evangelista was a prime candidate to win the Rookie of the Year award but lost to Swift's Boybits Victoria. Another disappointment for Evangelista was that he was not included in the All-Defensive Team, contrary to what was expected by most, especially
13776-526: Was edged out by San Miguel import Lamont Strothers in the balloting for best import honors. In the 2000 All-Filipino Cup, a forfeiture of games won by Tanduay Gold during the semifinals series (for fielding fake Filipino-American Sonny Alvarado in Games 2 and 3 won by the Rhum Masters) set the stage for Boyet Fernandez ' buzzer beating shot in overtime of game 4. That shot catapulted the TJ Hotdogs to
13899-540: Was in 2009. In the recently concluded 2018 PBA Commissioners' Cup, Yap towed the team to its first-ever semifinal appearance under coach Caloy Garcia where he had a career resurgence winning two Best Player of the Game citations, the first during their quarterfinal series-clinching victory over Globalport where he scored 27 points marked by 7 three-pointers made and the second during Game 2 of their semifinal series with eventual champions Barangay Ginebra San Miguel where he scored 18 points with 3 rebounds. In March 2019, Yap
14022-536: Was named Best Import of the conference, was hired as Purefoods' reinforcement for the Open Conference this time. In their first conference, Purefoods made a historic run to the finals against the Norman Black -led San Miguel Beermen in seven games. In the next conference, Cris Calilan replaced Fernandez as head coach after the first round of the eliminations. They met crowd favorite Añejo Rhum 65 in
14145-425: Was named as the starting guard for the Veterans teams for the 2012 All Star Game. In a hardly fought series B-Meg was able to resurge after losing Game 1 and eliminated the Bolts in 3 games, to enter the semifinals against Ginebra. On April 13, 2012, in the first quarter of Game 2, Yap hit his 700th career three-point field goal. The Llamados won the series 3–1, to earn a finals slot against Talk N' Text. On May 6, 2012,
14268-667: Was not allowed by the league for a company to own three teams in the league. This meant that either the Ayala group had to retain their team under a new banner or for SMC to disband the team after the season. Eventually, the PBA Board of Governors adjusted the rule and allowed the Purefoods PBA franchise to be acquired by SMC and to remain an active team. In 2002, Pure Foods Corporation would be renamed San Miguel Pure Foods Company, Inc. The TJ Hotdogs lost to Batang Red Bull 2–3 in
14391-445: Was proven to be a fake Filipino-American. Purefoods failed to get past the quarterfinals of the first two conferences. They were ousted by Alaska Milk in a 3-game sweep despite finishing first at the end of the elimination round with a 7–1 card and lost their last 4 games after winning 6 in a row (8–1 record after the quarterfinals) in the season ending Governors' Cup. Derrick "The Flight" Brown led all imports in scoring and rebounding but
14514-584: Was reported that the team would change its name to "Blackwater Bossing". The new branding, including the team's logo and jersey design, was unveiled in September 2020. On July 12, 2018, Blackwater Elite completed a six-game sweep of the Pacific Caesar 50th Anniversary Pro Tournament in Surabaya, Indonesia. The following week, they represented the Philippines along with NLEX Road Warriors in
14637-457: Was retired in December, becoming the first Purefoods player to have his jersey retired. Purefoods was the only team Patrimonio played for in the PBA. The rebuilding process began for Purefoods despite a dismal showing in the 2004 PBA Fiesta Conference . In the 2004–05 Philippine Cup, Purefoods was eliminated by Shell in the quarterfinals. Same can be said in the 2005 Fiesta Conference, when
14760-402: Was settled before the All-Filipino Conference though, and Patrimonio joined the team. Purefoods also took the core of the defunct Tanduay squad, namely, Ramon Fernandez , who was designated playing-coach, Freddie Hubalde , Padim Israel , Willie Generalao, Victor Sanchez, JB Yango and Onchie dela Cruz . David Thirdkill , who led Tanduay to the previous year's Open Conference championship and
14883-462: Was subsequently diagnosed with a sprained ankle but still played an important role for his team. After losing 84–93 in a seeding playoff against Ginebra (the Kings also finished the elimination round with a 6–3 record) for the 2nd spot, in which Yap scored 18 points but was held scoreless in the last quarter, the Llamados found themselves pitted in the quarterfinals against the Meralco Bolts. In April, Yap
15006-473: Was the Blu Detergent team in the Philippine Basketball League (PBL), best known as the first Philippine basketball team of Asi Taulava . On April 10, 2014, Ever Bilena Cosmetics, Inc., along with Manila North Tollways Corporation ( NLEX Road Warriors ) and Columbian Autocar Corporation ( Kia Sorento ), were approved by the PBA Board of Governors to become expansion teams in the PBA. Upon entry to
15129-493: Was voted to his 16th All-Star Game, all as a starter, for the South Team where he will be reunited with former Purefoods Hotdogs teammates PJ Simon and Marc Pingris after his trade to the Rain or Shine team opposite Lee in 2016. His inclusion in the 2019 All-Star Game was continued proof that Yap is still the PBA's biggest star despite his long years in the league. In the on-going 2019 PBA Philippine Cup, Yap's resurgence
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