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P.J. SIMON: AN APOSTLE TILL THE END

by Bert A. Ramirez / September 28, 2020

PJ Simon uncorks one of his patented one-hand push shots against a Giñebra defense. (Photo from humblebola.com)

Apostle. Based on the modern dictionary, an apostle is a disciple, a follower, a missionary, an evangelist and an advocate. Peter June Simon, the Scoring Apostle, is all that and more. Throughout his legendary career as one of the greatest off-the-bench players in PBA history, Simon preached, exemplified and lived the life of a player who gave his team, the Purefoods franchise for which he played all his 16 years as a professional, whatever it needed, whether it was manufacturing points where he excelled, giving his team an offensive spark off the bench, a clutch shot to win a game, a great teammate, an excellent ambassador for the team outside the playing court, or simply a cheerer and supporter from the bench like he mostly did towards his last two years as a Magnolia Hotshot.

Yes, PJ earned the moniker “Scoring Apostle” mainly through his excellent scoring prowess and ability to create his shot that would fit alongside his given and family name – Peter Simon – which matched that of the Apostle Peter Simon whom Jesus Christ anointed as the first leader of the Catholic Church, but perhaps unknowingly and in a providential way, that nickname also fit the 5-foot-11 guard so perfectly for the virtues that he exemplified and the character that he carried as a player and as an individual.

It’s very rare that anyone, particularly with Simon’s caliber that frustrated many an opponent or made them lose a matchup or a game, could earn universal respect and admiration. Yes, from even some of his most bitter rivals on the court.

When PJ announced that he is retiring from the game this past week, Mark Caguioa, a fierce adversary considering the rivalry between Simon’s team and Caguioa’s Giñebra club, was quick to pay tribute to Simon. “My only batchmate left from (the) 2001 draft. One of the nicest guy(s) on and off the court,” the Giñebra veteran said. “PJ might be a nice guy but don’t let that fool you. I call this guy a quiet assassin because he usually goes under the radar. He is a born winner and a true champion. Thank you for all the great battles. Bro, good luck on your next chapter.”

Sol Mercado, another Giñebra adversary, also took note of Simon's kind demeanor, but stressed that he was a "real killer” on the hardcourt. “Always respectful and classy, never took your kindness for weakness," Mercado said.

And players from other teams were similarly effusive in their praise of Simon. Veteran Gabe Norwood, Rain or Shine’s captain, said on Instagram, "I always respected the way you competed and the way you played the game."

"It was my pleasure playing against you," San Miguel's Chris Ross also remarked, while teammate Alex Cabagnot said, “Congrats on the retirement! Wonderful career. Enjoy life! #idolsOnly #legend.”

Retired PBA star and many-time Gilas Pilipinas member Jimmy Alapag said, “Congrats on a Hall of Fame career my friend! Always had my utmost respect! One of the best!”

Former Alaska star Jeffrey Cariaso, whose playing career intersected with that of Simon and who served as Purefoods assistant from 2011-2014 during Tim Cone’s tenure with the ballclub, validates what his rivals said about PJ. “One of my favorite people in the PBA. Congratulations on a great career.” the current Alaska mentor said. “Such a warrior and winner on the court. And a genuine, high-character individual off it.”

Ryan Gregorio, who coached Purefoods for nine years and is mainly responsible for turning Simon into the PBA legend that he became, probably knew PJ as much as anybody and, just like the rest, was impressed most of all by his inherent good personality both on and off the court. "More than his on-court exploits, his demeanor separates him from the rest,” Gregorio said. “There is no mean bone in his body. He is your consummate player and a model person. I wish him all the best in his future undertakings."

PJ’s teammates, of course, only have good words and wishes for their well-liked comrade.

“Salamat tol @pjs08 sa binigay mo na saya sa team at sa PBA! Salamat sa mga kwentuhan, champion, kulitan at samahan natin!” said Marc Pingris, who with Simon and James Yap used to form the so-called Big Three for the Purefoods ballclub. “Saludo ako sa yo. mabait na kaibigan at mapagmahal sa family at sa fans! It’s time na mag-enjoy ka kasama ang maganda at mabait mo na asawa! Basta kung may problema tol alam mo number ko!”

“Love and prayers my brother… been a pleasure playing next to and learning from you every day. All love and respect,” backcourtmate Justin Melton said in a comment to Simon’s retirement post on Instagram.

“One of my best teammates!!! Love you brotha!” wrote former teammate and now-Barangay Giñebra forward Joe Devance, with whom PJ and the then-San Mig Coffee Mixers won a Grand Slam in 2014.

And the accolades did not only come from contemporaries. Even a relative youngster, like NLEX’s Kiefer Ravena, also had good words for him. “One of the greatest stories out there. Just goes to show there are different ways to make it to the league! It was a pleasure guarding you and playing against you kuya @pjs08! God bless sa next chapter!” Ravena said in response to Simon’s Instagram post.

Indeed, that captures Simon’s story and how he made it into the PBA. The Makilala, Cotabato native was drafted in the fifth round of the 2001 PBA draft, the 43rd overall selection by the now-defunct Sta. Lucia Realtors. But he went unsigned by Sta. Lucia and had to take his talent instead to the then-Metropolitan Basketball Association with the Davao Eagles. He then signed with Dazz Dishwashing Liquid, the Lamoiyan Corporation franchise in the then-semi-pro Philippine Basketball League, when the MBA disbanded in July 2002 and proceeded to validate the talent he had shown earlier with the Eagles and, before that, with the University of Mindanao varsity squad, with whom he earned three MVP trophies.

Gregorio, who was looking to fortify the Purefoods team then, always had his sights trained on Simon, whom he believed had a complete set of basketball skills even then. “I was impressed by his basketball instincts,” recalled Gregorio, who saw PJ at ringside leading the then-renamed Fash Liquid team tangle with the star-studded Welcoat Paintmasters squad in the 2004 PBL Platinum Cup finals. Welcoat then counted on Simon’s future Purefoods teammates Yap, Paul Artadi and Ervin Sotto (Kai’s father) as well as Jojo Tangkay, but PJ outplayed them all as he sparked Fash to the title, his second with the team after earlier leading then-Hapee Toothpaste to the 2003 PBL Unity Cup championship.

Simon in the process bagged the MVP award, beating both Yap and then-teammate Rich Alvarez, who would go on to become the top pick in the 2004 PBA draft ahead of Yap. “PJ couldn’t be stopped. He took all of them to school and won,” recalled Gregorio. “The next day, I talked to Mr. (Rene) Pardo and said, ‘Sign this free agent. This guy is legit.’” The rest of course is history as PJ would prove his coach right.

“That year, we were able to draft James at No. 2 and Paul (Artadi) at No. 11. Then we got PJ from the free agency. So, as if we got three blue-chip recruits that season,” said Gregorio, now retired and currently an executive at Meralco and a special assistant to Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Al S. Panlilio.

Gregorio then orchestrated a trade that brought Marc Pingris from FedEx the next year to form a lethal two-man frontcourt with Kerby Raymundo, and the Purefoods club won two more championships under Ryan with that core, giving PJ his first two PBA titles. “We had Kerby at the ‘5’ spot, Ping at ‘4’, and a solid three-man and two-guard rotation involving James, Noy Castillo, and PJ. And Paul and Roger Yap were our point guards,” Gregorio, now 48, explained. “PJ came off the bench. He was my super sub. He would come in and manufacture instant offense for us.”

True enough, Simon established a reputation as probably the league’s most explosive reserve. On November 10, 2010, for example, he scored a career-best 42 points in B-Meg Derby Ace's 102-97 victory over Air21, hitting 13 of 15 shots from the floor (2-of-4 from three-point range), while making 14 of 18 free throws.

On December 17, 2010, he also exploded for 35 points in B-Meg's 106-97 double overtime win over then-newcomer Meralco in Game One of their quarterfinal series en route to sweeping that series before losing to Talk ‘N Text in six games in the semifinals.

Other exhibits of the Scoring Apostle’s offensive game was a 32-point job on December 13, 2006 in Purefoods' 114-73 blowout of Coca Cola in the 2006 Philippine Cup, where PJ combined with Yap splendidly to power the Chunkee Giants to the title by beating Red Bull in the finals in six games, and a 31-point game on May 13, 2007 in a 117-105 loss to Giñebra in the 2007 Fiesta Conference, Simon’s top scoring night in an import-laden conference.

Simon’s ability to manufacture points when needed made him one of the most feared players even coming off the bench. In fact, Alapag, who was already two years into the league when PJ finally got his break from Purefoods, singled him out as the toughest defensive assignment he had in his stellar career.

Speaking during his guest appearance in the podcast 2OT, Alapag answered when veteran broadcasters Carlo Pamintuan and Magoo Marjon asked that question: “Easy. PJ Simon. I had nightmares about that one-arm floater with him posting me up. One of the best.”

The 5-foot-9 Alapag, a six-time PBA champion himself who made an excellent international career playing for the national team, said nothing worked against PJ as he recalled even trying to play physical with him. Those matchups, in fact, gave PJ’s amiable character an opportunity to shine even more, making it even more challenging for Jimmy as Simon carried himself very well despite all the hits he took. “He would never say a word, which made it even tougher! Because I would do everything – push him away from the block, hit his arm, hold him,” Alapag shared with a smile. “Nothing worked.”

Simon would go on to take an even more stellar role when he later became one-third of the team’s Big Three along with Yap and Pingris as Gregorio would resign from the team to coach the Meralco Bolts under the MVP Group of Companies in 2010. The trio’s partnership produced five more championships with Tim Cone at the helm, including only the fifth grand slam in PBA history in 2014. Tim Cone’s reassignment to Barangay Giñebra in 2015, as well as Yap’s controversial trade to Rain or Shine in 2016 for Paul Lee, however, would somehow put a damper on Simon’s role on the team with the constant adjustments that had to be made, although the now-Magnolia Hotshots won another crown under current coach Chito Victolero in 2018 with the import-laden Governors’ Cup title.

No matter if Simon’s career would seem to have ended with a whimper with the way his role had been diminished on the team, it can’t take away from the luster that it enjoyed for more than a decade, which he marked with eight All-Star selections, a PBA Mythical Second Team berth in 2014, an All-Star Game MVP award in 2008, a Three-Point Shootout title in 2019, and two Mr. Quality Minutes Award (the PBA’s equivalent of the NBA’s Sixth Man Award) in 2008 and 2014, one of only four players to do so twice, the others being Jayson Castro, Rodney Santos and Ronald Tubid.

He of course won eight PBA championships, more than the two players regarded as the greatest in franchise history ever won in their legendary careers – Alvin Patrimonio, who got five, and Yap, who took seven.

Simon’s career scoring average of about 11 points, which of course had been diminished by his warming the bench through the last two years under Victolero, is also deceptive, as he played approximately just half of a possible 48 minutes. Taken on a per-36-minutes basis which would have been normal for a player of PJ’s caliber, that average would have risen to over 16 points.

For Simon, however, that wouldn’t have mattered much, true to his apostle’s reputation in terms of character and values. For him, having played for 16 years in this basketball-crazy nation’s top hoops league was good enough.

It’s no wonder there is no player the candid Gregorio could be prouder of. “Truly one of the best players that I have coached,” he said. “Seventeen years after and many championships given to Purefoods, I am so happy to be proven correct.”

And so are the legion of Purefoods fans who have reveled in Simon’s exploits, and, now, memories.

PJ would now have more time to spend with his wife, the former Jehza Huelar, the 2018 Miss Supranational Philippines who is due to give birth to their first child shortly. (Photo from Peter June Simon’s Facebook account)

#MagnoliaHotshots PBA #pj simon #scoringapostle

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