I still remember the excitement buzzing through the PLDT conference room that day in 2007. Team manager Jojo Lastimosa kept checking his watch while PBA board chairman and TNT governor Ricky Vargas calmly discussed strategy with the rest of the team. We were all gathered for what felt like the most important viewing party of the year - the PBA Rookie Draft. The air was thick with anticipation, that particular mix of hope and anxiety that only comes when careers are about to change forever. Looking back now, sixteen years later, I can't help but marvel at how differently each of those drafted players' careers unfolded. Some became legends, others faded into obscurity, and a few took paths nobody could have predicted.
The 2007 draft class was particularly special because it came at a transitional period for Philippine basketball. The league was evolving, and teams were looking for players who could adapt to faster-paced games. I recall how the energy shifted when Joe Devance's name was called first overall. Standing at 6'7" with that unique skill set, he immediately felt like a game-changer. And honestly, he proved to be exactly that. Over his career, Devance collected eight PBA championships and made eleven All-Star appearances before retiring in 2021. What many people don't realize is that he almost didn't enter the draft that year - there was talk of him staying in the NBA D-League for another season. His decision to join the PBA fundamentally altered the league's landscape for years to come.
Then there was Samigue Eman, the second pick who never quite lived up to expectations. At 6'9", he was supposed to be the dominant big man the league needed, but injuries and inconsistent performances limited his impact. I've always wondered what might have been if he'd developed differently - the physical tools were certainly there. He bounced around six different teams over nine seasons, averaging just 3.2 points and 2.8 rebounds in his final year. Sometimes talent isn't enough; it's about finding the right system, the right coaching staff, the right timing. Eman's story serves as a sobering reminder of how unpredictable athlete development can be.
What fascinates me most about tracking these careers is discovering the players who exceeded all expectations. Jay Washington, picked third, became one of the most versatile forwards of his generation. I remember watching him develop from a raw talent into a two-time PBA champion and six-time All-Star. His career spanned fourteen seasons - much longer than many analysts predicted. Then there's Ryan Reyes, selected seventh, who turned out to be one of the steals of the draft. The guy was just relentless on both ends of the court, making eight All-Defensive teams and winning six championships. These players demonstrate that draft position matters less than work ethic and adaptability.
The real surprises came from the later rounds, as they often do. I'm particularly fond of Jonathan Fernandez's story - picked 25th overall, he never became a star but carved out a respectable eight-year career as a reliable role player. Meanwhile, some early second-round picks like Bonbon Custodio (10th overall) showed flashes of brilliance but couldn't maintain consistency. What's interesting is how team environments made the difference - players who landed with stable organizations tended to have longer, more productive careers regardless of their draft position. The successful ones typically played for coaches who understood how to maximize their specific strengths rather than forcing them into predetermined roles.
A few players took completely unexpected paths. I'm thinking of James Francisco, who played just three seasons before transitioning into coaching. Then there are those like Kelvin Gregorio, who found success overseas after his PBA stint. The diversity of outcomes always reminds me that basketball careers aren't linear - they're full of twists and turns that nobody can predict on draft day. What struck me recently when I compiled data on this class is that approximately 65% of the drafted players remained in professional basketball in some capacity beyond their playing days, whether as coaches, trainers, or analysts.
As I reflect on that 2007 draft class today, what stands out isn't just the individual achievements but how these players collectively shaped the era that followed. The championship teams they built, the style of play they popularized, the records they set - it all traces back to decisions made in that draft room. Some of these players are now coaching, others are running businesses, a few have completely left the spotlight. Yet their connection through that shared experience of being part of the 2007 draft class remains. The viewing party in Makati was just the beginning - the real story unfolded in the years that followed, in arenas across the country and in the lives these players built beyond basketball. That's the beautiful unpredictability of sports - you can gather all the experts in a room, analyze every statistic, but you never truly know how someone's story will unfold until they write it themselves, one game at a time.
