Brandon Bates
{{short description|Filipino-Australian basketball player}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2022}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| image =
| image_size =
| name = Brandon Bates
| number = 33
| position = Center
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 9
| weight_lbs = 231
| league = PBA
| team = Meralco Bolts
| nationality = Filipino / Australian
| birth_date =
| birth_place =
| draft_year_pba = 2023
| draft_round_pba = 1
| draft_pick_pba = 8
| draft_team_pba = Meralco Bolts
| high school =
| college = De La Salle
| career_start = 2022
| years1 = 2022–2023
| team1 = Sutherland Sharks
| years2 = 2023–present
| team2 = Meralco Bolts
| highlights =
}}
Brandon Matthew Bates is a Filipino-Australian basketball player for the Meralco Bolts of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
Collegiate career
Bates played for De La Salle Green Archers men's basketball team starting in 2018. In the first round of his first season (2019), he only averaged 1.8 points on 36% shooting, on top of 7.2 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 17 minutes of play. He later proved to be a reliable interior defender and rebounder. He scored 10 points, 15 rebounds, and two blocks on an elimination game against UST De La Salle won the game 80–79.{{Cite web |title=Brandon Bates proves he's not 'the useless one' at La Salle |url=https://www.spin.ph/basketball/uaap-men/brandon-bates-la-salle-green-archers-uaap-season-82-a2437-20191023 |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Spin.ph |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2019-10-24 |title=How La Salle's Bates is turning negatives into positives |url=https://www.espn.ph/basketball/colleges/story/_/id/27915255/how-la-salle-bates-turning-negatives-positives |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Li |first=Matthew |date=2018-10-27 |title=Brandon Bates shows why he is part of the Green Archers |url=https://tiebreakertimes.com.ph/tbt/brandon-bates-shows-part-green-archers/132263 |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Tiebreaker Times |language=en-US}} Before leaving La Salle, he averaged 8.43 rebounds.{{Cite web |last=Co |first=Chris |title=Bates out na sa La Salle |url=https://www.philstar.com/pilipino-star-ngayon/palaro/2022/02/24/2162933/bates-out-na-sa-la-salle |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Philstar.com}}
Professional career
= Australia =
Bates left La Salle to join the Sutherland Sharks of NBL1 in Australia.{{Cite web |last=Abad |first=Ysa |date=2020-08-05 |title=DLSU’s Bates gaining confidence in Aussie semi-pro league |url=https://www.rappler.com/sports/uaap/dlsu-brandon-bates-gaining-confidence-semi-professional-basketball-league-australia/ |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=RAPPLER |language=en-US}}
= Meralco Bolts =
Bates got selected by Meralco Bolts in the 2023 PBA draft as 8th overall, but he did not sign a contract earlier because he wanted to go home to Australia.{{Cite web |title=COLUMN: Why No. 8 pick Brandon Bates has yet to join Meralco Bolts |url=https://www.spin.ph/basketball/pba/why-no-8-pick-brandon-bates-has-yet-to-join-meralco-bolts-a2244-20231005 |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Spin.ph |language=en}}
Sharing play time in centre position with Raymond Almazan, he was seen as an energizer{{Cite web |title=Meralco's Brandon Bates goes from serving coffee to swatting shots |url=https://www.spin.ph/life/people/student-barista-was-the-life-before-pba-for-rookie-brandon-bates-a6035-20240606 |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Spin.ph |language=en}} with a shot-blocking ability. He had 6 blocks and 13 rebounds in the Game 7 semifinal match vs. Ginebra in 2024 PBA Philippine Cup.{{Cite web |date=2024-06-01 |title=Rookie pero palaban! Brandon Bates sasabayan mga higante ng Beermen |url=https://tonite.abante.com.ph/2024/06/01/rookie-pero-palaban-brandon-bates-sasabayan-mga-higante-ng-beermen/ |access-date=2024-06-17 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Meralco boots out Ginebra in Game 7, makes PBA Finals vs SMB |url=https://www.spin.ph/basketball/pba/meralco-beats-ginebra-in-game-7-to-reach-pba-finals-vs-smb-a795-20240531 |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Spin.ph |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Brandon Bates glad to prove worth for Meralco |url=https://mb.com.ph/2024/5/31/brandon-bates-glad-to-prove-worth-for-meralco |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Manila Bulletin |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=TDT |date=2024-06-02 |title=Bates rises to occasion |url=https://tribune.net.ph/2024/06/01/bates-rises-to-occasion |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Daily Tribune |language=en}} He helped his team to win the first championship against San Miguel Beermen. His most notable game was playing with flu in Game 5 while guarding June Mar Fajardo.{{Cite web |title=Brandon Bates fights through flu to help Meralco win Game 5 |url=https://www.spin.ph/basketball/pba/brandon-bates-plays-through-a-case-of-flu-in-game-5-a795-20240615 |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Spin.ph |language=en}} Another notable moment was a dunk in Game 6.{{Cite web |last=Cadayona |first=Russell |title=Unang PBA crown para sa Meralco |url=https://www.philstar.com/pilipino-star-ngayon/palaro/2024/06/17/2363473/unang-pba-crown-para-sa-meralco |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Philstar.com}}
PBA career statistics
{{PBA player statistics legend}}
As of the end of 2023–24 season{{Cite web |title=Brandon Bates Player Profile, Meralco Bolts - RealGM |url=https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Brandon-Bates/Summary/224228 |website=basketball.realgm.com}}
=Season-by-season averages=
{{PBA player statistics start}}
|-
| align=left | {{pbay|2023}}
| align=left | Meralco
| 30 || 16.8 || .625 || {{sort|-|—}} || .275 || 5.1 || .4 || .3 || 1.3 || 3.5
|-class=sortbottom
| align="center" colspan=2 | Career
| 30 || 16.8 || .625 || {{sort|-|—}} || .275 || 5.1 || .4 || .3 || 1.3 || 3.5
{{s-end}}
Personal life
Bates worked as a barista while studying in La Salle.
He is currently dating Rocio Trillo, the eldest daughter of Bolts' head coach Luigi Trillo.{{Cite web |first=Ariane Karlo F. |last=Sacamos |title=Cool dad Luigi Trillo on daughter Rocio dating Bolts rookie Bates |url=https://www.spin.ph/life/guide/meralco-coach-luigi-trillo-on-daughter-rocio-dating-bolt-rookie-brandon-bates-a6872-20240827 |date=2024-08-27 |website=Spin.ph |access-date=2024-12-08 |language=en}}
References
{{reflist}}
{{Meralco Bolts current roster}}
{{navboxes|list=
{{2023 PBA draft}}
{{Meralco Bolts 2024 PBA Philippine Cup Champions}}
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bates, Brandon}}
Category:Meralco Bolts players
Category:Filipino men's basketball players
Category:De La Salle University alumni
Category:De La Salle Green Archers basketball players