Norbert Torres

{{Infobox basketball biography

| name = Norbert Torres

| image = Norbert Torres.jpg

| caption = Torres in 2015

| position = Center / power forward

| league = PBA

| team = Meralco Bolts

| number = 29

| nationality = Filipino / Canadian

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1990|1|12}}

| birth_place = Toronto, Ontario

| highschool = Blessed Mother Teresa Catholic Secondary School (Toronto, Ontario)

| college = De La Salle

| draft_year_pba = 2015

| draft_round_pba = 1

| draft_pick_pba = 8

| draft_team_pba = Star Hotshots

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 6

| weight_lb = 265

| career_start = 2015

| years1 = 2015–2016

| team1 = Star Hotshots

| years2 = 2016–2017

| team2 = Phoenix Fuel Masters

| years3 = 2017–2018

| team3 = TNT KaTropa

| years4 = 2018–2023

| team4 = Rain or Shine Elasto Painters

| years5 = 2023–present

| team5 = Meralco Bolts

| highlights =

| medaltemplates =

{{MedalCountry|{{PHL}} }}

}}

Norberto Brian Torres (born January 12, 1990) is a Canadian-born Filipino professional basketball player for the Meralco Bolts of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

High school career

Torres attended his secondary education at Blessed Mother Teresa Catholic Secondary School in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.{{ cite web |title=Hoopstars Canada - AAAA OFSAA History (2002-present) |url=http://www.hoopstarscanada.com/news.pl?nid=76 |accessdate=August 25, 2015 }}

College career

Torres played college basketball for the De La Salle Green Archers in the UAAP. He was recruited out of high school in Canada and spent three years of residency before suiting up for the Green Archers in 2011. The next year (his second playing year in UAAP), he was the Archers' starting center, often paired with Fil-German center Arnold Van Opstal.{{ cite web |last=Macarubbo |first=Gabriel Enrico |title=Confronting the Bear: Norberto Brian Torres |url=https://the40greenicons.wordpress.com/2012/12/11/confronting-the-bear-norberto-brian-torres/ |publisher=The 40 Green Icons |website=the40greenicons.wordpress.com |date=11 December 2012 |accessdate=August 26, 2015 }} With him and Van Opstal in the pivot spot manning the boards, they clinched the UAAP championship in 2013.{{ cite news |last=De Leon |first=Job B. |title=UAAP: DLSU Green Archers win in OT, shoot down UST Growling Tigers for S76 title |url=http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/330630/sports/uaap-dlsu-green-archers-win-in-ot-shoot-down-ust-growling-tigers-for-s76-title |work=GMA News and Public Affairs |date=October 12, 2013 |accessdate=August 26, 2015 }}

Amateur career

In compliance with PBA D-League requirement for incoming PBA rookies, Torres suited up for the Cebuana Lhuillier Gems.{{ cite news |last=Terrado |first=Reuben |title=Cebuana Lhuillier completes upset over twice-to-beat Jumbo Plastic to reach Aspirants Cup semifinals |url=http://www.spin.ph/basketball/news/norbert-torres-cebuana-lhuillier-jumbo-plastic-philip-paniamogan-pba-dleague |work=Spin.ph |date=February 2, 2015 |accessdate=August 26, 2015 }}{{ cite news |title=Cebuana Lhuillier sustains support for PH Sports |url=http://sports.inquirer.net/182418/cebuana-lhuillier-sustains-support-for-ph-sports |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=May 27, 2015 |accessdate=August 26, 2015 }}

Professional career

Torres was drafted 8th overall by the Star Hotshots in the 2015 PBA draft.{{ cite news |last=Leongson |first=Randolph B. |title=Star begins new era with Webb, rookies in tow |url=http://pba.inquirer.net/60292/star-begins-new-era-with-webb-rookies-in-tow |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=August 24, 2015 |accessdate=August 25, 2015 }} In May 2016, Torres was traded by Star to Phoenix Fuel Masters in a three-team trade that also involved GlobalPort Batang Pier.{{ cite news |title=Star lands RR Garcia in 8-player trade with GlobalPort, Phoenix |url=http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/star-lands-rr-garcia-in-8-player-trade-with-globalport-phoenix |work=InterAksyon |date=May 11, 2016 |accessdate=May 31, 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624051050/http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/star-lands-rr-garcia-in-8-player-trade-with-globalport-phoenix |archivedate=June 24, 2016 }}

On May 18, 2023, Torres was traded to the Meralco Bolts for Mac Belo.{{Cite news |title=Meralco trades Mac Belo to Rain or Shine for Norbert Torres |url=https://www.spin.ph/basketball/pba/meralco-trades-mac-belo-to-rain-or-shine-for-norbert-torres-a1374-20230518 |website=Spin.ph |date=May 18, 2023|accessdate=May 18, 2023}}

PBA career statistics

As of the end of 2023–24 season{{Cite web |title=Norberto Torres Player Profile, Meralco Bolts - RealGM |url=https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Norberto-Torres/Summary/98954 |website=basketball.realgm.com}}

=Season-by-season averages=

| align=left rowspan=2| {{pbay|2015}}

| align=left | Star

| rowspan=2|27 || rowspan=2|9.9 || rowspan=2|.529 || rowspan=2|.536 || rowspan=2|.727 || rowspan=2|2.3 || rowspan=2|.2 || rowspan=2|.1 || rowspan=2|.2 || rowspan=2|3.6

| align=left | Phoenix

| align=left | {{pbay|2016}}

| align=left | Phoenix

| 24 || 14.7 || .357 || .107 || .600 || 4.3 || .4 || .2 || .5 || 3.5

| align=left rowspan=2| {{pbay|2017}}

| align=left | TNT

| rowspan=2|31 || rowspan=2|12.0 || rowspan=2|.387 || rowspan=2|.227 || rowspan=2|.594 || rowspan=2|3.5 || rowspan=2|.4 || rowspan=2|.3 || rowspan=2|.5 || rowspan=2|3.9

| align=left | Rain or Shine

| align=left | {{pbay|2019}}

| align=left | Rain or Shine

| 45 || 14.1 || .377 || .306 || .727 || 2.4 || .6 || .2 || .4 || 5.2

| align=left | {{pbay|2020}}

| align=left | Rain or Shine

| 12 || 12.4 || .413 || .300 || .737 || 3.7 || .3 || .3 || .4 || 4.8

| align=left | {{pbay|2021}}

| align=left | Rain or Shine

| 23 || 14.4 || .434 || .302 || .792 || 2.8 || .6 || .2 || .5 || 5.1

| align=left | {{pbay|2022}}

| align=left | Rain or Shine

| 31 || 14.4 || .468 || .416 || .634 || 2.8 || .6 || .2 || .3 || 6.5

| align=left | {{pbay|2023}}

| align=left | Meralco

| 28 || 10.0 || .390 || .310 || .727 || 1.8 || .3 || .3 || .3 || 2.9

|- class=sortbottom

| align=center colspan=2 | Career

| 221 || 12.8 || .414 || .320 || .677 || 2.8 || .5 || .2 || .4 || 4.5

International career

He was part of the Nokia-RP Youth team that won the Juniors SEABA title in 2008, and was named the tournament MVP.{{cite news |last=Payo |first=Jasmine W. |title=RP Youth five bags SEABA title |url=http://sports.inquirer.net/breakingnews/breakingnews/view/20080507-135024/RP-Youth-five-bags-SEABA-title |newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer |date=May 7, 2008 |accessdate=August 26, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006225817/http://sports.inquirer.net/breakingnews/breakingnews/view/20080507-135024/RP-Youth-five-bags-SEABA-title |archive-date=October 6, 2008 |url-status=dead }} In 2015, he was a member of the 12-man Sinag Pilipinas lineup that competed in the 2015 Southeast Asian Games and 2015 SEABA Championship, both held in Singapore, where they won gold medals in both occasions.{{cite news |title=Douthit, Ravena banner Sinag Pilipinas 12-man lineup |url=http://cnnphilippines.com/sports/2015/04/13/douhit-ravena-sinag-pilipinas-lineup.html |work=CNN Philippines |date=April 13, 2015 |accessdate=August 25, 2015 |archive-date=September 26, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150926065515/http://cnnphilippines.com/sports/2015/04/13/douhit-ravena-sinag-pilipinas-lineup.html |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |title=Douthit, Ravena, Parks lead Gilas lineup for SEABA tilt |url=http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/douthit-ravena-parks-lead-gilas-lineup-for-seaba-tilt |work=InterAksyon |date=April 13, 2015 |accessdate=August 25, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904070525/http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/douthit-ravena-parks-lead-gilas-lineup-for-seaba-tilt |archive-date=September 4, 2015 |url-status=dead }}{{ cite news |last=Fuentebella |first=Josef |title=Gilas Cadets win gold in SEA Games Basketball Tournament |url=http://thelasallian.com/2015/06/21/gilas-cadets-win-gold-in-sea-games-basketball-tournament/ |work=The La Sallian |date=June 21, 2015 |accessdate=August 25, 2015 }}

Personal life

Norbert's parents, Cirilo and Dinia Torres (née dela Cruz) both hail from Calumpit, Bulacan.{{ cite news |title=16 Fil-foreigners in PBA draft |url=http://www.philstar.com/sports/2015/08/05/1484726/16-fil-foreigners-pba-draft |work=The Philippine Star |author=Quinito Henson |author-link=Quinito Henson |date=August 5, 2015 |accessdate=August 23, 2015 }}