Ompong Segura
{{short description|Filipino basketball player}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Use Philippine English|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
|name = Ompong Segura
|image =
|image_size =
|caption =
|league =
|height_ft = 6
|height_in = 2
|weight_lbs= 152
|position = Forward
| birth_date = April 17
|birth_place = Paco, Manila, Philippines
|death_place =
|college = Adamson
|nationality = Filipino
| years1 = 1969-72
| team1 = Adamson Falcons
| years2 = 1972
| team2 = RP Youth
| years3 = 7-Up
| years4 = 1972-1974
| team4 = Toyota Comets
| years5 = 1975-77
| team5 = Toyota Tamaraws
| years6 = 1978–79
| team6 = Mariwasa Noritake Porcelain Makers
| years7 = 1979-80
| team7 = U/Tex Wranglers
| years8 = 1983-84
| team8 = Manhattan/Sunkist/Winston Kings
|highlights =
As player:
- 4× PBA champion
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport | Men's Basketball}}
{{MedalCountry | the {{flag|Philippines|1986}} }}
{{MedalGold| 1972 Asian Basketball Confederation| Team competition}}
}}
Rodolfo "Ompong" Segura (born April 17) is a Filipino former professional basketball player. He played forward for the Adamson Falcons in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and won championships for the Philippine national team and his teams in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) in the pro league's early years.
Segura is also a former basketball coach and trained young Filipinos in basketball clinics, including that of Milo Best Center.{{Cite web |url=https://www.philstar.com/palaro/2010/05/16/575270/milo-best-clinic-ugma-na|newspaper=Philippine Star|date=May 16, 2010|accessdate=December 19, 2024|title=Milo BEST clinic ugma na}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.spin.ph/basketball/milo-national-finals-passerelle-small-basketeers-nic-jorge-cebu-ba|title=Anybody's ball game as MILO BEST national finals come off the wraps in Cebu|website=Spin.ph|date=December 12, 2014|accessdate=December 19, 2024|first=Jonas|last=Paneiro}}
Collegiate and pre-PBA career
A 6'2" forward, Segura first played for the Adamson Falcons in the UAAP. He would later help the RP Youth win a crown in the 1972 ABC Under-18 Championship with teammates Atoy Co, Ramon Fernandez, Philip Cezar, Edgardo Carvajal, Rino Salazar, Miguel Bilbao, Rey Franco, fellow Adamson Falcon Gregorio Dionisio, among others.{{cite web|url=https://www.philstar.com/sports/2014/03/08/1298465/long-tall-ed-now-rests-peace|newspaper=Philippine Star|first=Joaquin|last=Henson|date=March 8, 2014|accessdate=December 19, 2024|title=Long, tall Ed now rests in peace}}{{cite news|url=https://www.spin.ph/basketball/ncaa-men/allen-ricardo-jp-beltrano-take-charge-of-letran-knights-program-a6870-20240724-lfrm2|first=Angelito|last=Jacinto|date=July 24, 2024|accessdate=December 19, 2024|title=Familiar faces Ricardo, Beltrano chart a new path for Letran Knights|website=Spin.ph}}
When Toyota was not in the PBA yet, its winning tradition was seen in the MICAA with eventual pro players Segura, Robert Jaworski, Francis Arnaiz, Fernandez, Robert Concepcion, Orly Bauzon, Fort Acuña, and the Reynoso brothers Big Boy and Cristino.{{cite news|url=https://www.rappler.com/sports/pba/olympian-pba-pioneer-orly-bauzon-dies/|website=Rappler|date=September 5, 2020|accessdate=December 19, 2024|title=Olympian, PBA pioneer Orly Bauzon dies at 75}}
Professional career
=Toyota=
In 1975, Segura was part of the first PBA champion team Toyota Comets. Under coach Dante Silverio, they would later win more championships in the pro league, more notably over their archrivals, the Crispa Redmanizers. His best average of close to 22 points, 4.32 rebounds, 1.49 assists, and .63 steals a game happened in his first PBA year.{{cite news|url=https://bandera.inquirer.net/214265/pbas-first-playdate|title=PBA's first playdate|first=Henry|last=Liao|date=April 8, 2019|accessdate=December 19, 2024|newspaper=Bandera}}{{cite news|url=https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/05/15/20/pba-kuwentong-rambulan-ex-toyota-players-inalala-ang-bakbakan-kontra-crispa|website=ABS-CBN News|date=May 15, 2020|accessdate=December 19, 2024|title=PBA: Kuwentong rambulan? Ex Toyota players inalala ang bakbakan kontra Crispa}}
= Mariwasa =
Segura's second PBA team was Mariwasa where he played 26 games in 1978.{{cite news|url=https://mb.com.ph/2020/04/09/pba-the-birth-of-professional-basketball-45-years-ago/|accessdate=December 4, 2024|newspaper=Manila Bulletin|date=April 9, 2020|first=Jonas|last=Terrado|title=PBA: The birth of professional basketball 45 years ago}}
= U/Tex =
Segura retained his double-digit scoring average as a U/Tex Wrangler in 1979.{{cite web|url=https://www.project-sydrified.com/pba-stats-ompong-segura|website=Project Sydrified|first=Syd|last=Salazar|title=PBA Stats: Ompong Segura|date=November 13, 2022 }}
= MSW =
Segura played two more games as a Winston King, wrapping up his PBA career with 223 games played and averaging 14.71 points a game.{{cite news|url=https://pba.ph/news/retro-a-quick-look-on-the-birth-of-the-pba|title=RETRO: A quick look on the birth of the PBA|website=PBA.ph|date=April 9, 2020|accessdate=December 19, 2024}}
= Post-retirement =
Segura accepted coaching offers in various leagues and took training and leadership roles in the conduct of basketball clinics of Milo and other companies.{{cite news|url=https://mb.com.ph/2023/12/18/pampanga-dragons-still-cherish-fond-memories-of-first-mba-title|date=December 18, 2023|newspaper=Manila Bulletin|first=Bryan|last=Yalung|accessdate=December 19, 2024|title=Pampanga Dragons still cherish fond memories of first MBA title drive}}{{cite news|url=https://sportsbytes.com.ph/2021/11/05/even-at-the-youth-level-ph-has-struggled-the-last-four-decades/|title=Even at the Youth level, PH has struggled the last four decades|website=Spors Bytes|date=November 5, 2021|accessdate=December 19, 2024}}
Segura reunited with his alma mater in the 1990s and early 2000s when he was named assistant coach of the Lady Falcons, who won several championships in the UAAP under head coach Emelia Vega. He was also the assistant coach of the Pampanga Dragons, who won the first championship of the defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA) under head coach Aric del Rosario.{{cite news|url=https://mb.com.ph/2023/12/04/pampanga-dragons-first-mba-title-remembered-after-25-years|accessdate=December 19, 2024|title=Pampanga Dragons' first MBA title remembered after 25 years|date=December 4, 2023|newspaper=Manila Bulletin}}
Another sort of reunion occurred at the rekindling of the Crispa-Toyota rivalry but with a twist, as they were past their prime and opted to play for the fans in a PBA All-Star game at the Araneta Coliseum in 2003.{{cite news|url=https://www.philstar.com/sports/2023/02/16/2245419/fabled-toyota-basketball-team-reunites-50th-anniversary|title=Fabled Toyota basketball team reunites for 50th anniversary|first=Rick|last=Olivares|date=February 16, 2023|accessdate=December 19, 2024}}{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/basketball/pba/story/_/id/35700347/night-nostalgia-toyota-tamaraws-celebrate-50th-anniversary|accessdate=December 19, 2024|website=ESPN|date=February 20, 2023|first=Sid|last=Ventura|title=A night of nostalgia: Toyota Tamaraws celebrate 50th anniversary}}
See also
Notes
- {{cite book |title= 1989-1990 PBA Annual |year= 1990 |publisher= Philippine Basketball Association |location= Philippines}}
- {{cite book |title=Liwayway|date=1973 |publisher=Liwayway Pub. 1973|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uYnnAAAAMAAJ}}
- {{cite book|title=Examiner:The Coming of Cage Wars|publisher=L.O. Ty.|year=1973|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=U0U_AAAAMAAJ}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rodolfo-segura-926a501a8?originalSubdomain=ph Rodolfo Segura] at LinkedIn
- [https://www.instagram.com/ompongsegura/ Ompong Segura] at Instagram
{{DEFAULTSORT:Segura, Ompong}}
Category:Philippine Basketball Association All-Stars
Category:Philippines men's national basketball team players
Category:Filipino men's basketball players
Category:Basketball players from Manila