8 Paolo Mendoza
Shooting Guard / Point Guard
Name: Paolo Mendoza
Nick Name: Pao
Monicker: N/A
Birthday: April 22, 1978
Height: 6′0″
Weight: 170lbs
Position: Shooting guard Second position: Point guard
Jersey No: 8
Year drafted: Picked 1st overall by Sta. Lucia Realty in 2000 PBA Rookie Draft
Years Pro: 8 years
College: University of the Philippines
Hobbies: N/A
Hometown: Quezon City
Player’s note: Paolo Mendoza’s shooting prowess in every corner proves to be lethal against opposing team despite his small size as shooting guard.
With the arrival of playmakers Dennis Miranda and rookie Ryan Reyes to the Realtors, guard Paolo Mendoza returns to shooting guard position – the spot he loved most when he was in the amateur.
He was one of the contributors that allowed the Realtors to capture the 2001 Governor’s Cup Championship – their first-ever title. Mendoza, Marlou Aquino and Dennis Espino were the remaining members of that champion team seven years ago.
Achievements: Winner of 2002 Sportsmanship award
Defining Moments: Mendoza came off the bench to score 19 points as Sta. Lucia Realty defeated Alaska, 95-90, in Game 5 of their semifinals series last February 6.
More about the player: Paolo Mendoza was a certified scoring machine in his high school (UPIS) and collegiate (UP) days where he was scoring above 40 points.
In an instance, he holds the junior record of most number of points in a single game at 69 when he led University of the Philippines Integrated School (UPIS) to victory over University of the East in 1994.
In fact, Mendoza’s 48 points – the highest output made by collegiate player – in the 1997 UAAP season stays unbreakable until now.
Statistics: He played 46 games for the Realtors last season and averaged 8.2 points and 2.3 assist per game. His 35.37 percent clip from behind the three-point line was No. 7 among locals, proving that he’s still one of the best shooters in the league right now.
In 2005-06, Mendoza averaged 9.1 points and 3.3 assists per game. He averaged two treys per game, the third best among locals.
In this Smart Philippine Cup elimination round, Mendoza has averaged 6.6 points per game and 1.8 assists.
