![]() Belga in 2014 | |||||||||||||||||||||
No. 28 – Rain or Shine Elasto Painters | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Position | Center / power forward | ||||||||||||||||||||
League | PBA | ||||||||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Gubat, Sorsogon, Philippines | November 30, 1986||||||||||||||||||||
Nationality | Filipino | ||||||||||||||||||||
Listed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Listed weight | 280 lb (127 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||
College | PCU | ||||||||||||||||||||
PBA draft | 2008: 1st round, 7th overall pick | ||||||||||||||||||||
Selected by the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants | |||||||||||||||||||||
Playing career | 2008–present | ||||||||||||||||||||
Coaching career | 2020–present | ||||||||||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||
As player: | |||||||||||||||||||||
2008–2009 | Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants | ||||||||||||||||||||
2009–2010 | Burger King Whoppers / Air21 Express | ||||||||||||||||||||
2010–2011 | Meralco Bolts | ||||||||||||||||||||
2011–present | Rain or Shine Elasto Painters | ||||||||||||||||||||
As coach: | |||||||||||||||||||||
2020–present | UST Growling Tigers (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Medals
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Beau Michael Vincent Esparrago Belga (born November 30, 1986) is a Filipino professional basketball player[1] for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters of the Philippine Basketball Association. He is also an assistant coach for the UST Growling Tigers of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).[2]
Early life
[edit]Belga was born and raised in Gubat, Sorsogon and is the eldest among the three siblings. His father was a family driver while his mother was a housewife. At a young age, he helped his grandmother sell balut, penoy, and other goods. He finished his high school education in Sorsogon. As a kid, he was very thin and was often bullied; as a way of escape, he focused his attention on basketball.
College career
[edit]He decided to go to Manila and study at Philippine Christian University. He was recruited to play for the PCU Dolphins by the school's swimming coach while he was playing billiards with his friends. While at PCU, he, along with future PBA stars Gabby Espinas and Jayson Castro, helped the team win its first ever NCAA title against host school University of Perpetual Help Altas in 2004.
Professional career
[edit]He was the seventh overall draft pick by Purefoods in 2008 before being traded to Burger King. He found his niche as a basketball player while playing for coach Yeng Guiao's Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, where he was known as one of the league's toughest players. While with Rain or Shine, he also became teammates with J.R. Quiñahan, and together they formed a duo in the low block, called the Extra Rice, Inc., owing to their weight and huge appetite.
On December 14, 2023, Belga signed a one-year contract extension with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.[3]
On April 3, 2024, Belga made history to become the first Elasto Painters local player to record a triple-double of his career, as the Elasto Painters throw it back to their Welcoat Dragons jerseys days.[4]
PBA career statistics
[edit]Legend | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
As of the end of 2023–24 season[5][6]
Season-by-season averages
[edit]Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2008–09 | Purefoods | 40 | 15.9 | .537 | .258 | .535 | 4.0 | .8 | .5 | .1 | 5.9 |
Burger King | |||||||||||
2009–10 | Burger King / Air21 | 38 | 22.8 | .426 | .231 | .702 | 6.3 | 1.2 | .6 | .6 | 7.9 |
2010–11 | Meralco | 41 | 20.1 | .460 | .290 | .680 | 5.1 | 1.3 | .3 | .3 | 6.7 |
Rain or Shine | |||||||||||
2011–12 | Rain or Shine | 53 | 22.0 | .423 | .247 | .648 | 5.1 | 1.3 | .5 | .5 | 6.8 |
2012–13 | Rain or Shine | 57 | 22.3 | .361 | .247 | .619 | 5.9 | 1.7 | .6 | .3 | 6.8 |
2013–14 | Rain or Shine | 59 | 22.4 | .439 | .295 | .627 | 5.1 | 1.6 | .6 | .5 | 8.6 |
2014–15 | Rain or Shine | 53 | 19.9 | .378 | .231 | .597 | 4.5 | 2.3 | .6 | .4 | 6.9 |
2015–16 | Rain or Shine | 54 | 20.4 | .445 | .289 | .664 | 5.2 | 1.8 | .5 | .4 | 8.1 |
2016–17 | Rain or Shine | 38 | 21.9 | .404 | .333 | .657 | 5.8 | 2.0 | .4 | .3 | 8.5 |
2017–18 | Rain or Shine | 37 | 22.1 | .390 | .321 | .695 | 5.4 | 2.5 | .5 | .3 | 8.7 |
2019 | Rain or Shine | 48 | 24.8 | .396 | .249 | .627 | 5.3 | 3.0 | .6 | .4 | 8.2 |
2020 | Rain or Shine | 12 | 26.1 | .432 | .319 | .737 | 5.8 | 2.0 | .6 | .7 | 10.9 |
2021 | Rain or Shine | 23 | 24.6 | .385 | .280 | .611 | 5.7 | 3.2 | .6 | .3 | 9.9 |
2022–23 | Rain or Shine | 33 | 22.0 | .401 | .272 | .714 | 5.1 | 3.1 | .4 | .2 | 8.0 |
2023–24 | Rain or Shine | 29 | 26.2 | .495 | .379 | .584 | 5.9 | 3.9 | .9 | .4 | 12.9 |
Career | 615 | 21.9 | .420 | .283 | .639 | 5.3 | 2.0 | .6 | .4 | 8.0 |
National team career
[edit]In 2013, Belga was added to the Gilas Pilipinas training pool that competed in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship, and was considered the "13th man", since he was the last man cut from the 12-man national team roster.[7] In 2014, he was included in the Gilas roster that played for the 2014 FIBA Asia Cup in Wuhan, China, 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain, and 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.[8] In 2018, he will represent the Rain or Shine-backed Gilas Pilipinas in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.
References
[edit]- ^ "Painters find import-less Aces easy pickings". GMA News. April 1, 2011. Retrieved April 6, 2011.
- ^ "Beau Belga joins Aldin Ayo staff at UST Tigers as big man's coach".
- ^ Terrado, Reuben (December 14, 2023). "Beau Belga signs one-year extension with Rain or Shine". Spin.ph. Retrieved December 14, 2023.
- ^ Dioquino, Delfin (April 3, 2024). "Belga makes history for Rain or Shine with triple-double in throwback game". Rappler. Retrieved April 5, 2024.
- ^ [1] PBA-Online.net
- ^ "Beau Belga Player Profile, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters – RealGM". basketball.realgm.com.
- ^ "Solarsportsdesk.ph".
- ^ "Belga says inclusion in Gilas Pilipinas pool a perfect chance to prove his worth | SPIN.PH". Archived from the original on 2014-07-06. Retrieved 2014-07-09.