“RODERICKO “OLSEN” RACELA WAS ONLY A SECOND ROUND, 12TH OVERALL PICK BACK IN THE 1993 ANNUAL DRAFT. HE PLAYED HIS FIRST 4 SEASONS WITH PUREFOODS THEN MOVED OVER TO SAN MIGUEL BEER IN 1997 BECAUSE THEN HEAD COACH RON JACOBS WANTED HIM AND HAD THESE GRAND VISIONS OF HIM FOR THE BEERMEN. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT COACH RON’S VISIONS WOULD RESULT IN 15 PBA FINALS APPEARANCES AND 7 CHAMPIONSHIPS FOR SAN MIGUEL WITH RACELA ON THE TEAM?
AFTER 18 SEASONS, 2-MYTHICAL FIRST AND 3 MYTHICAL SECOND TEAM SELECTIONS AND 6 ALL-STAR GAMES, RAH-RAH WILL BE HANGING UP HIS SNEAKERS AFTER THIS ONGOING 2010-211 PHILIPPINE CUP FINALS.
HE IS 1 OF ONLY 6 PLAYERS TO BE STILL PLAYING AT THE AGE OF 40 AND HAS PLAYED IN THE ALL-TIME MOST NUMBER OF GAMES FOR A NON-LEAGUE PIONEER.
HE NEVER WON AN MVP OR BEST PLAYER OF THE CONFERENCE AWARD. HE WAS NEVER EVEN A FINALS MVP OR MEMBER OF THE ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM.
BUT SOMETIMES SUCCESS CAN ALSO BE MEASURED BY THE PROFESSIONALISM AND LEADERSHIP ONE HAS SHOWN, THE RESPECT GIVEN TO YOU BY TEAMMATES AND RIVALS ALIKE, BY THE EXAMPLES ONE HAS SET AND BY THE LIVES ONE HAS TOUCHED.
THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER OLSEN RACELA AT SAN MIGUEL BEER NOR IN THE PBA.”
