PHOTO: SPIN.ph
BELIEVE it or not, but despite being in the PBA for so long, both Cliff Hodge and Chris Newsome are still in search for their first-ever league title.
The two are on a list of active players in Asia’s pioneering pro league who have yet to taste the sweet feeling of becoming a PBA champion.
The two have a shot at ending that long championship drought as Meralco is currently leading San Miguel, 2-1, in the Philippine Cup Finals.
Newsome and Hodge already played in the finals previously, but were denied each time by Barangay Ginebra in four title showdowns.
Obviously, the ring-less campaign serves as motivation for the two Fil-Ams, who have played their entire pro career only under the Meralco organization
Hodge was the Bolts No. 4 pick in the first round of the 2012 draft, while Newsome came three years later also as the fourth overall pick by the franchise in the 2015 draft.
But apart from the two, there are other prominent veterans who have yet to experience winning a championship.
Below are some of them, each one with nine years of PBA experience or longer:
Photo by: jerome ascano
Sean Anthony
The NLEX forward was picked No. 6 overall by Air21 Express during the 2010 draft, but has yet to win a championship in 14 PBA seasons. He’s had stints with Powerade, Barako Bull, TNT, Meralco, Northport, and Phoenix. He’s been in the finals once during the 2011 Philippine Cup.
Photo by: PBA Images
Juami Tiongson
The Terrafirma All-Star has been in the league for a decade now, but has yet to contend for a championship, much less play in the finals. He was a first-round pick of Blackwater in 2014, and later played with NLEX, before finding his home with the Dyip franchise.
Photo by: Jerome Ascano
Chris Banchero
He’s another Meralco player who has no championship tucked under his belt. The Fil-Italian guard was the No. 5 overall pick by Alaska in 2015 and went to war with the Aces in five finals appearances. Unfortunately, the franchise all lost its title chances. He later played for Magnolia but never reached the finals with the Hotshots. The 6-foot-1 guard and cousin of Orlando Magic franchise player Paolo Banchero also suited up briefly for Phoenix before landing at Meralco as an unrestricted free agent.
Photo by: Jerome Ascaño
Anthony Semerad
The Fil-Australian forward belonged to the 2014 rookie batch as a first round pick of Northport (No. 7 overall). He later took his act to TNT and then NLEX. Twice he played for the Tropang Giga in the finals, but fell short in their bid, including the 2019 Commissioner’s Cup featuring former NBA player Terrence Jones. His twin brother David Semerad, also a first-round pick in the same 2014 draft, won a total of six championships with San Miguel, but has since retired from playing.
Photo by: Jerome Ascano
Anjo Caram
The 5-foot-7 guard out of San Beda has played his entire 10-year career with Meralco, and naturally like Newsome and Hodge, has yet to earn a championship ring in the league. He was the Bolts’ third-round pick in the 2013 draft and a three-time NCAA champion while with the San Beda Red Lions.
Photo by: Jerome Ascano
Baser Amer
Formerly of Meralco which picked him No. 7 overall in the 2015 draft, the 31-year-old native of Davao is still title-less despite leaving the Bolts four years ago and traded to Blackwater and NLEX. Amer unfortunately, is yet to enjoy the same success he had in college where he won four straight NCAA men’s championships with San Beda.
Photo by: Jerome Ascano
Eric Camson
The tough, 6-foot-5 banger from Adamson has never set foot on a PBA Finals since being picked in the second round (16th overall) of the 2013 draft by Air21. Prior to landing at Terrafirma, Camson saw action for NLEX.
