Larry Fonacier

There were some bright spots in the 2008 Philippine Basketball Association Fiesta Conference and among the brightest is the fine play of new Alaska Aces player Larry Fonacier, the league’s best shooter from three-point distance during the past conference.

“He’s a very versatile player,” said Alaska coach Tim Cone. “He can handle the ball and get some minutes in the point guard spot. But we got him because of his shooting. He’s one of the better shooters in the league. You see guys like Renren Ritualo who are such great shooters that there’s a certain anticipation whenever they have the ball. Larry is like that.”

Fonacier scored seven points, grabbed three rebounds and issued 1.4 assists during an average of 18 minutes of burn during a game. More importantly he shot almost 50 percent from three-point distance which was even better than his 44 percent shooting from two point distance.

“We made the trade because of our immediate need for a point guard in LA Tenorio,” said Cone. “But Larry will probably make a bigger impact in our lineup in the long term because of his outside shooting and his defense.”

An intelligent player Fonacier is well aware of his role in the team.

“I’m there to space the floor,” said Fonacier. “I’m there to shoot the ball whenever I’m open. I’m there to help the big guys get more space inside, basically.”

Fonacier has had his share of highs and lows in his basketball career. In 2002 he helped lead the Ateneo De Manila University team to the championship of the Universities Athletic Association of the Philippines.

Two years later he was writhing on the floor and screaming in pain during Ateneo’s fourth game of the 2004 UAAP season after he tore three ligaments in his knee.

It took him a full year of rehab before he could even walk properly but he still had enough confidence to declare for the 2005 PBA Draft where he was selected as the number 14 overall pick by Red Bull in the second round.

He was picked so low that he did not earn a guaranteed contract and had to fight for his spot in the Red Bull lineup. Surprisingly his knee was so improved that he played like he had not suffered an injury at all.

He was a great two-way player, limiting the production of the opposing teams’ top shooters and contributing at the scoring end as well to help the Red Bull Barakos win the championship in his very first conference in the league.

At the end of the season he won what he described as the greatest individual achievement of his basketball career – the PBA Rookie of the Year award. He was the lowest Draft pick in the history of the league to win the award.

He was traded to the Magnolia Beverage Masters soon after. But he was lost in the shuffle because he had to split time with Lordy Tugade, Christian Calaguio and Wesley Gonzales in the Magnolia backcourt.

His career got another boost when he and Tenorio were shipped to the Alaska Aces for Ken Bono and Mike Cortez before the start of the past Fiesta Conference.

[For more about Larry Fonacier check out YouTube and type: Larry Fonacier’s Testimony at CCF.]