Carlos Loyzaga

The son of Joaquin Loyzaga, a Philippine football international, Carlos Loyzaga is usually considered the greatest ever Filipino basketball player. He led the national team to a third-place finish at the 1954 World Championships, and is the only Filipino player to be named to the World Championships all-star team. Loyzaga competed for the Philippines from the early 1950s into the 1960s. He learned to play basketball on the streets in Santa Mesa, Manila, and later joined Tervalac (Teresa Valenzuela Athletic Club). Loyzaga quit high school to play basketball for the junior PRATRA (Philippine Relief and Trade Rehabilitation Administration) team. He led them to the MICAA junior crown in his first year with them, 1949.