Happy Birthday, Benito “Benny” Cheng ( July 3 )

Happy Birthday, Benito “Benny” Cheng

Source : Assorted Magazines (PBA Archives Collections)

1993 PBA Rookie Draft 5th overall pick
9-season PBA veteran 
1997 PBA Commissioner’s Cup champion
1991 NCAA champion

Says new coach Vincent 'Chot' Reyes, "We wanted big men first. They were high on the drafting order. Boyet (Fernandez) was ideal for us and we felt we could get him in the second round because no other team needed him. Swift beat us to Fernandez and the gamble backfired. Still, I'm happy to have Cheng with us." Quickly, Cheng inked a two-year contract with Coney Island stipulating a monthly pay of P50,000 on the first year and P60,000 on the second. "I really didn't expect to be picked up on the first round. I was expecting to be named during the second round. In fact, people were saying that Alaska Milk was interested in me. Okay lang iyon because it would have reunited me with coach Joel Banal," said Cheng who played college ball for Mapua Tech and had a stint with RC Cola and Mama's Love in the PBL. Banal, now assistant coach of Tim Cone at Alaska, was Cheng's coach at Mapua and RC Cola. Cheng, however, does not feel lost at Coney Island. In fact, he's like a bird who came back to roost as he joins former Mapuans, Alvin Patrimonio and Fermin Alberto Ramas, on the team. "Hindi na rin bago sa akin dito sa Coney Island. I've played with Ramas and we won the NCAA championship in 1990. Si Alvin, hindi ko nakasabay pero nagkikita kami sa Mapua at binibigyan niya ako ng advise noong naglalaro pa ako doon, "said Cheng. Three King Cardinals at Coney Island! No wonder, during the amateur draft people were egging Reyes to go for Magnolia Ice Cream point guard Gerardo Santiago, another Mapua alumnus. Instead, Reyes picked point guard Rodericko Racela to compensate for the loss of Fernandez. At any rate, know-alls say that Racela will fit the pattern, too. "Ibon din ang pinanggalingan niya. Di ba sa Ateneo siya naglaro?" quipped a sportswriter. Benny was born on July 3, 1969. He is the fourth of five kids (Willie, Wilson, Conchita, Benny and Cristina) of Cheng To Seng and Luisa Uy. He stands 6-2 and weighs 188 lbs. As an amateur dribbler, he was used to playing power forward or center. Despite his size, he has good positioning sense which makes up for his lack of spring. Testimony to this is the fact that he snared an offensive rebound during the dying seconds of the Mapua-San Beda NCAA finals in 1991 and converted on a follow-up shot to give the Cardinals a backto-back title. He was hailed as Most Valuable Player of the championship series that year. At Coney Island, Reyes hopes to transform Cheng into an off guard. "It would be very difficult for me to do so. But I have no choice. Maliit ako. Pag ipinagpilitan ko'ng power forward ako, mababangko ako. Biruin mo'ng may Patrimonio na kami, may Abe King pa sa power forward position. Saan ako lalagay?"