Happy Birthday, Reynaldo “Rey” Perez ( Aug 28 )

Happy Birthday, Reynaldo “Rey” Perez

1985 PBA Rookie Draft 5th overall pick
Mapua Red Cardinals guard
2-season PBA player
1986 PBA Open Conference champion

Source : Assorted Magazines (PBA Archives Collections)

6-2, ideally-built and only 19, Rey Perez sure is a very promising forward who might just make it to future biggie caging, given the chance and the exposure. Perez started playing serious basketball as a junior basketeer at University of Visayas in Cebu. Then he played for the Mapua Cardinals in the NCAA. After a year, he was recruited by Yco, and when the team left the MICAA, Perez found himself getting serious notice as a Crispa player. "The young man will go places because he wants to learn. He is determined to make it, and he will, if he doesn't change his attitude towards the game," coach Nemie Villegas says. What's nice about Perez is his fighting heart and aggressive form. He may not have the classic reach of some shooting aces but he more than makes up for this with his never-say-die form, always thriving to win. "I've always believed in a player's stamina. Without this, what good is he," he gushes. Perez' robust built and sturdy legs give him an edge in practically all the departments of the game. He shoots well from outside and has a variety of unstoppable barreling drives. What Perez should try to improve on is his assist, which comes out short of ideal especially in close games. But he should be able to overcome this when the time comes, when he is able to acquire the seasoning that he needs in his playing, when maturity in the game has caught up with him. "I'm not in a hurry," he confesses, "I'm willing to learn the intricacies of the game the slow but sure way. I know I have a long way to go, but like the other aspiring players, I just have to start somewhere."