Boybits Victoria

Emmanuel "Boybits" Victoria (1972/1973 – March 1, 2023) was a Filipino professional basketball player.[1]

Boybits Victoria
Personal information
Born1972 or 1973
Died (aged 50)
Pasay, Philippines
NationalityFilipino
Career information
High schoolSan Beda College
CollegeSan Beda College
PBA draft1994: 1st round, 3rd overall pick
Selected by the Swift Mighty Meaties
Playing career1994–2001
PositionPoint guard
Career history
1994–1998Swift Mighty Meaties / Sunkist Orange Juicers / Pop Cola Bottlers
1999–2001San Miguel Beermen
Career highlights and awards

Career

Victoria played for the RFM and San Miguel franchise teams when he was plying in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).[2] Prior to entering the PBA, he was a player for the San Beda Red Lions in college.[3]

Swift and Sunkist

Victoria entered the PBA through the 1994 draft where he was selected by the RFM franchise team, then-named the Swift Mighty Meaties (later Sunkist Orange Juicers/Bottlers), as the third overall pick.[3] He helped the team clinch the 1995 All-Filipino and Commissioner's Cup titles.[3]

Due to poor relations with coach Norman Black, Victoria forced the team (now the Pop Cola Bottlers) to trade him to another team.[4]

San Miguel

Victoria was acquired by the San Miguel Beermen in 1998 under coach Jong Uichico,[5] where he fulfilled the role as backup to Olsen Racela.[4] He was part of the team until 2001. During his stay, San Miguel clinched five PBA titles.[3]

PBA career statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field-goal percentage  3P%  3-point field-goal percentage  FT%  Free-throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

[6]

Season-by-season averages
Year Team GP MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
1994 Swift 71 24.8 .445 .315 .804 2.0 2.9 1.0 .4 9.9
1995 Sunkist 72 29.1 .448 .380 .851 2.3 4.3 .8 .4 9.4
1996 Sunkist 27 30.9 .356 .302 .645 3.0 4.7 .7 .2 9.5
1997 Pop Cola 38 31.6 .388 .302 .744 3.7 5.4 .8 .3 10.3
1998 Pop Cola 48 25.5 .367 .324 .755 2.6 3.7 .9 .3 8.3
1999 San Miguel 54 19.4 .333 .296 .714 1.9 2.0 .6 .1 5.8
2000 San Miguel 58 15.9 .375 .360 .651 1.7 1.6 .6 .1 6.3
2001 San Miguel 57 13.1 .287 .270 .861 1.4 1.2 .3 .0 4.0
Career 425 23.1 .388 .321 .767 2.2 3.1 .7 .2 7.8

Later life and death

Victoria turned to coaching and later as an analyst of PBA games for radio and television broadcast.[7] He also became head of sales of Victoria Sports, a Quezon City-based indoor sports club.[5]

Victoria was diagnosed with a Guillain–Barré syndrome, an autoimmune disorder, in 2018. His condition improved after spending weeks confined in a hospital. He suffered a heart attack on February 14, 2023, and he was discovered to have an acute myocardial infarction. Victoria died on March 1, 2023, after another heart attack while at the San Juan de Dios Hospital in Pasay, Philippines. He was 50.[8][9]

References
  1. Li, Matthew (March 1, 2023). "Boybits Victoria, 50, passes away". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  2. Carandang, Justin Kenneth (March 1, 2023). "Boybits Victoria passes away, 50". GMA News. GMA News Integrated. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  3. "Boybits Victoria, former PBA top rookie, passes away at 50". Cebu Daily News. Philippine Daily Inquirer. March 2, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  4. Leongson, Randolph (December 26, 2016). "'Rebellious' Boybits tells young players: Put the team ahead of yourself". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  5. Terrado, Reuben (March 1, 2023). "Former PBA guard Boybits Victoria dies of heart attack aged 50". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  6. "2001 Hardcourt The Official PBA Annual: San Miguel Beermen Player Statistics Page 172". pbaannual2001.neocities.org. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  7. Morales, Luisa (March 1, 2023). "Former PBA Rookie of the Year Boybits Victoria dies at 50". The Philippine Star. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  8. "Former PBA star Boybits Victoria dies at 50". CNN Philippines. March 2, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  9. Terrado, Jonas (March 1, 2023). "Boybits Victoria, former PBA top rookie, passes away at 50". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
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