Asi Taulava

Asi Taulava

Asi playing for Coca Cola Tigers (2010)
No. 88 – NLEX Road Warriors
Position	Center
League	PBA
Personal information
Born	(1973-03-02) March 2, 1973 (age 44) Nuku'alofa, Tonga
Nationality	Filipino / Tongan
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	245 lb (111 kg)
Career information
College	BYU–Hawaii
PBA draft	1998 / Direct Hire
Selected by the Mobiline Phone Pals
Playing career	1999–present
Career history
1999–2007	Mobiline Phone Pals / Talk 'N Text Phone Pals
2007–2010	Coca Cola Tigers
2010–2012	Meralco Bolts
2012–2013	San Miguel Beermen
2013–present	Air21 Express / NLEX Road Warriors
Career highlights and awards
PBA Most Valuable Player (2003) PBA Finals Most Valuable Player (2003 Reinforced) 15× PBA All-Star (1999, 2001, 2003–2012, 2014–2017) 2× PBA All-Star Game MVP (2004, 2006) 4× PBA Mythical First Team (2003, 2008, 2009, 2014) 4× PBA Mythical Second Team (2002, 2010, 2015, 2016) PBA Best Player of the Conference (2003 All-Filipino) 3× PBA All-Defensive Team (2003, 2008, 2009) PBA Comeback Player of the Year (2014) PBA 5,000 Points Club member PBA 40 Greatest Players ABL Most Valuable Player (2013)
Medals Men's basketball Representing  Philippines FIBA Asia Championship 2015 Changsha Team William Jones Cup 2007 Taipei Team 2011 Taipei Team 2015 Taipei Team

Pauliasi Taulava (born March 2, 1973), also known as Asi Taulava, is a Filipino-Tongan professional basketball player in the Philippines who currently plays for the NLEX Road Warriors in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He is the oldest active player in the league and is currently in his 18th season.

Standing 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) tall and weighing 245 pounds (111 kg), Taulava is considered by many to be one of the greatest and most dominant Filipino basketball players to ever play the center position in the PBA. Throughout his 16-year career, Taulava has used his size and strength to overpower opponents for points and rebounds. He is also a many-time member of the Philippine national team in international competitions.

Following his career in the PBL, Taulava entered the PBA in 1999, when he was directly hired by the Mobiline Phone Pals. With his performance, he quickly emerged as one of the top centers in the league, even winning the 2003 MVP award. After eight years with Talk N' Text, he was traded to the Coca-Cola Tigers where he played until 2010. He was later traded to the Meralco Bolts, leading the team for two seasons with his presence and style. In 2012, Taulava decided to leave the PBA to play for the San Miguel Beermen in the ABL. After a brief stint in the league, he returned to the PBA in 2013, where he signed for the Air21 Express.

Taulava's individual accolades include the 2003 MVP award, two All-Star Game MVP awards and the 2013 ABL MVP award.

However, Taulava is also one of the most controversial figures in Philippine basketball due to his numerous issues about his citizenship since he arrived in the local basketball scene in 1997.