Francis Arnaiz
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born |
June 4, 1951 Bacolod City, Philippines |
| Nationality | Filipino |
| Listed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Listed weight | 152 lb (69 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | St. Clement's Academy |
| College | Ateneo de Manila University |
| PBA draft | 1975 / Elevated |
| Selected by the Toyota Super Corollas | |
| Playing career | 1971–1986 |
| Position | Point guard / Shooting guard |
| Number | 8 |
| Career history | |
| 1971 | MERALCO |
| 1972 | U/Tex |
| 1973–1984 | Toyota |
| 1984–1986 | Ginebra San Miguel |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Men’s basketball | ||
Representing  Philippines
|
||
| FIBA Asia Championship | ||
 |
1973 Manila | Team competition |
Francis C. Arnaiz (born June 4, 1951) is a Filipino former basketball player. He was best known as a player in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), playing for Toyota and Ginebra San Miguel from 1975-1986.
Arnaiz had a love for sports and was shooting stuffed toys into a basket in early childhood. While studying at La Salle-Bacolod in elementary school, he competed in football and basketball. Football provided the speed and exceptional footwork, skills which would later develop him into an outstanding basketball player. He led his high school, St. Clement's Academy of La Paz, Iloilo City, to the PRISAA basketball championship. In college, he played for Ateneo de Manila which won the 1969 NCAA basketball championship during his rookie year.
In 1971, he began playing in the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA), first with the MERALCO Reddy Kilowatts in 1971, the U/Tex Weavers in 1972 and the Toyota Comets in 1973.
He was a member of the Philippine men's national basketball team which won the 1973 ABC Championship and competed in the 1974 FIBA World Championship.
Arnaiz was one of the original members of the Toyota franchise that joined the newly formed Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) in 1975. Along with Robert Jaworski and Ramon Fernandez, he formed the troika of the vaunted Toyota offense. In fact, among the three players, he would have been the first to have won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award right in the very first season of the league in 1975 when media covering the PBA named him as the Basketball Player of the Year despite the fact that Bogs Adornado was the one named PBA MVP that year. During his Toyota years, the franchise won nine PBA titles while having memorable battles against arch-rival Crispa Redmanizers, going head-to-head, on and off the court, with Crispa's Bernie Fabiosa. Arnaiz became one of the most popular players on the team not only for his playing style, but also for his mestizo looks, which gained him a following among the female fans.
...
Wikipedia