FOUR members of the PBA family were honored by the De La Salle University Alumni Association, including retired player Florendo 'RenRen' Ritualo Jr. and former Board Chairman Congressman Michael 'Mikee' Romero, who were both named in the school's Hall of Fame.
Romero, team owner of NorthPort Batang Pier, and Ritualo, 41, were among the eight selected personalities inducted in the 'Hall' during the 7th One La Salle Night of Excellence on Thursday in a special ceremony held online.
Ritualo was among the most successful basketball players in La Salle history, having won four UAAP men's basketball championships from 1997 to 2001, and was Finals MVP in his final season with the Green Archers.
He is just one of five Lasallians whose jersey had been retired by the school.
The son of PBA pioneer player Florendo Ritualo Sr. played in Asia's pioneering pro league from 2002 to 2014, winning a championship with Talk 'N Text in 2009, was a former Rookie of the Year, and a two-time All-Star.
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The 49-year-old Romero, the House Deputy Speaker representing 1Pacman Partylist, meanwhile, was recognized for his leadership in Philippine sports program in the field of basketball including the PBA, the Philippine Basketball League (PBL), WPBL, Asean Basketball League (ABL), and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP).
The Batang Pier team owner described his induction in the DLSU Hall of Fame as 'an award that matters the most for me.'
Romero also served as the godfather of the 2007 men's basketball team that won the gold in the Nakhonratchasima Southeast Asian Games.
The PBA Board Chairman in 2016, Romero was a solid Lasallian from grade school all the way to college, where he graduated with an AB Management degree in 1994. He also had his ABA Masters in the same university in 2005.
Also cited with a Lasallian Sports Achievement Award were the Alaska duo of Joseph Evans 'JVee' Casio and Jeron Alvin Teng.
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Casio, 34, won a UAAP championship with the Green Archers in 2007, where he was also co-Finals MVP with former PBA player Cholo Villanueva.
Teng, 27, on the other hand, bagged two UAAP men's titles with the Taft-based school in 2013 and 2016, respectively, where he was also named Finals MVP.
A total of 43 awardees were recognized during the virtual awards night. (RG)
