| La Salle Green Hills Greenies | |
|---|---|
| Position | Head coach |
| League | NCAA (Philippines) |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1979-06-14)June 14, 1979 (age 45) Quezon City,Philippines[1] |
| Nationality | Filipino |
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Listed weight | 178 lb (81 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | San Beda (Manila) |
| College | De La Salle (1997–2001) |
| PBA draft | 2002: 1st round, 8th overall pick |
| Selected by theFedEx Express | |
| Playing career | 2002–2014 |
| Position | Shooting guard /small forward |
| Number | 14 |
| Coaching career | 2015–present |
| Career history | |
| As player: | |
| 2002–2006 | Air21 Express |
| 2006–2010 | Talk 'N Text Phone Pals |
| 2010 | Air21 Express |
| 2010–2011 | Powerade Tigers |
| 2011 | Meralco Bolts |
| 2011–2014 | Shopinas.com Clickers / Air21 Express |
| As coach: | |
| 2015–2022 | Adamson (assistant) |
| 2022–present | La Salle Green Hills |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Florendo "Renren" De Ramos Ritualo Jr. (born June 14, 1979) is aFilipino former professionalbasketball player and current assistant coach. He last played for theShopinas.com Clickers of thePhilippine Basketball Association and is currently an assistant coach for theAdamson Falcons in theUAAP. NicknamedThe Rainman,[2] Ritualo was also a one-time member of thePhilippine National Team.
He served as the panelist on UAAP coverage inABS-CBN Sports occasionally and was also a game analyst for Radyo 92.3 News FM.
Ritualo is the son of former PBA player Florendo Ritualo Sr.[3] and Maria Yasoña de Ramos ofLumban, Laguna. Aside from his father, he also looked up to PBA and NBA greats such as Alvin Patrimonio and Michael Jordan.[2] He first started out as a guard for theSan Beda Red Cubs.[2] In his time there, he won a championship and was co-Finals MVP.
Ritualo chose not to play for San Beda in college, choosing instead to play for theDe La Salle Green Archers.[4] He was also recruited byUP.[5] He first played for La Salle in 1997.[6] He earnedRookie of the Year honors as he became known for his ability to shoot beyond the arc.[6] The Archers lost to theFEU Tamaraws in the Finals.[7]
In 1998, La Salle hiredFranz Pumaren, a former Green Archer and 12-year PBA veteran, to be its new head coach.[6] Their roster lost MVPMark Telan, but had players such as Dino Aldeguer,Don Allado, Alvin Castro,Willy Wilson, andFrancis Zamora, who would play key roles for that team's title run.[6] That season, the Archers had a 13–1 record in the elimination round, eventually beating the Tamaraws for Ritualo's first UAAP championship.[6] It was also La Salle's first championship since 1990.[8]
In 1999, Ritualo scored 33 points against UST.[8][9] They made it to the Finals, where they played theUST Growling Tigers. The Archers lost Game 1, as Aldeguer took a three-point shot that should have been for Ritualo.[8] In Game 2, the Archers bounced back behind clutch free throws from Mac Cuan, forcing a do-or-die game.[8] In Game 3, Aldeguer made a three-pointer while he was fouled from the same play in Game 1, eventually sending the game into overtime.[8] The Archers won in the overtime period, making them champions for 1999.[8]
In 2000, despite having a weaker roster, La Salle still won the championship.[10] They swept FEU in the Finals.[11] Ritualo didn't make the Mythical Five that year as he had a hand injury, which would be the only time he didn't make it in his UAAP career.[7]
Ritualo scored 33 points against Ateneo in the opener for the 2001 season.[12] He also won his last championship against Ateneo that season.[2]
He became the third La Sallian player to have his jersey retired after basketball greats such asLim Eng Beng andKurt Bachmann.[2] In 2021, he was also inducted into the De La Salle Sports Hall of Fame.[13]
During hisUAAP stint, Ritualo signed up with Tanduay in thePhilippine Basketball League (PBL) in 1998 in a limited role for the team as the Centennial Rhum Masters took a runner-up finish in the 2nd Yakult PBL Centennial Cup tournament. After Tanduay left the PBL, Ritualo was the key player for Tanduay's Colt 45 team in the 1999 PBL Challenge Cup, when the team placed third in the tournament.
After Colt45 decided to leave the league, Ritualo joinedWelcoat Paints in late 1999. Ritualo led Welcoat to three PBL titles from 1999 to 2001 before jumping to the PBA.[2]
In 2003, Ritualo was named as one of PBL's Greatest Players of All-time.[14]
Ritualo was selected as the eight overall pick in the2002 PBA draft by expansion teamFedEx Express.[15] But before Ritualo was set to join FedEx, he was part of the RP National Training Pool for the2002 Busan Asian Games.[16] Ritualo was cut from the national team and returned to his mother team.[16]
He had a strong rookie season for FedEx, leading the league in three-pointers made.[17] By season's end, he was named as the 2002PBA Rookie of the Year.[15] He was also named Mr. Quality Minutes the following year.[15]
In 2005, he also took part in the three-point shoot-out, earning 2nd place as he lost toJimmy Alapag.[18] He also participated in that year's All-Star game, as a member of the North All-Stars. On April 29 of that year, he made 9 threes in one quarter in FedEx's 116–106 victory overRed Bull Barako, tying a record he shared withAllan Caidic.[19]
Ritualo recorded a 40-point output against Purefoods on January 27, 2006, during Game Three of theFiesta Conference Semi-finals series, held in the Ynares Sports Complex.[15] Ritualo led Air21 to a third-place finish, the highest in franchise history during that time before the team captured a runner-up finish against theBarangay Ginebra Kings in 2008. He was also in the running forBest Player of the Conference, losing toEnrico Villanueva. He was also an All-Star for the 2006 edition inCagayan de Oro.[20]
Ritualo was also the first local player in PBA history to have four games in a career with at least eight three-pointers in each of those games.[21]
On May 8, 2006, Ritualo, along with Patrick Fran, was traded from Air21 to theTalk 'N Text Phone Pals in exchange forLeo Avenido and two future first round draft picks, which were used in 2007 and 2008.[22]
With Ritualo's addition, as well as the trade that sent Alaska Aces slotmanDon Allado to the Phone Pals for Willie Miller, John Ferriols & a future pick, the Phone Pals were considered one of the deepest lineups in the 2006 Philippine Cup. However, the Phone Pals never made it past the wildcard phase, ending their season. During the 2007 Philippine Cup, he averaged 13.83 points per game in the 18 games of the elimination round.
In the 2008 All-Star Weekend, Ritualo won his only 3-Point Shootout.[21]
In the2008–09 Philippine Cup, Ritualo got his much awaited 1st PBA title against theAlaska Aces.[15] Though winning championships seemed so easy for him during the amateur ranks, it took him 7 years in the PBA to win a championship.
During the off-season of the 2010 Fiesta Conference, he was traded back to theAir21 Express along withYancy de Ocampo forJ.R. Quiñahan andAaron Aban.[23]
After playing for the Express, he was acquired by thePowerade Tigers during the off-season.[24] He only had limited minutes during thePhilippine Cup.
TheMeralco Bolts signed up Ritualo after the Powerade Tigers released him to the free agency pool during the Philippine Cup off-season.[24] At the end of the2010–11 PBA season, he was waived by the team.
After being waived by Meralco, he was acquired by then newly formedShopinas.com Clickers during the off-season of 2011. He played once again under his former collegiate mentor Franz Pumaren.[2] In 2012, he scored 22 points on 6-of-6 shooting from three as the team scored 128 points in the win against Powerade.[25] That was the most points the Shopinas.com/Air21 franchise had scored in franchise history.[25] He also tied the record for most threes made without missing.[25] The record would stand untilSan Miguel Beermen wingVon Pessumal made 8 straight threes during the2019 Commissioner's Cup.[26]
Air21 Express released Ritualo and he was picked up by theAlaska Aces. However, he was not included in the lineup for the2013–14 season.[24]
In 2005, Ritualo was a member of theRP National Training Pool. Ritualo was part of the Team Pilipinas squad in the 2005 FIBA-Asia Champions Cup with the host squad placing fifth in the eight nation tournament. During a match againstSagesse ofLebanon, Ritualo's numerous three-pointers in the second half, sparked a short-lived comeback by the Filipinos before losing 100–90.
Ritualo was also included in the Team Pilipinas squad for the Global Hoops Summit inLas Vegas, Nevada. During one game, Ritualo drained nine triples in a loss to Passive Lane Sports, which hadGod Shammgod.[27] It is said that these during these games, NBA teams such as theNew Jersey Nets andPhiladelphia 76ers were scouting him.[2] However, no offers were made to Ritualo during this time, shutting down those rumors.[27]
Ritualo was a member of Team Pilipinas' successful championship in the 5th Sultan's Cup inBandar Seri Begawan,Brunei Darussalam.
In 2006, Ritualo scored 17 points as Team Pilipinas defeated the American squad led by former NBA starDennis Rodman, 110–102 on May 1 at theAraneta Coliseum.
The following year, he was part of the team that competed at the2007 FIBA Asia Championships.[21]
After retiring, Ritualo later appeared on Radyo5 92.3 News FM as a panelist, analyst and commentator in some games alongside Jolly Escobar, Carlo Pamintuan and other courtside commentators.[28]
He also covered UAAP andNCAA games forABS-CBN Sports.
Ritualo first became a shooting coach for theMahindra Enforcers.[28] He was then invited by his former coach in Pumaren to join him on the Adamson Falcons coaching staff.[29] He accepted the offer and has held the position since 2015.
On June 29, 2022, Ritualo was announced as the head coach of theLa Salle Green Hills Greenies.[30]
| 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 |
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | FedEx | 22 | 27.8 | .354 | .333 | .938 | 1.5 | 1.5 | .8 | .05 | 12.4 |
| 2003 | FedEx | 42 | 20.8 | .380 | .350 | .871 | 1.9 | 1.1 | .7 | .02 | 11.3 |
| 2004–05 | FedEx | 59 | 30.3 | .355 | .322 | .839 | 1.9 | 1.7 | .9 | .2 | 16.4 |
| 2005–06 | Air21/Talk 'N Text | 51 | 37.6 | .360 | .302 | .829 | 2.8 | 2.4 | .7 | .1 | 18.2 |
| 2006-07 | Talk 'N Text | 29 | 28.8 | .371 | .322 | .842 | 1.6 | 1.9 | .8 | .1 | 14.3 |
| 2007-08 | Talk 'N Text | 39 | 23.3 | .402 | .368 | .898 | 2.3 | 1.5 | .8 | .1 | 11.8 |
| 2008–09 | Talk 'N Text | 45 | 15.5 | .379 | .320 | .743 | 1.5 | .8 | .3 | .1 | 7.1 |
| 2009–10 | Talk 'N Text/Air21 | 41 | 18.8 | .366 | .302 | .762 | 1.3 | 1.0 | .3 | .05 | 6.6 |
| 2010–11 | Powerade/Meralco | 29 | 13.0 | .376 | .293 | .550 | 1.1 | .9 | .2 | .1 | 4.6 |
| 2011-12 | Shopinas.com/Air21 | 32 | 21.6 | .387 | .382 | .732 | 1.4 | 1.3 | .4 | .1 | 9.1 |
| 2012–13 | Air21 | 32 | 10.7 | .349 | .250 | .941 | 1.0 | .7 | .1 | .03 | 3.3 |
| 2013–14 | Air21 | 8 | 12.6 | .414 | .368 | 1.00 | .6 | .6 | .2 | 0 | 4.6 |
| Career | 429 | 23.1 | .369 | .327 | .829 | 1.7 | 1.4 | .6 | .1 | 10.9 |
Ritualo was a cameo in 2002 comedy film Home Along da Riber starring Dolphy, as a Air21 deliveryman.[31]
In the2025 Philippine elections in Metro Manila, Ritualo filed his COC forSan Juan's 1st councilor district. The High Tribunal issued aTRO in his favor against the Comelec disqualification order.[32]
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