| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1983-03-16)March 16, 1983 (age 42) Maryland |
| Nationality | Filipino / American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Listed weight | 215 lb (98 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | La Salle Green Hills (Mandaluyong) Oviedo High (Florida) |
| College | Flagler College (2002–2006) |
| PBA draft | 2008: 1st round, 4th overall pick |
| Selected by theTalk 'N Text Tropang Texters | |
| Playing career | 2008–2016 |
| Position | Center /power forward |
| Career history | |
| 2008–2009 | Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters |
| 2009–2010 | Barako Bull Energy Boosters |
| 2010–2011 | Powerade Tigers |
| 2011–2012 | Petron Blaze Boosters |
| 2012–2013 | Air21 Express |
| 2013–2015 | Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters |
| 2015–2016 | NLEX Road Warriors |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Robert Reyes is a Filipino-American former professional basketball player. He last played for theNLEX Road Warriors of thePhilippine Basketball Association (PBA). He spent his college years in theUnited States atFlagler College. He was drafted fourth overall in the2008 PBA draft by theTalk 'N Text Tropang Texters.
He announced his retirement on hisInstagram account on December 15, 2016, after playing for eight years in the PBA. He decided to spend his post-retirement stage in theUnited States with his family.
Reyes was born inBethesda, Maryland.[1] He played forLa Salle Green Hills in the Philippines for one year.[2] He then moved back to the US and played atOviedo High, where he was awarded Student-Athlete of the Year. In college, he played forFlagler College.[1]
After Reyes graduated, he wanted to play in the PBA. However, the PBA had revised its rules, requiring Filipino-Americans to play in thePBL, a semi-professional league, at least one year.[2] He played for theHarbour Centre Batang Pier, helping them win their first PBL championship.[3] He also won Best Defensive Player and was a Mythical Team selection in his time there.[1]
Reyes applied for the2006 PBA draft, but theBureau of Immigration failed to recognize his passport in time, so he backed out and returned to Harbour Centre.[1][4] Two years later, he was successfully able to apply for the PBA draft.[3]
Reyes was selected fourth overall in the2008 PBA Draft by theTalk 'N Text Tropang Texters.[5] He and Talk 'N Text's other drafteesJayson Castro andJared Dillinger made their debut in a win over theCoca-Cola Tigers in the2008–09 Philippine Cup.[6] Talk 'N Text went on to win the championship that conference.[5] Early in the second conference in his rookie season, he tore his ACL during practice.[7]
In the offseason, Reyes was traded to theBarako Bull Energy Boosters.[8] That would be most productive season, as he averaged 5.3 points and five rebounds in over 24 minutes of play.[5]
In 2010, Reyes and a second round pick were sent to thePowerade Tigers in a 5-player, three-team trade.[9] After the2010–11 season ended, despite getting a one-year contract offer from Powerade, he decided to retire and move to Florida to be with his family.[8]
Reyes was then offered a one-year deal by thePetron Blaze Boosters, who had just lost in the2011 Governors' Cup finals. After the 2011–12, Petron extended his contract.[8]
On August 23, 2012, a trade was approved that sent him andNonoy Baclao to theAir21 Express.[10] Against his former team during the2012–13 Philippine Cup, he scored 17 points on 8-of-9 shooting with six rebounds to help Air21 get the win.[11] In their match against theAlaska Aces, he was seen hitting the Aces'Calvin Abueva in the face with an open hand. Reyes denied that he hit Abueva and was just trying to stand up, and claimed that Abueva pulled his jersey, causing both of them to fall down. Referees didn't see the play, so he wasn't given a technical foul.[12] He was fined P10,000 for his actions and for taunting Abueva.[13] In 2013, he announced that he had torn his ACL, this time on his opposite knee.[14]
On October 14, 2013, Reyes and a 2015 second round draft pick were sent to Talk 'N Text.[15] This marked a return to the franchise that had drafted him.[16] He was able to win one more championship with Talk 'N Text in the2015 Commissioner's Cup.[5]
Months after the2015 PBA Draft, Reyes andKevin Alas were sent to theNLEX Road Warriors in a three-team trade.[17]
A season later, NLEX traded Reyes to theMahindra Floodbuster forBradwyn Guinto.[18] Mahindra however didn't give him a contract. On December 15, 2016, he announced his retirement on hisInstagram account, deciding to return to the US to be with his family.[5]
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008–09 | Talk 'N Text | 23 | 7.4 | .359 | .000 | .444 | 1.7 | .4 | .2 | .4 | 1.6 |
| 2009–10 | Barako Bull | 23 | 24.7 | .421 | .000 | .559 | 5.0 | .8 | .4 | .8 | 5.3 |
| 2010–11 | Powerade | 28 | 16.0 | .426 | .000 | .769 | 4.4 | .8 | .4 | .7 | 4.6 |
| 2011–12 | Petron | 38 | 14.6 | .440 | .000 | .654 | 3.2 | .3 | .3 | .8 | 3.8 |
| 2012–13 | Air21 | 15 | 15.7 | .426 | .000 | .607 | 4.4 | .8 | .6 | .5 | 4.6 |
| 2013–14 | Talk 'N Text | 22 | 7.9 | .276 | .000 | .333 | 1.6 | .1 | .1 | .1 | .9 |
| 2014–15 | Talk 'N Text | 23 | 12.2 | .432 | .000 | .543 | 3.3 | .3 | .3 | .1 | 3.9 |
| 2015–16 | NLEX | 27 | 8.5 | .500 | .000 | .562 | 2.0 | .1 | .1 | .3 | 1.8 |
| Career | 199 | 13.4 | .422 | .000 | .598 | 3.2 | .4 | .3 | .5 | 3.3 | |
In 2012, while he was still playing for Petron and later on Air21, Reyes wrote a regular column forInterAKTV.[8] In it he wrote about his experiences as a PBA player and being a Filipino-American.[8][2]
After retiring, Reyes took up surfing. In 2020, he started a fundraiser "Share the Stroke", that gives surfboards to children inLa Union.[20]
Reyes also helps in recruiting Filipino-American players to play for thePhilippines men's national basketball team, or to play in the Philippines.[21] One player he recruited,James Laput, played for theDLSU Green Archers and was drafted in the first round of theSeason 46 draft.[22][23]
Rob Reyes is the nephew of former PBA playerEric Reyes.[24] He has a twin brother, Edmund.[1]