 Perez in 2023 | |
| No. 77 – San Miguel Beermen | |
|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard /small forward |
| League | PBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1993-11-17)November 17, 1993 (age 32) |
| Nationality | Filipino |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 187 lb (85 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
|
| PBA draft | 2018: 1st round,1st overall |
| Drafted by | Columbian Dyip |
| Playing career | 2019–present |
| Coaching career | 2025–present |
| Career history | |
Playing | |
| 2019–2020 | Columbian / Terrafirma Dyip |
| 2021–present | San Miguel Beermen |
Coaching | |
| 2025 | PSP Gymers (assistant) |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Medals | |
Christian Jaymar Perez (born November 17, 1993) is a Filipino professionalbasketball player for theSan Miguel Beermen of thePhilippine Basketball Association (PBA). He was selected 1st overall in the2018 PBA draft byColumbian Dyip.[1]
In 2025, he made his coaching debut as an assistant coach for the PSP Gymers of theWomen's Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (WMPBL).[2]
Perez was born inKowloon,British Hong Kong, to a Nigerian father and Filipino mother.[3] He grew up inBautista, Pangasinan, Philippines.
Perez played forSan Sebastian College – Recoletos Stags,Ateneo De Manila University Blue Eagles andLyceum of the Philippines University Pirates.[4]
In his final college season in Lyceum, he averaged a league-best 19.3 points per game, while grabbing 6.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists while leading the Pirates to an 18-game sweep of the eliminations, where they were eventually beaten by San Beda in the Finals.[5] He also could have been on theNCAA Mythical Team that year if not for a suspension.[6]
Perez played for Zark's Burger-Lyceum, which was composed of the core of the Pirates that won 18 straight games in the NCAA Season 93 tournament before losing in the Finals to the San Beda Red Lions. He led Zark's Burger-Lyceum to the Finals averaging 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.9 steals to the championship round. He was named as the 2018 PBA D-League Aspirants’ Cup Conference Most Valuable Player.[7]
On December 16, 2018, Perez was selected first overall by theColumbian Dyip in the2018 PBA draft. In his first career game, he scored 26 points in a win against theSan Miguel Beermen.[8] Three games later, he was unanimously awarded the first-ever PBA Press Corps Rookie of the Month for January.[9] For the month of February, Perez was second in voting for Rookie of the Month, losing the award toJavee Mocon.[10] DuringAll-Star Weekend, he participated in the Rookies/Sophomores vs. Juniors game (winning MVP),[11] the slam dunk contest,[12] and the All-Star 3x3.[13] His team did not qualify for the playoffs for thePhilippine Cup, finishing with a 4–7 record.[14] In the Commissioner's Cup, Perez exploded for a career-high 39 points in a 120–105 win against theNLEX Road Warriors.[15] He ended the 2019 season with the Rookie of the Year award, a First Mythical Team selection (the first rookie sinceCalvin Abueva in 2013), and was on the All-Defensive Team (the first rookie sinceRyan Reyes in 2008.)[16] He also led the league in scoring with 20.8 points, the first rookie sinceEric Menk to do so, back in 1999.[17] His 20.8 points a game is also the third-highest among the highest scoring averages for a rookie in the PBA.[18]
In his final season with Terrafirma, he averaged 24.4 points a game, leading the league in scoring.[19]
On February 2, 2021, Perez was traded to theSan Miguel Beermen forMatt Ganuelas-Rosser,Russel Escoto,Gelo Alolino, and two future first-round picks.[20] Perez won his first championship with the Beermen in the2022 Philippine Cup. In Game 7, he scored 25 points, including 7 during the Beermen's 4th quarter rally.
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | MPG | Minutes per game | FG% | Field-goal percentage |
| 3FG% | 3-point field-goal percentage | 4P% | 4-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 |
As of the end of 2024–25 season[21]
| Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | 4P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Columbian | 33 | 37.8 | .447 | .325 | — | .639 | 7.4 | 3.4 | 1.9 | .4 | 20.8 |
| 2020 | Terrafirma | 11 | 37.2 | .436 | .269 | — | .623 | 6.8 | 4.3 | 2.0 | .6 | 24.4 |
| 2021 | San Miguel | 32 | 29.5 | .433 | .308 | — | .688 | 5.8 | 1.8 | 1.3 | .5 | 14.8 |
| 2022–23 | San Miguel | 59 | 33.0 | .448 | .285 | — | .684 | 6.1 | 4.2 | 1.9 | .5 | 18.7 |
| 2023–24 | San Miguel | 44 | 31.1 | .442 | .291 | — | .687 | 6.3 | 3.7 | 1.9 | .2 | 18.9 |
| 2024–25 | San Miguel | 58 | 30.2 | .433 | .297 | .290 | .644 | 5.0 | 4.5 | 1.4 | .5 | 17.8 |
| Career | 237 | 32.3 | .441 | .297 | .290 | .665 | 6.0 | 3.7 | 1.7 | .4 | 18.5 | |
Perez first started playing for thePhilippines in the2016 FIBA Asia Challenge.[22] He was also a member of the Team Manila roster for the 2016 FIBA 3x3 All Stars in Doha, Qatar. He played withRey Guevarra,Sidney Onwubere andBright Akhuetie in this competition. The team finished 7th out of 8th competitors.[23]
In 2019, Perez was one of the youngest members of the Gilas team that played in the2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.[24] His averages of 12.6 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists and fearless brand of basketball was a silver lining in a campaign that saw the Philippines finish dead last in the World Cup.[25] He was named to theGilas 3x3 team for theSEA Games, along withChris Newsome,Jason Perkins, andMoala Tautuaa.[26] That team went on to sweep their competition in eight games, winning the gold medal[27]
In 2020, Perez was among the 12 chosen for the Asia Cup qualifiers against Indonesia.[28] He had 11 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals in that game that they won, 100–70.[29] Perez was also named to theFIBA 3x3 OQT lineup, along with SEA Games teammate Moala Tautuaa,Joshua Munzon, and Alvin Pasaol.[30] They finished in last place in that tournament.[31]
Perez was included in the 21-man pool for the2023 FIBA World Cup,[32] where he was eventually included in the final 12-man lineup.[33]
Perez's game has been primarily influenced byCalvin Abueva, to the point where he notes Abueva as his favorite player at the game. His rebounding and aggressiveness has been compared positively to Calvin Abueva's college years atSan Sebastian College – Recoletos.
Links to related articles | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Philippines squad | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
