Taulava, who claims his mother Pauline Hernandez Mateaki is a Filipina from Samar, was inked by the San Diego WildFire, one of eight ABA 2000 teams, last Jan. 30. In his first four games, the 6-10 center averaged 5.8 points, shooting 8-of-28 (.286) from the field and 7-of-11 (.636) from the line. He also grabbed 5.5 rebounds an outing and took two three-point shots that missed. The WildFire lost all four contests and is now mired in the league cellar with a 5-16 record.
In his WildFire debut, Taulava logged 16 minutes, scored six points, and picked up six fouls as San Diego lost a 119-106 decision to Kansas City last Jan. 30. Two nights later, he had four points on 1-of-6 field goals and 2-of-4 free throws in San Diego’s 114-101 loss to Detroit.
After two forgettable games, Taulava broke out in his third appearance last Feb. 2. He collected 10 points and 10 rebounds in 35 minutes without a single turnover but San Diego still bowed to Tampa Bay, 118-107. Tormenting the WildFire were Tampa Bay’s ex-PBA imports Kwan Johnson and John Strickland who combined for 57 points.
Taulava grabbed 10 rebounds but scored only three points on 1-of-6 from the floor in his fourth game – an 89-87 San Diego loss to Tampa Bay in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Taulava, 27, hasn’t tasted a win in the ABA 2000 so far. San Diego has lost its last eight games under coach La Salle Thompson.
The ABA 2000 was formed from the ashes of the original ABA which was established in 1968 and folded up in 1976. Among the ex-PBA imports on ABA 2000 rosters are Carlos Strong (Memphis), Derrick Gervin and Sean Higgins (Detroit), David Booth and Ronnie Fields (Chicago), and Tremaine Wingfield (Indiana). Byron Irvin, who played for Purefoods in 1994, coaches the Chicago squad called the Skyliners.
George Gervin is the Detroit Dogs’ coach and his players include brother Derrick and son Gee.
The league uses a red-white-and-blue ball. It has a no foul-out rule but a player gives the opposing team two technical free throws and possession for every foul after his fifth. Another innovation is the 3-D rule where a team scores three points for converting off a steal in the backcourt or four points for a three-point shot in the same situation. The 3-D rule is supposed to encourage full-court pressure with a premium on speed, ballhandling and defense.
Tickets for an ABA 2000 game range from $6 to $20. Players are signed to one-year contracts with annual salaries of $150,000 to $200,000.
League investor Gary Elbogen said the ABA 2000 was organized "to fill a void between the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the minor leagues, a void that exists for fans and players." He added that "we want to make it affordable for fans and give talented guys a chance to play for $150,000 a year in the US."
Taulava, who now weighs 255 pounds, tried out for the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks last summer but failed to make the grade. He also tried out for a spot in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) but was cut. Ex-PBA imports Kirk King, Sam Mack, Brian Green, Monty Buckley, Jack Hartman, Ansu Sesay, and Isaac Fontaine are playing in the CBA this season.
The ABA 2000 is considered a minor league in the same category as the CBA, United States Basketball League (USBL), International Basketball League (IBL), and International Basketball Association (IBA).
Mobiline team manager Frankie Lim said he spoke with Taulava during a trip to Los Angeles last year. Taulava told Lim he hadn’t given up hope of convincing the immigration authorities that he’s half-Filipino and returning to the PBA. But if Taulava doesn’t come up with fresh evidence, he’ll stay deported. Taulava’s relatives in Tonga are supposedly gathering birth documents to prove his mother is Filipina and was still a Filipino citizen before he was born.
Taulava played for Blu Detergent in the Philippine Basketball League before breaking into the PBA in 1999, averaging 17.7 points in 37 games for Mobiline. Last year, Taulava hit at a 13.8 clip in 12 games before he was ordered to leave the country for failing to prove his Filipino lineage.
Al Segova, who claimed Filipino roots like Taulava and left the PBA in the wake of a crackdown on Fil-Shams, played for the ABA 2000’s Indiana Legends until he was waived last Jan. 5.