Season’s best to be feted tonite

The Philippine Basketball Association fetes its best players of the 2003 season and celebrates its glorious past in one glittery affair making up the Leo Awards to be held tonight at the Music Museum in Greenhills, San Juan.

Talk ’n Text slotman Asi Taulava and Coca-Cola teammates Rudy Hatfield and Jeffrey Cariaso head a list of six candidates for Most Valuable Player, the most prestigious in a long line of awards honoring the biggest achievers of the year.

The star-studded affair, which will start promptly at 7:30 p.m., will not only honor the best and brightest of the just-concluded season, it will also pay homage to men who made big contributions to the growth of the pro league by way of the Gawad Emerson Coseteng trophy.

Nikki Coseteng, a former senator who once sat as a team manager in the league, has been invited to hand out the award named in honor of his late father — the founding chair of the 29-year-old pro league.

Founding commissioner Leo Prieto, in whose honor the awards rites have been named, and league great Sen. Robert Jaworski will be on hand to add luster to an evening also studded with special numbers from guests from the showbiz world.

"This affair not only fetes the players who made this season a memorable one but also gives the league the opportunity to look back and say ‘thank you’ to people who made this league what it is today," said commissioner Noli Eala.

Hatfield, Cariaso and Coke teammate Rafi Reavis as well as Taulava and Jimmy Alapag of Talk ’n Text and Alaska forward Ali Peek make up the list of candidates in one of the most wide-open races for the league’s highest individual honor.

Also to be given out are spots in the Mythical and All-Defensive teams, the rookie of the year, most improved player and sportsmanship citations and two new awards – Darling of the Media and Mr. Energy.

Alapag, being an MVP candidate, also has the inside track on the rookie award as well as a point guard spot in the Mythical first and second teams.

The Most Improved citation is a toss-up among Shell’s Anthony dela Cruz, San Miguel Beer’s Joey Mente, Purefoods’ Kerby Raymundo and Reavis while the Sportsmanship award will be contested by Purefoods’ Noy Castillo, SMB’s Olsen Racela, TNT’s Patrick Fran, Sta. Lucia’s Gerald Francisco and dela Cruz.

Aside from the MVP candidates, lined up for spots in the Mythical teams are Johnny Abarientos and Ato Morano of Coke at point guard, Alaska’s John Arigo, Red Bull’s Willie Miller and Fran at off-guard, Alaska’s Don Allado and SMB’s Nick Belasco at forward and Sta. Lucia’s Marlou Aquino and Coke’s Edward Juinio at center.

Among those vying for All-Defensive team spots are Red Bull’s Davonn Harp, Shell’s Chris Jackson and Ginebra’s Eric Menk at center-forward and Purefoods’ Rey Evangelista, FedEx’s Wynne Arboleda, Fran, Cariaso and Miller.