Alex Cabagnot

Last updated

Alex Cabagnot
Alex Cabagnot 2021.png
Cabagnot in 2021
UE Red Warriors
PositionAssistant coach
League UAAP
Personal information
Born (1982-12-08) December 8, 1982 (age 42)
Quezon City, Philippines
NationalityFilipino
Listed height6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Listed weight180 lb (82 kg)
Career information
High school Eagle Rock (Los Angeles, California)
College
PBA draft 2005: 1st round, 2nd overall pick
Selected by the Sta. Lucia Realtors
Playing career2005–2025
Position Point guard / shooting guard
Number5, 10, 55
Coaching career2016–present
Career history
As player:
2005–2007 Sta. Lucia Realtors
2007–2009 Coca-Cola Tigers
2009–2010 Burger King Whoppers
2010–2014 San Miguel Beermen / Petron Blaze Boosters
2014 GlobalPort Batang Pier
2014–2021San Miguel Beermen
2021–2023 Terrafirma Dyip
2023–2024 Goyang Sono Skygunners
2024–2025 Converge FiberXers
As coach:
2016–2019 UP (skills coach)
2024 Bacolod City of Smiles
2025–present UE (assistant)
Career highlights and awards

Alexander Cabagnot Jr. (born December 8, 1982) is a Filipino former professional basketball player and assistant coach for the UE Red Warriors of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP). He played for Sta. Lucia, Coca-Cola, Burger King, San Miguel/Petron, GlobalPort, Terrafirma and Converge as well as the Philippine national basketball team. He plays the point guard and shooting guard positions. He once had a rivalry with Mark Caguioa for the Eagle Rock High School scoring record. [1]

Contents

Professional career

He was drafted by the Sta. Lucia Realtors, but after playing 2 seasons he was dealt to the Coca-Cola Tigers along with the aging Kenneth Duremdes and Ricky Calimag in exchange for Denok Miranda, Manny Ramos and Coca-Cola's 2007 second round draft pick.

Cabagnot led all rookies during his rookie year in scoring (10.3 points per game), assists (4.7), steals (1.1) and minutes played (28.1). He was third in the league in the assist-to-turnover ratio (2.5) behind Jimmy Alapag and Johnny Abarrientos.

On January 5, 2010, he was traded to the Burger King Whoppers along with Wesley Gonzales, for Gary David and Chico Lanete. He played for several games with Burger King, finishing at the 8th spot of the 2009-10 PBA Philippine Cup. During the off-season of the 2009–2010 Fiesta Conference, he was traded to the San Miguel Beermen, for Mike Cortez.

As a Beermen, Cabagnot quickly emerged as the starting quarterback for the team. Cabagnot dropped game winning shots during eliminations earning his nickname "The Crunchman". He did it on Alaska Aces, B-Meg Derby Ace Llmados scoring a basket on crucial possession. During game 1 of the 2010–2011 PBA Philippine Cup semifinals series against the crowd favorite Ginebra Gin Kings, Alex made a clutch basket leaving the Gin Kings with only over a second. This nailed the series to a 1–0 lead in favor of the Beermen. SMB eventually won the duel in six games 4–2. In 2011, Cabagnot together with Arwind Santos and Danny Ildefonso lead Petron Blaze Boosters to a Governor's Cup title by hacking out a 4–3 decider in 7 games, thus foiling the Grand Slam bid of Talk N Text & captured his first PBA crown as a player.

On February 18, 2014, he was part of a complex four-team, seven player trade which sent him to GlobalPort. With his new team, he reunites with old teammate Jay Washington and provided veteran leadership. [2] He said, "(The trade) came a little bit as an 'I-didn't-see-it-coming,' but when it did sink in, I just have to be a pro, go to the next team and try to do what I did with Petron and my other teams before". [3] On June 11, 2014, Cabagnot almost recorded a triple-double for GlobalPort Batang Piers as he racked up 19 points, 8 rebounds and 10 assists but in a losing effort to the Air21 Express.

On October 26, 2014, Cabagnot recorded 21 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists in a win over the Barako Bull Energy Boosters.

During the playoffs of the 2014–15 PBA Philippine Cup, Alex Cabagnot was traded back to San Miguel for Sol Mercado.

On October 14, 2016, Cabagnot was recognized during the PBA Leo Awards Night as he was named to the PBA Mythcial Second Team. [4]

On June 21, 2019, during the 2019 Commissioner's Cup, Cabagnot scored a conference-high 31 points to go along with 4 rebounds and 6 assists in a win over the Alaska Aces. He led the Beermen in a much-needed win as they now have a record of 2–3 for the conference. [5]

On November 13, 2021, he was traded to the Terrafirma Dyip for Simon Enciso. [6] On December 18, he suffered a torn achilles tendon during a game against the NLEX Road Warriors which ended his season. [7]

On April 14, 2022, he signed a two-year contract extension with Terrafirma. [8] On October 19, 2023, he became an unrestricted free agent after being released by the team. [9]

On December 18, 2023, he signed with the Goyang Sono Skygunners of the Korean Basketball League, replacing Joshua Torralba as the team's Asian import. [10]

On August 5, 2024, Cabagnot returns to the PBA where he signed with the Converge FiberXers. [11]

On February 24, 2025, Cabagnot retires in the PBA and he became the assistant coach of the UE Red Warriors. [12]

PBA career statistics

Legend
  GPGames played  GSGames 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

As of the end of 2022–23 season [13] [14]

Season-by-season averages

YearTeamGPMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2005–06 Sta. Lucia 3528.1.349.266.6813.34.71.1.310.3
2006–07 Sta. Lucia 4533.3.424.322.7033.56.41.3.210.9
Coca-Cola
2007–08 Coca-Cola 3733.8.343.360.6673.04.61.1.211.0
2008–09 Coca-Cola 3237.0.356.240.6673.65.31.4.410.8
2009–10 Coca-Cola 5023.0.376.250.6933.65.51.0.310.2
Burger King
San Miguel
2010–11 San Miguel / Petron 5430.2.395.321.7284.25.81.0.49.7
2011–12 Petron 4635.5.390.384.7453.66.21.1.313.4
2012–13 Petron 4732.2.407.321.7473.75.11.2.211.9
2013–14 Petron 3435.6.378.311.6964.46.21.3.213.1
GlobalPort
2014–15 GlobalPort 5229.5.366.350.7054.54.7.8.111.1
San Miguel
2015–16 San Miguel 5632.5.404.342.7453.64.01.0.114.3
2016–17 San Miguel 5635.8.386.339.7655.54.51.3.116.2
2017–18 San Miguel 5134.0.375.276.7954.65.41.3.113.8
2019 San Miguel 5629.9.383.325.7903.33.71.2.113.3
2020 San Miguel 1229.6.401.250.7113.83.8.8.012.6
2021 San Miguel 1723.9.390.208.7433.33.0.4.010.5
Terrafirma
2022–23 Terrafirma 2025.1.306.250.6673.64.9.5.18.0
Career70031.6.381.317.7283.95.01.1.212.1

Off the court

In December 2019, Cabagnot, along with his cousin Cris Gopez, established Fil-Am Nation Select, a program where young players with Filipino lineage can know more about Philippine basketball in the hope of bringing them over to play in leagues or even with Gilas Pilipinas. [15] Aside from basketball, they have expanded the program to include volleyball, football, ice hockey, and baseball. [16] [17] Among the basketball players Fil-Am Nation has handled include college standout Zavier Lucero and pro Sedrick Barefield. [18] [19]

Cabagnot and Gopez also handle a basketball recreation league, Edge Basketball International, that boasts Atlanta Hawks draftee Onyeka Okongwu as one of its former players. [20]

References

  1. "Cabagnot looking to future as newest member of UP coaching staff". ABS-CBN Sports. September 4, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2016.
  2. Badua, Snow (February 17, 2014). "Petron/San Miguel set to trade Alex Cabagnot to GlobalPort for Sol Mercado – SPIN.PH".
  3. Dy, Richard (February 19, 2014). "GlobalPort new boy Alex Cabagnot admits he didn't see trade coming – SPIN.PH".
  4. "PBA Leo Awards 2016 Winners & Nominees (Complete List)". PinoyBoxBreak. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved October 18, 2016.
  5. "Alex Cabagnot keys crucial win by San Miguel vs. Alaska". ABS CBN News. June 21, 2019. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  6. "SMB sends Cabagnot to Terrafirma for Enciso". PBA.ph. November 13, 2021. Retrieved November 13, 2021.
  7. Ramos, Gerry (December 18, 2021). "OUCH! Alex Cabagnot suffers torn Achilles in NLEX game, says coach". Spin.ph. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  8. Ramos, Gerry (April 15, 2022). "Alex Cabagnot signed to a new contract by Terrafirma". Spin.ph. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
  9. Ramos, Gerry (October 19, 2023). "Veteran Alex Cabagnot turns unrestricted free agent". Spin.ph. Retrieved October 19, 2023.
  10. Li, Matthew (December 18, 2023). "Alex Cabagnot replaces Josh Torralba as Goyang Sono import". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
  11. "Welcome to the #PurpleNation, Alex Cabagnot, our new Converge FiberXers player! 🏀💜". Facebook.com. August 5, 2024. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  12. Terrado, Reuben (February 24, 2025). "Alex Cabagnot retiring from Converge, takes UE deputy coach job". Spin.ph. Retrieved February 24, 2025.
  13. PBA-Online.net
  14. Real GM
  15. Leongson, Randolph B. (April 30, 2020). "Cabagnot's group sets up platform to identify cream of Fil-Am crop". Spin.ph. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  16. Reyes, Kate (March 27, 2021). "Cabagnot's Fil-Am scouting group adds ice hockey to their prospects radar". Spin.ph. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  17. Times, Tiebreaker (December 23, 2021). "Fil-Am Nation holds tryouts for Baseball NT". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  18. Garcia, John Mark (February 18, 2022). "Top Fil-Am recruit Zav Lucero a UPMBT 'game-changer'". Tinig ng Plaridel. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  19. Li, Matthew (May 13, 2022). "Sedrick Barefield to miss PBA Draft". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  20. Reyes, Kate (November 27, 2020). "NBA rookie Onyeka Okongwu trained in Alex Cabagnot's youth league". Spin.ph. Retrieved January 31, 2023.