Tony dela Cruz

Last updated

Tony dela Cruz
Personal information
Born (1978-08-24) August 24, 1978 (age 45)
West Covina, California, U.S.
NationalityFilipino / American
Listed height6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Listed weight209 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High school Carson (Carson, California)
College UC Irvine (1996–1998)
PBA draft 1999: Direct Hire
Selected by the Shell Velocity
Playing career1999–2017
Position Small forward / power forward
Coaching career2017–2021
Career history
As player:
1999–2005 Shell Velocity / Shell Turbo Chargers
2005–2017 Alaska Aces
As coach:
2017–2021Alaska Aces (Assistant)
Career highlights and awards

Anthony Bryan Davis dela Cruz (born August 24, 1978) is a Filipino-American former professional basketball player and coach. He played majority of his career for the Alaska Aces of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), where he also served as an assistant coach after his playing career. He is also a former member of the RP National Basketball Team.

Contents

Born in West Covina, California, Dela Cruz had a stint in the US NCAA and was named as Shell's direct hire recruit in 1999. He became a legitimate PBA All-Star player with the Shell Turbo Chargers and was dealt to the Aces prior to Shell's exit from the PBA before the start of the 2005–2006 season. Following the retirement of former player and now Blackwater Bossing head coach Jeffrey Cariaso in 2010, dela Cruz was named Alaska's team captain.

Early life and career

Dela Cruz was born in West Covina, California, as the middle child of the family with an older sister and a younger sister. [1] His Filipino father was an accountant while his American mother is a former bank analyst. [1] [2] [3] He grew up in Carson, and learned basketball at Carson High, then played two years at UC Irvine. In his final season with the UC Irvine Anteaters, he didn't score a point and was only able to attempt one field goal. [4]

Professional career

Shell Velocity / Shell Turbo Chargers

Dela Cruz joined the 1999 PBA Draft. [5] On December 30, 1999, he was chosen as the Shell Turbo Chargers' Fil-Am direct hire. [6] He signed a three-year deal with the team. [4] In a 2001 Governors' Cup game against the Pop Cola Panthers, he scored seven of his nine points in the fourth quarter and made a clutch steal off Johnny Abarrientos to seal the win. [7]

Dela Cruz gradually increased his scoring in his early seasons, from 6.2 points in 2002, to 14.5 points per game in 2003. During the 2003 All-Filipino Cup, he scored a career-high 32 points in a loss to the Batang Red Bull Thunder. [8] Although they didn't make the playoffs for the conference, he was given a two-year contract worth at least 6.5 million. [9] [10] In 2004, Dela Cruz scored a season-high 28 points in a win over Red Bull. [11] He also added seven rebounds, five assists, and three steals to his totals in that win. [12] He also got to play in his first All-Star game as a replacement for Jeffrey Cariaso. [13]

In the 2004–05 Philippine Cup, Dela Cruz scored 24 points in a win over the Sta. Lucia Realtors. [14] That was their second win of the conference, the team's first winning streak since the 2002 Governors' Cup and it also gave them a 2–1 start to the conference. In that conference, he averaged 18.5 points, won four Player of the Week awards and nearly led Shell to the Finals before they were swept by the Talk 'N Text Phone Pals. [15] At the end of the conference, he was given a three and a half year contract worth P15 million. During the 2005 Fiesta Conference, he, along with 20 other Fil-Ams, were suspended for failure to submit authenticated documents. [16] He was able to return to the team during the playoffs, with his team in the ninth seed. In Game 2 of their wildcard series against fourth seed Sta Lucia, he missed two free throws with 7.5 seconds remaining, but made up for it on defense by pressuring Boyet Fernandez and Shell completed the upset. [17] At the end of the season, he was included on the Mythical Second Team. [18] He was also in the running for the Most Improved Player Award, but lost to Enrico Villanueva. [18]

Alaska Aces

2005–2007

On August 3, 2005, Dela Cruz was traded to the Alaska Aces along with Rich Alvarez for Rob Duat and Eugene Tejada, as Shell took a leave of absence from the league. [19] Management wanted to trade for him due to his versatility in their system. [3] In a 2005–06 Fiesta Conference game against Red Bull, he made a game-tying three pointer with 4.2 seconds remaining, but then Red Bull import Quemont Greer split his free throws, and that was enough for Alaska to lose the game. [20] He then had a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds in a win over the Barangay Ginebra Kings. [21] In a 2006–07 Philippine Cup win over Ginebra, he made clutch free throws that sealed Alaska into fourth place in the standings with a record of 9–7. [22] For the 2005–06 season, he was awarded the PBA's Sportsmanship Award. [23]

In a 2006–07 Philippine Cup win over Red Bull, Dela Cruz scored 18 points to lead Alaska. [24] He then scored 20 points in a win over the Welcoat Dragons. [25] Against the Coca-Cola Tigers, he scored 12 points, but missed a floater in overtime and Coca-Cola's Dennis Miranda made the game-winning three-pointer, which also gave Alaska an 8–11 record. [26] For the 2007 Fiesta Conference, he wasn't able to compete with the team due to being called up for national team duty. [27] Despite his absence, Alaska was able to win the championship.

2007–2010

Dela Cruz started the 2007–08 Philippine Cup with 13 points in a loss to Talk 'N Text. [28] A month later, he scored 16 points in a win over Welcoat. [29] He then scored a season-high 31 points in a loss to Red Bull. [30]

During a 2008–09 Philippine Cup win over the San Miguel Beermen, Dela Cruz scored 15 points. [31] In a win over the Air21 Express, he scored 15 points as they secured the first seed. [32] They reached the Finals in that conference, and in Game 1, he contributed 14 points as Alaska won first. [33] However, they would go on to lose the series in seven games. [34] In the 2009 Fiesta Conference, he scored a season-high 20 points in a Alaska win over the Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants. [35] The win was also Tim Cone's 602nd career win, which made him the all-time winningest coach in PBA history.

In a win over Purefoods, Dela Cruz scored eight of his 12 points in the clutch. [36] In a semifinal game against Ginebra during the 2009–10 Philippine Cup, he had a double-double of 16 rebounds and 14 points. [37] From there, they made it to the Finals, they were swept by Purefoods. [38] For the 2010 Fiesta Conference, they were motivated to win Alaska its 13th title, as the father of team owner Wilfred Steven Uytengsu Jr. had passed away, and team captain Jeffrey Cariaso was set to retire at the end of the season. In the playoffs, they fought off Ginebra in the quarterfinals, 3–2, and Talk ‘N Text in the semis, 4–3, to get back into the Finals. [39] For Game 6, he was diagnosed with sore eyes and couldn't play. [38] Despite his absence, the team was still able to win the title over San Miguel. At the end of the season, he took over the role of team captain. [39]

2010–2013

During the 2011–12 Philippine Cup, Dela Cruz had his best scoring game in the last four seasons with 23 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field along with eight rebounds. [40] That season, he suffered a slipped disc injury, which put him out of action until the 2012 Governors' Cup. [41]

In a Game 1 win of their 2012–13 Philippine Cup quarterfinals against the Meralco Bolts, Dela Cruz contributed 13 points as he stepped up for Abueva, who had been ejected from the game. [42] In the 2013 Commissioner's Cup, they beat the San Mig Coffee Mixers 3–1 in the semis. [43] They went on to sweep Ginebra 3–0 to win Alaska its 14th title. [5] In their 2013 Governors' Cup quarterfinals series against the Coffee Mixers, he had more fouls than points, yet Alaska was able to extend the series to a do-or-die game. [44] San Mig eliminated them the following game. [43]

2013–2017

In the 2014–15 Philippine Cup, Alaska reached the Finals once again. [45] However, they lost to the Beermen in seven games. [46] In a 2015 Commissioner's Cup game against Meralco, although Dela Cruz didn't score any points, he contributed five rebounds, two blocks, two assists, and one steal in 23 minutes while also limiting Meralco import Andre Emmett to just 24 points on 7-of-24 shooting. [47]

During the 2015–16 Philippine Cup Finals, Alaska had a 3–0 lead, yet the Beermen won the next four games to deny Alaska another title. [48] The following conference, the 2016 Commissioner's Cup, Dela Cruz contributed eight points in Game 3 of their playoff match against the Tropang TNT to get Alaska into the semis. [49] In that series, he averaged 6.7 points in 18 minutes. [50] From there, Alaska reached the Finals once again, but this time were defeated by the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters 4–2. [51]

In a 2016–17 Philippine Cup loss to the Beermen, Dela Cruz had 15 points. [52] On July 22, 2017, he became the 80th player to score 5,000 points. [53] At the end of the 2016–17 season, he retired. [54] In his final game, a loss to Rain or Shine, he had 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting, six rebounds, and one block without a single turnover. [55] He was never called for a technical foul in his entire career. [56] On June 11, 2018, Alaska honored him with a tribute. [23] [56]

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

[57]

PBA season-by-season averages

YearTeamGPMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
2000 Shell 1617.2.329.200.8332.9.8.2.34.0
2001 Shell3714.5.374.250.6112.5.6.4.13.4
2002 Shell3221.3.422.295.6844.01.0.6.36.2
2003 Shell3534.3.443.417.7166.72.11.3.314.5
2004–05 Shell7136.7.422.295.7346.12.6.9.516.0
2005–06 Alaska 4929.5.394.167.7604.61.5.8.310.1
2006–07 Alaska2134.0.444.111.6677.72.1.7.511.8
2007–08 Alaska4724.5.407.363.7964.3.8.9.48.2
2008–09 Alaska4229.1.432.403.7295.61.7.8.58.7
2009–10 Alaska6129.1.440.296.7785.11.7.8.48.2
2010–11 Alaska4127.0.427.286.8914.71.51.0.67.8
2011–12 Alaska1927.9.397.222.7274.71.3.6.46.6
2012–13 Alaska5418.9.377.231.8943.41.0.7.43.4
2013–14 Alaska4214.4.345.250.5002.7.6.4.11.6
2014–15 Alaska5213.0.379.125.3752.1.7.3.11.6
2015–16 Alaska439.9.413.316.8332.1.5.4.12.4
Career66224.1.416.308.7434.31.3.7.37.4

College

[58]

YearTeamGPGSMPGFG%3P%FT%RPGAPGSPGBPGPPG
1996–97 UC Irvine 26012.1.286.429.1431.2.4.2.1.8
1997–98 80.000.000.000.5.0.0.0.0
Career34012.1.286.000.5781.1.3.2.1.8

National team career

In 2004, Dela Cruz made his debut for the Philippine men's national team in the Global Hoops Summit. [3] He also played for the team in that year's Jones Cup.

In 2007, Dela Cruz suffered an ankle injury during the team's campaign in the 2007 FIBA Asia Champions Cup. [59] Due to the injury, he wasn't able to compete in the Southeast Asia Basketball Association (SEABA) men's championship. He was one of the final cuts for the 2007 FIBA Asia Championship, but was a reserve for that team. [60] [61]

Post-playing career

In 2012, while recuperating from an injury, Dela Cruz became an assistant coach under Luigi Trillo for the Cebuana Lhuillier Gems. [41] Soon after retiring from playing, he, along with Eric Altamirano, Danny Ildefonso, and Sean Chambers, joined Alaska's coaching staff under Alex Compton. [62] [63] He left the coaching staff in 2021 to return to the US. [64]

Aside from coaching with Alaska, Dela Cruz also coached high school boys and girls. In 2016, he was one of the assistant coaches for the SLAM Rising Stars Classic, a tournament of the 24 best high school prospects in the country. [65] The following year, he became the head coach. [66] He also coached young boys and girls through the Jr. NBA program. [67] [68] [69]

In 2019, Dela Cruz became an analyst for PBA Rush. [5] He was also one of the analysts for TV5's coverage of SEA Games basketball. [70] He also speaks in motivational seminars as a life coach. [71] [1]

Personal life

Dela Cruz was married to Julie Primero. [3] They have two children, Marley and Mary Jane. In 2016, Primero filed a divorce lawsuit against him. [72] He is now married to Isabella 'Belay' Fernando, who is currently the team administrator of the Philippines women's national football team. [64] [73]

Dela Cruz is open about his mental health struggles, as he suffers from stress and depression, which he has talked about in motivational seminars. [71] He used to self-medicate, and often drank alcohol. [5] He would also entertain suicidal thoughts, and nearly ended his life in 2013. After that attempt, he opened up about his struggles and began seeing a psychiatrist.

Related Research Articles

Allan Vito Flores Caidic is a Filipino former professional basketball player, coach and executive who is currently serving as consultant for Mapua Cardinals. He is considered by many to be the greatest shooter the country has ever produced, thus, earning the moniker, "The Triggerman".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Miguel Beermen</span> Philippine professional basketball team

The San Miguel Beermen are a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). It is one of three PBA clubs owned by the San Miguel Corporation group of companies along with the Magnolia Hotshots and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel. It is the most successful franchise in the history of the PBA and the only remaining original franchise in the league. The Beermen have the most titles with 29 and the most all-time victories with more than 1,200 wins. In addition, it has won the Grand Slam in 1989 and the Perpetual Jun Bernardino Trophy after winning three straight PBA Philippine Cups from 2015 to 2017. It is also the only team to have won at least one PBA title in each of the six numerical decades of the league's existence and was the first professional basketball team ever to come back from a 0–3 deficit to win a best-of-seven playoff series which they did during the 2015–16 Philippine Cup Finals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alaska Aces (PBA)</span> Philippine professional basketball team

The Alaska Aces were a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association since 1986 under the ownership of Alaska Milk Corporation (AMC) and the owner of 14 PBA championships, tied with the Magnolia Hotshots for the third-most titles overall. They were one of the most popular teams in the league and the Philippines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Menk</span> Filipino-American basketball player

Eric Conrad Padua Menk is a Filipino-American former professional basketball player who played in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and the ASEAN Basketball League. Known as Major Pain, Menk is a four-time PBA champion and was the 2004–05 PBA Most Valuable Player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004–05 PBA season</span> 30th PBA season

The 2004–05 PBA season was the 30th season of the Philippine Basketball Association. Instead of the usual calendar year of February–December, the league changed its schedule to the current October–July format, while limiting the number of conferences from three to two. As part of the new league format, the season was preceded with a transition conference known as the 2004 PBA Fiesta Conference.

Bethune "Siot" Tanquingcen is a Filipino professional basketball head coach. He is currently an assistant coach for the NU Bulldogs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leo Austria</span> Filipino basketball player and coach

Leovino "Leo" R. Austria is a Filipino professional basketball coach and former player. He last served as the head coach of the San Miguel Beermen of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Willie Miller (basketball)</span> Filipino basketball player

Willie V. Miller Jr. is a Filipino professional basketball coach and former player. He is an assistant coach for the Converge FiberXers of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He last played for the Pilipinas MX3 Kings of the ASEAN Basketball League. He has started at the point guard position mostly but could also play the shooting guard spot. Miller has won four PBA championships and two PBA Most Valuable Player Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Alapag</span> Filipino-American basketball player and coach

Jim Olmedo Alapag is a Filipino-American professional basketball coach and former player. He serves as the player development coach for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is nicknamed "The Mighty Mouse" and "The Captain".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alex Compton</span> Filipino-American former basketball player and former coach

Alexander M. Compton is a Filipino-born American retired basketball player and coach. He also served as the head coach of the Alaska Aces of the Philippine Basketball Association.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly Williams</span> Filipino-American basketball player (born 1982)

Kelly Williams is a Filipino-American professional basketball player for the TNT Tropang Giga in the PBA. He played collegiate basketball at Oakland University, an NCAA Division I school in the United States, and he also represented the Philippines in international competitions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jun Bernardino Trophy</span> Award

The Jun Bernardino Trophy is a trophy awarded to the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) team that wins the PBA Philippine Cup Finals.

Nelbert "Bitoy" Omolon is a Filipino former professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He was drafted 8th overall in the 2004 PBA draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Chan (basketball)</span> Filipino basketball player

Jeffrei Allan D. Chan is a Filipino professional basketball player for the NorthPort Batang Pier of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). After being snubbed in the 2008 PBA draft, he became known as one of the best three-point shooters of his generation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reynel Hugnatan</span> Filipino basketball player

Reynel Frances T. Hugnatan is a Filipino professional basketball player who plays for the San Juan Knights of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL). He also serves as an assistant coach for the Meralco Bolts of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) He was picked 9th overall by the Coca-Cola Tigers in the 2003 PBA draft.

Albert Henry "Ali" Peek is a Filipino-American former professional basketball player who played in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). During his playing days, he played mostly at the center position, although he was also used as a power forward occasionally.

Jonas Victolero Villanueva is a Filipino former professional basketball player and coach. Villanueva played 12 seasons in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He also coached the Bataan Risers of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Ross (basketball)</span> Filipino-American basketball player

Christopher Michael Ross is a Filipino-American professional basketball player for the San Miguel Beermen of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He is also an assistant coach for the same team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rome dela Rosa</span> Filipino basketball player

Rome Adler de Leon dela Rosa is a Filipino-American professional basketball player for the Magnolia Hotshots of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

The 2015–16 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Philippine Cup finals was the best-of-7 championship series of the 2015–16 PBA Philippine Cup, and the conclusion of the conference's playoffs. The Alaska Aces and the San Miguel Beermen competed for the 38th All-Filipino championship and the 116th overall championship contested by the league.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Ep. 13: Tony Dela Cruz: Filipino American Pro Basketball Player Turned Coach by Partially Pinoy". Spotify for Podcasters. July 15, 2021. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  2. Henson, Joaquin M. (July 20, 2005). "Families come together". Philstar.com. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Henson, Joaquin M. (August 4, 2005). "Good news for Tony". Philstar.com. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  4. 1 2 Reyes, Marc Anthony (January 13, 2000). "Little-known Carmona gets P1.6 million offer from Beermen". Philippine Daily Inquirer . pp. B12. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Pamintuan, Carlo (May 19, 2021). "Why Tony Dela Cruz is vocal about the depression that nearly ended his life". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  6. "'99 season: Paras' renaissance period". pba.ph. July 3, 2020. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  7. Mallum, Noel (October 6, 2001). "Turbo Chargers halt Panthers' win streak". Manila Standard . pp. A12. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  8. Vidal, Reuel (May 22, 2003). "Red Bull's win infuses life into Gins' bid". Manila Standard . pp. A8. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  9. "Ginebra Catch Last Bus to Quarters". Arab News. May 28, 2003. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  10. Navarro, June (February 2, 2003). "Only 9 PBA vets get pay increase". Philippine Daily Inquirer . pp. A19. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  11. Villar, Joey (April 25, 2004). "De la Cruz powers Shell vs Red Bull". Philstar.com. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  12. "PBA Fiesta Conference: Red Bull ginulat ng Shell Velocity". Philstar.com. April 25, 2004. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  13. "All-Star cast shows changing of the guards". Philippine Daily Inquirer . August 9, 2004. pp. A26. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  14. "Shell Keep Realtors Winless; Red Bull Whip Purefoods". Arab News. October 17, 2004. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  15. Navarro, June (February 26, 2005). "Shell hands Dela Cruz P15-M deal". Philippine Daily Inquirer . pp. A29. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  16. Villar, Joey; Beltran, Nelson (May 7, 2005). "PBA suspends 20 Fil-foreigners". Philstar.com. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  17. Villar, Joey; Beltran, Nelson (June 13, 2005). "Never-say-die Shell ousts Sta. Lucia". Philstar.com. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  18. 1 2 Orellana, Joey (July 9, 2005). "Menk named PBA's MVP". The Manila Times . pp. B8. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  19. Villar, Joey; Beltran, Nelson (August 3, 2005). "Shell takes leave of absence". Philstar.com. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  20. "Red Bull bumangon". Philstar.com. October 10, 2005. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  21. Navarro, June (October 20, 2005). "Aces up with Tee, crush Kings by 30". Philippine Daily Inquirer . pp. A20. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  22. Basa-Castillo, Grace (May 25, 2006). "Air21 in Big Win Against San Miguel". Arab News. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  23. 1 2 "Itch to play still there, but teaching young Aces tops Tony's priorities". pba.ph. June 11, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  24. Castillo, Musong R. (November 27, 2006). "Aces sustain charge; Phone Pals triumph - INQUIRER.net, Philippine News for Filipinos". Inquirer.net. Archived from the original on March 20, 2014. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  25. Castillo, Musong R. (December 21, 2006). "Kings collar semis ticket". Philippine Daily Inquirer . pp. A18. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  26. Castillo, Musong R. (January 6, 2007). "Miranda breathes life into Coca-Cola's bid". Philippine Daily Inquirer . Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  27. Bartholomew, Rafe (2010). Pacific rims : beermen ballin' in flip-flops and the Philippines' unlikely love affair with basketball. New York: New American Library. p. 118. ISBN   978-0-451-22999-1. OCLC   462903288.
  28. Basa-Castillo, Grace (October 18, 2007). "Talk 'N Text Make a Statement in Win Over Alaska: PBA". Arab News. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  29. Castillo, Musong R. (November 25, 2007). "Aces vent ire on Dragons". Philippine Daily Inquirer . pp. A19. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  30. Calapre, Frank C. (February 16, 2008). "Red Bull settles for third place". The Manila Times . pp. A8. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  31. "'King' Solomon powers Elasto Painters past Express". news.abs-cbn.com. October 5, 2008. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  32. "Coca-Cola beats Red Bull, 88-66". news.abs-cbn.com. December 20, 2008. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  33. "Alaska routs Talk 'N Text in Game One". news.abs-cbn.com. January 28, 2009. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  34. Villar, Joey; Beltran, Nelson (February 12, 2009). "It's Talk N Text loud and clear". Philstar.com. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  35. "Cone gets 602nd career win as Alaska downs Purefoods". news.abs-cbn.com. March 15, 2009. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  36. Castillo, Grace (November 24, 2009). "Aces pound Purefoods into submission". Arab News. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  37. Villar, Joey; Beltran, Nelson (February 13, 2010). "Aces lead Kings, 2-0; Giants win". Philstar.com. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  38. 1 2 Velasco, Bill (September 28, 2010). "Alaska Aces 25 years: Above All, Doing Things Right". Philstar.com. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  39. 1 2 Sabalo, Wenilyn; Lopez, Herty B. (August 19, 2010). "Alaska Aces eye All-Filipino title". SunStar Publishing Inc. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  40. "Alaska deals Powerade 4th straight loss | InterAKTV". Interaktv. November 19, 2011. Archived from the original on December 2, 2011. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  41. 1 2 Belen, Reynaldo (March 15, 2012). "While recovering from injury, Alaska's Dela Cruz moonlights as Cebuana assistant coach | InterAKTV". Interaktv. Archived from the original on May 8, 2013. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  42. Lagunzad, Chris (December 13, 2012). "Aces, E-Painters take 1-0 edge". Yahoo News. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  43. 1 2 "San Mig stands ground against Alaska in war of attrition to reach Final Four". Spin.ph. September 27, 2013. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  44. PAMINTUAN, CARLO (September 25, 2013). "PBA: Casio connects for 21 as Alaska forces do-or-die against San Mig Coffee". GMA News Online. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  45. "Sonny Thoss hoping history repeats itself as Alaska looks to mirror 2007 fightback against Talk 'N Text". Spin.ph. January 19, 2015. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  46. Giongco, Mark (January 21, 2015). "San Miguel wins elusive Philippine Cup title, escapes Alaska in Game 7". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  47. Sacamos, Karlo (June 9, 2015). "'Selfless' Alaska captain Tony dela Cruz earns praise from Compton after pitch-in job". Spin.ph. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  48. Cadayona, Russell (April 22, 2016). "Greatest comeback sa Beermen: Kampeon sa PBA Philippine Cup". Philstar.com. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  49. INQUIRER.net (April 22, 2016). "Alaska shuts down TNT, faces Meralco in semis". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  50. Verora Jr, Levi (April 23, 2016). "Dela Cruz ready for challenge against younger wing men". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  51. Gonzales, J. C. (May 18, 2016). "Rain or Shine wins second PBA championship". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  52. Gonzales, J. C. (December 3, 2016). "Fajardo, Beermen escape gritty undermanned Alaska". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  53. "LIST: All 83 Filipino players who reached 5,000-points milestone in PBA". news.abs-cbn.com. January 11, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  54. Songalia, Ryan (September 20, 2017). "Alaska's Dela Cruz has played his last PBA game, Hontiveros leans towards retirement too". RAPPLER. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  55. Sacamos, Karlo (September 20, 2017). "Ball is still life for Tony Dela Cruz as Alaska vet eyes coaching after ending 17-year PBA career". Spin.ph. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  56. 1 2 Dimasalang, Andrew (June 12, 2018). "Dela Cruz mag-iiwan ng marka sa Alaska". Philstar.com. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  57. "Anthony dela Cruz :: PBA-Online!". pba-online.net. Archived from the original on February 13, 2017. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  58. "Anthony DelaCruz College Stats". College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  59. "Cañaleta replaces injured Dela Cruz in RP basketball team". GMA News Online. May 23, 2007. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  60. Co, Chris (August 7, 2023). "Chot mahihirapang pumili ng Final 12". Philstar.com. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  61. Bacnis, Justine (August 8, 2020). "What was the best team coached by Chot Reyes? It's not the 2013 Gilas team". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  62. Marquez, CJ (November 7, 2017). "PBA: Alaska adds Altamirano, Ildefonso, Dela Cruz to coaching staff". cnn. Archived from the original on December 28, 2023. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  63. Saldajeno, Ivan (December 19, 2017). "New era ushers in for four teams in rare PBA twinbill in San Juan". Dugout Philippines. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  64. 1 2 Li, Matthew (September 29, 2021). "Tony Dela Cruz bids Alaska farewell as he returns to US". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  65. "3rd Annual SLAM Rising Stars Classic on ABS-CBN Sports and Action". March 9, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  66. Terrado, Reuben (March 18, 2017). "NCAA, UAAP juniors MVPs Troy Mallillin, Juan Gomez de Liano clash in Slam Rising Stars game". Spin.ph. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  67. "10 Young Ballers Off to Manila to Represent Visayas at the Jr. NBA Philippines 2018 National Training Camp". PSR.ph. February 13, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  68. "Paref's Robins in Jr. NBA PHL Camp". SunStar Publishing Inc. April 3, 2019. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  69. Quadra-Balibay, Angie (August 20, 2019). "Jr. NBA Asia-Pacific Boys team with 3 Pinoys make history, beats Team USA in Disney World". GoodNewsPilipinas.com. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  70. Saldajeno, Ivan Stewart (November 18, 2019). "TV5 to broadcast SEA Games basketball, esports events". pna.gov.ph. Retrieved December 28, 2019.
  71. 1 2 Bracher, Jane (March 15, 2016). "Alaska Aces vet Tony Dela Cruz admits he's battled stress, depression". RAPPLER. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  72. "JULIE PRIMERO-DE LA CRUZ VS ANTHONY DE LA CRUZ". UniCourt. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
  73. Villanueva, Ralph Edwin (August 2, 2023). "Filipinas to take a breather before training sights on Asian Games". Philstar.com. Retrieved December 28, 2023.