Asi Taulava formally retires with jersey ceremony on Dec 13

Asi Taulava. –INQUIRER FILE

Asi Taulava is set to formally retire after a record-equalling 23 PBA seasons when NLEX faces one of his former teams in TNT on Dec. 13 at Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

The Road Warriors made the announcement Friday, saying that a ceremony during the halftime of the said Commissioner’s Cup game where Taulava’s No. 88 jersey will be retired by the team.

A statement released on the team’s official website did not say if the Tropang Giga will do the same in Taulava’s honor.

Talks of Taulava hanging it up have been speculated in recent years, especially since his on-court appearances have been very rare, to say the least.

The 50-year-old had played just four games in the last three seasons, and was last seen donning the NLEX uniform in a Nov. 2022 faceoff with NorthPort.

That game allowed Taulava to tie the great Robert Jaworski for the most number of seasons played. The iconic baller played from 1975 to 1997 with Toyota and Ginebra, but opted not to play even a single second during the 1998 campaign.

Ironically, Taulava will say goodbye on the same court where he made his PBA debut back in 1999 as a direct hire Filipino-foreigner of TNT’s previous name Mobiline.

He would also play for Coca-Cola, Meralco and Air21 before the latter was bought by NLEX before the 2014-15 season.

Taulava was also the PBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2003 while with TNT.