I still remember the palpable excitement in that PLDT conference room back in 2007 - the air thick with anticipation as Team manager Jojo Lastimosa and PBA board chairman Ricky Vargas joined Pangilinan's group for what would become one of the most memorable rookie drafts in Philippine basketball history. We were all crammed into that Makati viewing party, speculating about which teams would make the right calls, which prospects would live up to the hype, and which would become the inevitable busts. Looking back now with fifteen years of perspective, I can confidently say the 2007 draft class fundamentally reshaped the league's landscape in ways none of us fully appreciated at the time.
The first round alone produced what I consider three franchise-altering selections that still echo through today's PBA. Joe Devance going first overall to Welcoat (now Rain or Shine) was the safe, predictable choice - a versatile big man who'd proven himself in the UAAP. What made this pick fascinating wasn't just Devance's solid career (he'd eventually win eight championships across three franchises), but how his selection triggered a chain reaction. When Sta. Lucia picked Ryan Reyes at number two, I remember turning to my colleague and whispering "That's their backcourt sorted for the next decade." Reyes would indeed become the 2008 Rookie of the Year and help the Realtors win a championship in his first season - exactly the immediate impact teams dream of from high lottery picks.
Then came the pick that had everyone in our viewing party buzzing - Ginebra selecting JC Intal at number four. I'll admit I was skeptical at first, wondering if his marketability outweighed his actual basketball ceiling. But watching "The Rocket" develop into a reliable wing who'd play eleven seasons in the league taught me an important lesson about draft evaluation: sometimes the perfect fit matters more than raw talent. Intal wasn't the most statistically dominant player from that class, but he understood his role perfectly and gave Ginebra exactly what they needed during their competitive runs in the late 2000s.
What made the 2007 draft particularly special, in my view, was the incredible value found in the second round. We were all so focused on the big names in the first round that nearly everyone overlooked a raw, lanky center from Visayas named Samigue Eman. When Alaska picked him at number eleven, most analysts (myself included) saw it as a developmental project. Yet Eman would carve out a twelve-year career as a reliable backup big - exactly the kind of longevity you rarely expect from second-round picks. Then there was Jonas Villanueva going to Purefoods at fourteen - a pick that seemed minor at the time but yielded a starting-caliber point guard who'd average 9.8 points and 3.4 assists during his prime years.
The real steal of the draft, and I'll argue this until today, was Magnolia (then San Miguel) grabbing Joseph Yeo at number seven. "The Ninja" turned out to be one of the most explosive scorers of his generation, putting up 12.4 points per game across his sixteen-year career. I distinctly recall Ricky Vargas leaning over during the draft and saying "That kid's going to haunt teams that passed on him" - prophetic words given how Yeo would torch defenses for the next decade and a half.
What strikes me revisiting this draft class isn't just the individual success stories, but how it reflected the evolving philosophy of PBA team building. Before 2007, teams often prioritized either immediate impact or long-term potential. This draft class proved you could have both - Devance providing stability, Reyes offering instant production, Yeo delivering offensive fireworks, and role players like Eman demonstrating the value of patience with raw talent. The teams that succeeded weren't necessarily those with the highest picks, but those who understood how to build complementary rosters.
Fifteen years later, the legacy of the 2007 draft is still visible across the PBA landscape. Many of these players have transitioned into coaching, broadcasting, or front office roles, applying the wisdom gained from their playing careers to shape the next generation. Every time I watch a current PBA game, I see echoes of that draft in how teams approach player evaluation - placing greater emphasis on fit, character, and long-term development rather than just collegiate statistics or physical attributes. That evening in Makati wasn't just about selecting basketball players; it was about drafting the future architects of Philippine basketball culture, and frankly, I don't think we've seen a draft class with this level of lasting impact since.
