Beau Belga Explained

Beau Belga
Number:28
Position:Center / power forward
League:PBA
Team:Rain or Shine Elasto Painters
Nationality:Filipino
Birth Date:30 November 1986
Birth Place:Gubat, Sorsogon, Philippines
Height Ft:6
Height In:5
Weight Lbs:280
College:PCU
Draft Year Pba:2008
Draft Round Pba:1
Draft Pick Pba:7
Draft Team Pba:Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants
Career Start:2008
Coach Start:2020
Years1:2008–2009
Team1:Purefoods Tender Juicy Giants
Years2:2009–2010
Team2:Burger King Whoppers / Air21 Express
Years3:2010–2011
Team3:Meralco Bolts
Years4:2011–present
Team4:Rain or Shine Elasto Painters
Cyears1:2020–present
Cteam1:UST Growling Tigers (assistant)
Highlights:

Beau Michael Vincent Esparrago Belga (born November 30, 1986) is a Filipino professional basketball player[1] for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters of the Philippine Basketball Association. He is also an assistant coach for the UST Growling Tigers of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP).[2]

Early life

Belga was born and raised in Gubat, Sorsogon and is the eldest among the three siblings. His father was a family driver while his mother was a housewife. At a young age, he helped his grandmother sell balut, penoy, and other goods. He finished his high school education in Sorsogon. As a kid, he was very thin and was often bullied; as a way of escape, he focused his attention on basketball.

College career

He decided to go to Manila and study at Philippine Christian University. He was recruited to play for the PCU Dolphins by the school's swimming coach while he was playing billiards with his friends. While at PCU, he, along with future PBA stars Gabby Espinas and Jayson Castro, helped the team win its first ever NCAA title against host school University of Perpetual Help Altas in 2004.

Professional career

He was the seventh overall draft pick by Purefoods in 2008 before being traded to Burger King. He found his niche as a basketball player while playing for coach Yeng Guiao's Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, where he was known as one of the league's toughest players. While with Rain or Shine, he also became teammates with J.R. Quiñahan, and together they formed a duo in the low block, called the Extra Rice, Inc., owing to their weight and huge appetite.

On December 14, 2023, Belga signed a one-year contract extension with the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.[3]

On April 3, 2024, Belga made history to become the first Elasto Painters local player to record a triple-double of his career, as the Elasto Painters throw it back to their Welcoat Dragons jerseys days.[4]

PBA career statistics

As of the end of 2023–24 season[5] [6]

Season-by-season averages

|-| align=left rowspan=2| | align=left | Purefoods| rowspan=2|40 || rowspan=2|15.9 || rowspan=2|.537 || rowspan=2|.258 || rowspan=2|.535 || rowspan=2|4.0 || rowspan=2|.8 || rowspan=2|.5 || rowspan=2|.1 || rowspan=2|5.9|-| align=left | Burger King|-| align=left | | align=left | Burger King / Air21| 38 || 22.8 || .426 || .231 || .702 || 6.3 || 1.2 || .6 || .6 || 7.9|-| align=left rowspan=2| | align=left | Meralco| rowspan=2|41 || rowspan=2|20.1 || rowspan=2|.460 || rowspan=2|.290 || rowspan=2|.680 || rowspan=2|5.1 || rowspan=2|1.3 || rowspan=2|.3 || rowspan=2|.3 ||rowspan=2| 6.7|-| align=left | Rain or Shine|-| align=left | | align=left | Rain or Shine| 53 || 22.0 || .423 || .247 || .648 || 5.1 || 1.3 || .5 || .5 || 6.8|-| align=left | | align=left | Rain or Shine| 57 || 22.3 || .361 || .247 || .619 || 5.9 || 1.7 || .6 || .3 || 6.8|-| align=left | | align=left | Rain or Shine| 59 || 22.4 || .439 || .295 || .627 || 5.1 || 1.6 || .6 || .5 || 8.6|-| align=left | | align=left | Rain or Shine| 53 || 19.9 || .378 || .231 || .597 || 4.5 || 2.3 || .6 || .4 || 6.9|-| align=left | | align=left | Rain or Shine| 54 || 20.4 || .445 || .289 || .664 || 5.2 || 1.8 || .5 || .4 || 8.1|-| align=left | | align=left | Rain or Shine| 38 || 21.9 || .404 || .333 || .657 || 5.8 || 2.0 || .4 || .3 || 8.5|-| align=left | | align=left | Rain or Shine| 37 || 22.1 || .390 || .321 || .695 || 5.4 || 2.5 || .5 || .3 || 8.7|-| align=left | | align=left | Rain or Shine| 48 || 24.8 || .396 || .249 || .627 || 5.3 || 3.0 || .6 || .4 || 8.2|-| align=left | | align=left | Rain or Shine| 12 || 26.1 || .432 || .319 || .737 || 5.8 || 2.0 || .6 || .7 || 10.9|-| align=left | | align=left | Rain or Shine| 23 || 24.6 || .385 || .280 || .611 || 5.7 || 3.2 || .6 || .3 || 9.9|-| align=left | | align=left | Rain or Shine| 33 || 22.0 || .401 || .272 || .714 || 5.1 || 3.1 || .4 || .2 || 8.0|-| align=left | | align=left | Rain or Shine| 29 || 26.2 || .495 || .379 || .584 || 5.9 || 3.9 || .9 || .4 || 12.9|-class=sortbottom| align=center colspan=2 | Career| 615 || 21.9 || .420 || .283 || .639 || 5.3 || 2.0 || .6 || .4 || 8.0

National team career

In 2013, Belga was added to the Gilas Pilipinas training pool that competed in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship, and was considered the "13th man", since he was the last man cut from the 12-man national team roster.[7] In 2014, he was included in the Gilas roster that played for the 2014 FIBA Asia Cup in Wuhan, China, 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain, and 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.[8] In 2018, he will represent the Rain or Shine-backed Gilas Pilipinas in the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.

References

  1. News: Painters find import-less Aces easy pickings . . April 1, 2011 . April 6, 2011 .
  2. Web site: Beau Belga joins Aldin Ayo staff at UST Tigers as big man's coach.
  3. Web site: Terrado. Reuben. Beau Belga signs one-year extension with Rain or Shine. December 14, 2023. December 14, 2023. Spin.ph.
  4. News: Dioquino . Delfin . Belga makes history for Rain or Shine with triple-double in throwback game. April 5, 2024 . Rappler. April 3, 2024.
  5. https://web.archive.org/web/20161027142602/http://www.pba-online.net/profile/Beau-Belga/174/
  6. Web site: Beau Belga Player Profile, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters – RealGM . basketball.realgm.com.
  7. Web site: Solarsportsdesk.ph.
  8. Web site: Belga says inclusion in Gilas Pilipinas pool a perfect chance to prove his worth | SPIN.PH . 2014-07-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140706041256/http://www.spin.ph/sports/basketball/news/belga-says-inclusion-in-gilas-pilipinas-pool-a-perfect-chance-to-prove-his-worth- . 2014-07-06 . dead .