Jojo Lastimosa

Who is Jojo Lastimosa?

Isabelo Lastimosa, Jr., better known as Jojo Lastimosa and by his nickname "Jolas", is a former Filipino professional basketball player from Cagayan de Oro City who played in the Philippine Basketball Association for the Purefoods TJ Hotdogs, the Alaska Aces and the Pop Cola Panthers from 1988-2003. He was also a former member of the Philippines' national basketball team during the 1980s and 1990s. He also played for the University of San Jose - Recoletos in Cebu City. He had a stint also in Ateneo de Manila.

Perhaps no one typified the cold, clinical efficiency of the Alaska machine more than Jojo Lastimosa, who remains, to this day, the quintessential Alaska player. While Johnny Abarrientos belonged to all PBA fans, Jolas was Alaska’s, and Alaska’s alone. Originally nicknamed "The Helicopter" for his high-flying, slam dunking ways, Lastimosa transformed his game into a ground-based attack, relying less on athleticism and more on smarts, footwork, and angles, while developing the best medium-range perimeter game since Bogs Adornado. Jolas is the PBA's Jordan, alike in their winning ways and the way they became great scorers and shooters, instead of acrobatic players, in the latter stages of their careers. Lastimosa’s transformation mirrored Alaska’s evolution in the ‘90s from the Alaska Air Force into Tex Winter’s Southeast Asian wet dream.