Nelson Asaytono

Professional career

Asaytono was selected second overall by Purefoods in the 1989 draft. He spent three seasons with the team, which included several of his former national teammates, and mostly came off the bench behind Alvin Patrimonio. He won two championships with Purefoods. In late 1991, Purefoods traded him to Swift for future first-round picks.

With Swift, he made the mythical five selection and finished third in MVP voting in 1993 after leading the statistical race. In 1994, with Vergel Meneses joining the team, Asaytono was named to the mythical second team, averaging 18.6 points and 7.2 rebounds. His team won two titles in 1995 but placed third in the Governors' Cup. In April 1996, he was traded to San Miguel for Renato Agustin.

At San Miguel, he became the franchise player under coach Ron Jacobs. In 1997, he led the league in scoring but again lost the MVP award to Patrimonio. His second stint with Pop Cola was forgettable, and he spent his final four seasons with Red Bull Barako until 2006.

Personal life

Asaytono has a daughter named Kim Arielle. After retiring, he played in exhibition games, including a 2012 match of PBA legends against older NBA All-Stars. He worked as a building contractor constructing basketball courts and gyms. In 2020, he suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized in General Trias, Cavite; former teammates, rivals, and the PBA helped cover his expenses.

Did You Know?

• Asaytono played college basketball at the University of Manila under coach Loreto Tolentino.
• He was part of the RP Youth team for the 9th ABC Youth Championships in Manila.
• He won three PABL championships with Magnolia Ice Cream under coach Derrick Pumaren.