French
DeutschMoala Tautuaa
.jpg) Tautuaa with TNT in 2016 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 3 – San Miguel Beermen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Center / power forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | PBA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | April 30, 1989 San Mateo, California | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Filipino / Tongan | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 245 lb (111 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| High school | Claremont (Claremont, California) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College | Chadron State (2008–2012) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NBA draft | 2012: undrafted | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| PBA draft | 2015: 1st round, 1st overall | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Selected by the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing career | 2012–present | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012–2014 | Westports Malaysia Dragons | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2018 | TNT Tropang Texters / Tropang TNT / TNT KaTropa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | NorthPort Batang Pier | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019–present | San Miguel Beermen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medals
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Moala Delvalle Tautuaa Jr.[1] (born April 30, 1989)[2] is an American born Filipino-Tongan professional basketball player for the San Miguel Beermen of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He was drafted first overall by the TNT Tropang Texters in the 2015 PBA draft.
High school and college career
[edit]Tautuaa attended high school at Claremont High School in Claremont, California.[3] In his senior year at Claremont High, he averaged 21 points and seven rebounds per game.[4]
He suited up for Chadron State College, an NCAA Division II school. He led the CSC Eagles in scoring with 12.9 points a game and rebounding with 5.6 per game in his senior year. His 63.5 percent field goal percentage led the team and ranked second in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. During his career at CSC, he shot 62.6 percent (426-681) from the field to break the old mark of 61.9 percent that Elijah Collins set during 2001-05. He finished with 1,160 points, tying him for 17th all-time at CSC.[5]
Professional career
[edit]ABL / PBA D-League
[edit]He applied for the 2012 NBA draft but went undrafted.[6] He then decided to resume his basketball career by playing as an import for the Westports Malaysia Dragons in the ASEAN Basketball League.[7] Initially discovered by former PBA player Pongky Alolor, he was introduced to KL Dragons' head coach Ariel Vanguardia during the latter's visit to San Francisco and was recruited to join the team. He became teammates and friends with PBA player Justin Melton. He averaged 15.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 0.6 block for the Dragons, who started off the 2014 season with a 2–1 win–loss record.
After his stint in the ABL, he processed his citizenship papers at the Bureau of Immigration of the Philippines to prove his Filipino lineage[8] and applied for the 2014 PBA D-League Draft, where he was drafted first overall by Cagayan Rising Suns. He helped the Suns reach the Finals against the powerhouse Hapee Fresh Fighters. He was then signed by the Cebuana Lhuillier Gems into a one-conference contract, where he spent the remainder of the season.[9] He was the 2015 PBA D-League Foundation Cup MVP while playing for Cebuana Lhuillier and took them to the semifinals.[10]
PBA
[edit]After spending a season in the D-League, he applied, along with 16 other Fil-Foreigners, for the 2015 PBA draft, according to the list released by the PBA on August 10, 2015.[11] He, along with former NU Bulldog Troy Rosario, was the consensus top pick leading to the draft day.[12]
On August 23, 2015, he was drafted 1st overall by the TNT Tropang Texters in the rookie draft.[13] On August 27, 2015, both he and newly acquired #2 pick Troy Rosario signed maximum three-year rookie contracts with Talk 'N Text worth ₱ 8.5 million.[14]
PBA career statistics
[edit]| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
As of the end of 2023–24 season[15]
Season-by-season averages
[edit]| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015–16 | TNT | 41 | 17.6 | .541 | .289 | .600 | 4.1 | 1.2 | .4 | .2 | 8.9 |
| 2016–17 | TNT | 59 | 17.3 | .519 | .152 | .563 | 4.7 | .8 | .3 | .2 | 7.9 |
| 2017–18 | TNT | 34 | 25.5 | .500 | .290 | .649 | 8.1 | 1.9 | .5 | .4 | 9.8 |
| GlobalPort / NorthPort | |||||||||||
| 2019 | NorthPort | 38 | 31.2 | .499 | .321 | .670 | 7.5 | 2.9 | .7 | .2 | 14.0 |
| San Miguel | |||||||||||
| 2020 | San Miguel | 13 | 35.2 | .602 | .333 | .600 | 8.1 | 2.5 | .9 | .5 | 18.6 |
| 2021 | San Miguel | 32 | 19.1 | .507 | .293 | .686 | 4.6 | .8 | .3 | .4 | 9.0 |
| 2022–23 | San Miguel | 50 | 20.0 | .559 | .378 | .542 | 4.9 | 1.5 | .4 | .2 | 8.9 |
| 2023–24 | San Miguel | 43 | 18.2 | .500 | .372 | .597 | 4.2 | 1.0 | .4 | .5 | 6.4 |
| Career | 310 | 21.4 | .524 | .307 | .607 | 5.4 | 1.5 | .4 | .3 | 9.5 | |
International career
[edit]In 2015, Tautuaa joined the Gilas Pilipinas 3.0 training pool as a practice player and went with the entire team to Estonia to participate in a pocket tournament. He also saw action in the 2015 William Jones Cup where Gilas won the silver medal.
He would only be eligible to play for any FIBA sanctioned tournament as an alternate naturalized player since he was not able to secure his Philippine passport before he turned 16 years old.[16]
Player profile
[edit]Tautuaa is a versatile big man. He is considered a stretch "five" with ball-handling skills, range, passing abilities and someone who can rack up points, rebounds, assists, blocks, etc., not to mention his penchant for dunks, putbacks, chasing down loose balls and his uncanny basketball IQ.[17]
Personal life
[edit]Tautuaa's father is Moala Sr. from the Pacific Island nation of Tonga, while his mother is Romanita (née Del Valle), a Filipina, who hails from Taguig.[18][19] He earned a degree in Criminal Justice, and can also speak Tagalog.[20] He is often teased with the nickname "Pebbles".[21]
References
[edit]- ^ "Moala Delvalle Tautuaa was born on April 30, 1989 in San Mateo County, California". californiabirthindex.org. California Birth Index. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
- ^ Player Profile at ESPN
- ^ Terrado, Reuben (December 8, 2014). "PBA team lucky enough to draft Moala Tautuaa will owe debt of gratitude to this lady. Find out who she is". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
- ^ Fidel Mangonon III (September 7, 2012). "Vanguardia's 'Twin towers' plan ruined after Asi joins Beermen". Spin.ph. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
- ^ "Moala Tautuaa continuing his basketball career". ChadronEagles.com. October 25, 2012. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
- ^ "2 NBA Unrestricted Free Agents sa PBA D-League draft pool". The Philippine Star. September 11, 2014. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
- ^ "Moala Tautuaa continuing his basketball career". ChadronEagles.com. October 25, 2012. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
- ^ Dy, Richard (August 5, 2014). "Fil-Tongan Moala Tautuaa begins working on citizenship papers in bid to play in PBA". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ^ "Facts and figures about the 2015 PBA Rookie Draft applicants". Sports5. August 10, 2015. Archived from the original on August 17, 2015. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
- ^ Escarlote, Mark (October 23, 2015). "Bad start, a learning experience for rookies Tautuaa, Rosario". ABS-CBN Sports. Retrieved October 24, 2015.
- ^ "Full list of 2015 PBA Rookie Draft Applicants". Philippine Daily Inquirer. August 10, 2015. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
- ^ Leongson, Randolph B. (August 17, 2015). "Top draft prospects Tautuaa, Rosario to miss 2015 Draft Combine, PBA Draft". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ^ "Moala Tautuaa goes first overall in 2015 PBA Draft". Rappler. August 23, 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
- ^ Ramos, Gerry (August 27, 2015). "Moala Tautuaa, Troy Rosario get maximum, three-year rookie deal with Talk 'N Text". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
- ^ "Moala Tautuaa Player Profile, San Miguel Beermen - RealGM". basketball.realgm.com.
- ^ Joble, Rey (August 16, 2015). "Moala Tautuaa to join Gilas Pilipinas in Estonia; Injured Ranidel De Ocampo could miss trip". InterAksyon.com. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
- ^ Zarate, Noel (February 16, 2015). "A case for Moala Tautuaa as the top 2015 PBA draft pick". Yahoo! Sports Singapore. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
- ^ Reuben Terrado (November 20, 2014). "Fil-Tongan Moala Tautuaa scores 26 in debut - and he's still adjusting to D-League physicality". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
- ^ Ramos, Gerry (June 24, 2015). "Top rookie prospect Moala Tautuaa ready to play for PBA 'team that wants me the most'". Spin.ph. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
- ^ "Filipino Ballers in the US...News and Updates". InterBasket.com. Retrieved August 23, 2015.
- ^ "VIDEO: What Mo Tautuaa thinks of his Gilas nickname 'Pebbles'". InterAksyon.com. 11 September 2015. Archived from the original on 2 February 2017.