Kurt Bachmann Jr.: A celebration of #33

Four jerseys hang in the rafters of the Enrique Razon Sports Complex, each with their own story to tell.

Manilla Santos, the only volleyball player whose jersey hangs from the rafters, had a storied career as a Lady Spiker in the mid-2000s. DLSU Green Archer Ren-Ren Ritualo was part of the legendary four-peat squad that dominated the UAAP from 1998 to 2001. Lim Eng Beng, who never took a shot that he didn’t like, was one of La Salle’s purest scorers, setting records in the NCAA during the 1970s for both points in a game (55) and a season average (32 ppg). Last but not the least, there is Kurt Bachmann Jr., who unfortunately passed away last August 29, and was the one who started it all for La Salle.

Fondly known as the pioneer of the hookshot, Bachmann used his towering height and long arms to create a dominant shot that was both graceful and unguardable. To this day nobody has ever matched his hook shot in Philippine basketball, with stories such as the one mentioned in an article in interaksyon.com last August 30, which mentioned that the NBA’s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then known as Lew Alcindor) may have picked up his signature skyhook when the US played the Philippines in an exhibition game.

Born on July 18, 1936 to a German father and a Filipino mother, Bachmann eventually grew to a lanky six foot four inches. Despite being one of the tallest at his time, Bachmann actually started as a football player back when La Salle High School was still in Taft Avenue. It was not until he reached the age of 15 when he started to pick up a basketball. Bachmann learned and excelled quickly as he was named the team captain of the junior team of DLSC, the Greenies. He was also named MVP of the season and led the team to the championship.

In college, Bachmann led the then De La Salle College to the NCAA title in 1956 along with teammates such as Dominador Sevillano, Jose Zubiri, Jose Laganson, and Rafael Dinglasan Jr., who recently passed away last August 28, 2014. He was named Mr. Basketball and Athlete of the year during his stay with Green Archers from 1956-1959.

The talented center was called to don the national team colors from 1958 up to 1962. He would represent the country in tournaments like the 1959 FIBA World Championship, 1960 Summer Olympics and the 1962 Asian Games, the last time a Philippine team bagged an Asian Games gold medal.

Bachmann also dominated in the Manila Industrial Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA) where he played for the YCO Painters and Ysmael Steel. He was part of the Twin Towers of the Painters along with another Philippine legend, Carlos “The Big Difference” Loyzaga. The dynamic duo were a nightmare for opposing teams as they racked up the titles for their squads. After his stint with YCO, Bachmann would then wear the jersey of its rivals Ysmael Steel where he would continue to excel.

Bachmann’s accolades continued to pile up after his playing career as he was inducted to the National Basketball Hall of Fame in July 7, 2002 and is also a De La Salle Alumni Association(DLSAA) Sports Hall of Famer.

Kurt Bachmann Jr.’s basketball storied legacy may be overlooked and oftentimes forgotten especially by the younger generations, but his contributions to the Lasallian Community, Philippine Basketball and to his loving family has surely left a mark. With Gilas Pilipinas’ campaign in the 2014 FIBA World Cup already under way, the Lasallian community and the rest of the nation mourns not just the loss of a true, green-blooded Lasallian, but someone who put the Philippine basketball on the map.