2005 PBA draft
The 2005 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) rookie draft was an event at which teams drafted players from the amateur ranks. It was the first PBA Draft to feature only two rounds of drafting and the first draft held in August due to the league's adjustment of the season calendar. It was held on August 14, 2005 at the Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall in Cainta, Rizal. Air21 Express won the draft lottery over the Sta. Lucia Realtors.
| 2005 PBA draft | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Date | August 14, 2005 |
| Time | 4:00 pm |
| Location | Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall, Cainta, Rizal |
| Network | ABC |
| Overview | |
| League | Philippine Basketball Association |
| First selection | Jay Washington (Air21 Express) |
The 2005 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) rookie draft was an event at which teams drafted players from the amateur ranks. It was the first PBA Draft to feature only two rounds of drafting and the first draft held in August due to the league's adjustment of the season calendar.[1] It was held on August 14, 2005 at the Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall in Cainta, Rizal.[2] Air21 Express won the draft lottery over the Sta. Lucia Realtors.[3]
Round 1
[edit]| * | Mythical team member | # | All-star |
Round 2
[edit]| Pick | Player | Country of origin* | PBA team | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | Cesar Catli |  Philippines
|
Sta. Lucia Realtors | FEU |
| 11 | Neil Rañeses | Philippines
|
Coca-Cola Tigers | UV |
| 12 | Al Magpayo | Philippines
|
Coca-Cola Tigers | St. Benilde |
| 13 | BJ Manalo | Philippines
|
Purefoods Chunkee Giants | De La Salle |
| 14 | Larry Fonacier# | Philippines
|
Red Bull Barako | Ateneo |
| 15 | Mark Joseph Kong | Philippines
|
Alaska Aces | Adamson |
| 16 | Rey Mendoza | Philippines
|
Sta. Lucia Realtors | NU |
| 17 | Paolo Bugia | Philippines
|
Red Bull Barako | Ateneo |
| 18 | Mark Macapagal# | Philippines
|
Talk 'N Text Phone Pals | San Sebastian |
| 19 | Sebi Gale | Philippines
|
Talk 'N Text Phone Pals | KLC KUMON |
Eligibility
[edit]The PBA reached out to the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) to allow its student-athletes to join the draft, but the UAAP denied the PBA's request.[4] By the end of the application period, 55 players declared for the draft. This was later reduced to 49 applicants.[5]
The following were the eligibility requirements for local players:[6]
- All applicants must be 23 years old on the day of the draft;
- Must have graduated from college or high school in 2001.
Eligibility requirements for Filipino-foreigner entrants (Filipino-foreigners) were similar to the locals', but beginning this year, stricter guidelines were implemented:[7]
- All Filipino-foreigner entrants must undergo an interview;
- Play at least 25 games in a local league;
- All Filipino-foreigner entrants must submit citizenship documents proving their Filipino lineage, including a Bureau of Immigration certificate of recognition, Department of Justice affirmation, and either an authentic birth certificate either from the National Statistics Office (if born in the Philippines), or an equivalent document if born outside the country. The deadline for submitting these was originally on May 1, but extended to May 31.[7][8]
The eligibility of these players were allowed to be contested should the documents be found illegitimate.[7]
Notable undrafted players
[edit]Draftee's name followed by college. With 35 undrafted players, they all became free agents.[1]
Note
[edit]*All players are Filipinos until proven otherwise.
References
[edit]- ^ a b Henson, Joaquin M. (August 5, 2005). "PBA draft rationalized to 2 rounds". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- ^ "Air21 picks Washington". The Manila Times.
- ^ Navarro, June (July 4, 2005). "Beermen secure 2-0 lead". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
- ^ "UAAP not relaxing rules for PBA draft". Philstar.com. July 1, 2005. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- ^ Henson, Joaquin M. (August 14, 2005). "It's Washington at No. 1 for sure". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- ^ "45 na ang aplikante sa PBA Draft". Philstar.com. July 15, 2005. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- ^ a b c Navarro, June (January 18, 2005). "Stricter rules for Fil-foreign PBA hopefuls". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
- ^ Navarro, June (May 26, 2005). "Ginebra halts 4-game FedEx winning skein". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved April 21, 2026.
Meanwhile, players classified as half-Filipinos and seeking to join the 2005 Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Draft have until May 31 to submit their respective applications.
- ^ Henson, Joaquin M. (March 26, 2010). "Perseverance pays off for PBA rookie". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2026-04-21.
- ^ Henson, Joaquin M. (June 28, 2012). "Hat-trick for Baguion?". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2026-04-21.