Gec Chia
George Christian "Gec" T. Chia (born August 19, 1979) is a Filipino business executive and former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Ateneo Blue Eagles and is best known for making the buzzer-beating game-winning shot that sent Ateneo to the finals of UAAP Season 65.
.jpg) Chia in 2007 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 19, 1979 |
| Nationality | Filipino |
| Listed height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) |
| Listed weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | St. Joseph's (Zamboanga City) |
| College | Ateneo |
| PBA draft | 2003: 3rd round, 28th overall pick |
| Drafted by | Coca-Cola Tigers |
| Playing career | 2003–2011 |
| Position | Point guard / shooting guard |
| Career history | |
| 2003–2005 | Coca-Cola Tigers |
| 2005–2006 | Barangay Ginebra Kings |
| 2006–2008 | Air21 Express |
| 2008–2009 | Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters |
| 2009–2010 | Barako Bull Energy Boosters |
| Career highlights | |
| |
George Christian "Gec" T. Chia (born August 19, 1979) is a Filipino business executive and former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Ateneo Blue Eagles and is best known for making the buzzer-beating game-winning shot that sent Ateneo to the finals of UAAP Season 65.
Amateur career
[edit]Chia was a major in computer science in Ateneo de Manila University, where he was an intramurals legend.[1][2][3] He was noticed by then-coach Joe Lipa and was added to the Ateneo Blue Eagles' roster. He rode the bench for two years, substituting for players such as LA Tenorio and Wesley Gonzales. With the team failing to win the finals in the 2001 season, Ateneo fired Lipa and hired former Mapúa Cardinals coach Joel Banal.[4][1] In the preseason, Ateneo won the PBL Chairman's Cup.[5]
The Blue Eagles advanced to the playoffs in 2002 as the third seed after beating the rival De La Salle Green Archers in the end of the elimination round denying them of a 14–0 sweep. As the third seed, Ateneo had to beat #2 seed UE Red Warriors twice in the semifinals in order to advance to the finals. LA Tenorio, who had just returned from an injury, led the Eagles to a Game 1 triumph to set a winner-take-all game to face La Salle who had just eliminated the UST Growling Tigers.[1]
With 7.8 seconds left in Game 2, and the score tied at 70–all, UE player Paul Artadi turned over the ball. Tenorio raced towards the other end of the court but was well covered by the bigger James Yap. Tenorio passed the ball to Chia, who shook off Ronald Tubid, and made the shot over the outstretched hands of Olan Omiping. The shot brought Banal to his knees and he later described the shot as "a miracle."[1] With the win, Ateneo went to the finals against the Green Archers.[6]
In the finals, Chia scored 5 points in a Game 1 win and had 11 points in Ateneo's title-clinching Game 3 win.[7][8] That season, he was awarded as the league's Most Improved Player and graduated with an MA in computer science.[9][2]
Professional career
[edit]Chia was selected twenty-eighth overall in the 2003 PBA draft by the Coca-Cola Tigers.[10] In 2003, they won the Reinforced Conference.[11] He started one game when the PBA played a game in his hometown of Zamboanga.[12]
When Chia's contract expired, he was released by Coca-Cola.[13] He then returned to the PBL, joining the Harbour Centre Batang Pier and helping them win the PBL Unity Cup.[14][15] He was later signed by the Barangay Ginebra Kings as a free agent.[16]
Ginebra then traded Chia and Paolo Hubalde to the Air21 Express in a three-team trade.[17] He had 13 points in a win over the Welcoat Dragons.[18]
Chia was also part of the 2008-09 PBA Philippine Cup Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters champion team.
He then became a free agent, eventually being signed by the Barako Bull Energy Boosters early in the 2009–10 Philippine Cup. However, he only played six games with them, and was no longer with the team by the start of the following conference, the 2010 Fiesta Conference.[19][20]
Life after basketball
[edit]Chia is currently the managing director of Poliform, a company that produces high-end Italian modular home pieces in the Philippines. His wife is Poliform's marketing head.[21]
PBA career statistics
[edit]| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | 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 |
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Coca-Cola | 18 | 6.7 | .382 | .000 | 1.000 | 1.0 | .6 | .1 | 0.0 | 2.6 |
| 2004–05 | Coca-Cola | 21 | 6.7 | .316 | .125 | .800 | 1.5 | .7 | .3 | 0.0 | 2.0 |
| 2006–07 | Barangay Ginebra | 13 | 19.5 | .610 | .000 | .680 | 2.6 | 2.2 | .2 | 0.1 | 6.9 |
| 2007–08 | Air21 | 37 | 12.1 | .402 | .393 | .577 | 1.6 | .9 | .4 | 0.0 | 3.8 |
| Talk 'N Text | |||||||||||
| 2008–09 | Talk 'N Text | 1 | 1.0 | — | .000 | .000 | .0 | .0 | .0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 2009–10 | Barako Bull | 6 | 18.2 | .310 | .100 | .500 | 2.5 | 2.3 | .3 | 0.0 | 3.3 |
| Career | 96 | 11.2 | .413 | .302 | .661 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 3.5 | |
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Eroa, Dennis (September 23, 2002). "Dream showdown: It's Ateneo vs La Salle in UAAP finals". Inquirer News Service. INQ7.net. Archived from the original on December 2, 2002.
- ^ a b "When Blue Eagles dared". Philippine Daily Inquirer. October 13, 2002. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ Razon, Chino C. (October 9, 2013). "Developing Ateneans through the intramurals". The GUIDON. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ Ng, Jon (September 26, 2002). "'They're taller, but we're quicker'". Manila Standard. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ "Ateneo, kampeon sa PBL Chairman's Cup". Philstar.com. June 25, 2002. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ "THROWBACK: 16 Years ago, Gec Chia made 'The Shot'". ABS-CBN SPORTS. September 22, 2018. Archived from the original on September 23, 2018. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ Eroa, Dennis (September 27, 2002). "Avenging Eagles fly high, claw out Green Archers". Inquirer News Service. INQ7.net. Archived from the original on December 6, 2002.
- ^ Terrado, Reuben (December 1, 2016). "Let's look back at four previous meetings of Ateneo, La Salle in UAAP finals". Spin.ph. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ Eroa, Matias Dennis U. (July 1, 2018). "Mixing hoops and academics–the Ateneo way". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ Jurado, Jules (August 31, 2010). "The 2010 PBA Draft: Where the Eagles reign supreme". The GUIDON. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ Navarro, June (February 11, 2004). "Reavis all set to sign deal anew with Coke Tigers". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ "Surging Realtors Muzzle Tigers". Arab News. April 17, 2004. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ Henson, Joaquin M. (July 31, 2005). "New challenge for Binky". Philstar.com. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ Villar, Joey (March 12, 2006). "Chia, Gelig, Canlas join PBL teams". Philstar.com. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ Villar, Joey (June 19, 2006). "Harbour Centre destined to win". Philstar.com. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ "Dragons, Realtors bring in new reinforcements". The Manila Times. May 2, 2007. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ "Artadi now a Gin King after feud with P'foods coaches". Philippine Daily Inquirer. September 18, 2007. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ "Air21 Express make easy work of Welcoat Dragons, 105-86". GMA News Online. January 10, 2008. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ a b "Jec Chia Profile". www.pba-online.net. Archived from the original on July 6, 2010. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ Henson, Joaquin M. (March 21, 2010). "PBA by the numbers". Philstar.com. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
- ^ Jambora, Anne (April 2014). "Former college basketball star brings his game to the furniture business". www.inquirer.net. Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved July 9, 2015.