Gilas legend Ranidel de Ocampo retires after 15 seasons

Ranidel De Ocampo has decided to hang up his basketball sneakers for good after 15 seasons. 

The 38-year-old forward announced his retirement on Monday via the 2OT podcast hosted by Carlo Pamintuan and Magoo Marjon, where he and fellow PBA veteran Marc Pingris served as guests.

“Paalam na sa basketball,” De Ocampo said. “Talagang naging buhay ko na ang basketball simula nung fourteen years old old ako. Papasalamat ako kay Lord na binigyan niya ako ng career.

“Siguro time na para matapos ‘yung pagiging player. Siguro ibang landas naman ‘yung tatahakin natin,” added the Tanza, Cavite-native.

“Nagpapasalamat ako sa lahat. God bless.”

Back issues hounded De Ocampo last year. He sustained a torn calf muscle before that, which kept him out of the 2018 Philippine Cup, and then suffered a mild Achilles tear the following conference.

Still, De Ocampo will be leaving the game with a resumé that will inspire the younger generation.

The fourth pick of the 2004 PBA Draft, the St. Francis of Assisi College product first showed his wares with Air21 Express. He was then traded to Talk N Text in the middle of the 2008-09 Philippine Cup.

De Ocampo immediately delivered, helping the Tropang Texters win the title of that conference. He soon became a key contributor in the franchise’s reign of dominance from 2009-13.

The 6-foot-6 forward won a total of six championships, including two Finals Most Valuable Player awards.

De Ocampo also has a 2014 Governors’ Cup Best Player of the Conference hardware in his rich collection. Moreover, the nine-time All-Star made it to the Mythical First Team thrice.

Per the league’s chief statistician Fidel Mangonon III, De Ocampo — who will be retiring as a Meralco Bolt — has PBA career totals of 7,746 points, 3,844 rebounds, and 1,273 assists.

De Ocampo also played for flag and country numerous times. He was part of the Gilas Pilipinas squad that finished with a silver medal in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship in Manila.

It was a historic accomplishment, enabling the Philippines to return to the FIBA World Cup after 40 years. De Ocampo went on to play in the prestigious tilt in Spain in 2014.

De Ocampo won two FIBA Asia silver medals. He also won a Southeast Asian Games gold medal in 2003, as he was part of the amateur-laden squad coached by the late Aric Del Rosario.