PBA’s San Miguel Beermen (SMB) cemented the legacy of long-time frontman Arwind Santos, sending his No. 29 to the rafters for his contributions to the association’s winningest franchise. He joins the likes of Allan Caidic, Hector Calma, Yves Dignadice, Olsen Racela, the late Samboy Lim, and four-time MVP Ramon Fernandez, as the seventh retired jersey by San Miguel.
During his 12-year tenure with SMB, he would lead the Beermen to nine of their 29 league titles—playing 563 games and recording 7,531 points for the red-white-and-black. He claimed his first ring as a member of the 2011 PBA Governor’s Cup Champions, Petron Blaze Boosters, as he would continue finding success with the assistance of Alex Cabagnot, June Mar Fajardo, Chris Ross, and Marcio Lassiter, uniting the coveted “Death Five” era.
Apart from his accolades as a member of a championship-winning program, “The Spider-Man” received two Finals and two Best Player of the Conference awards, along with the 2013 league MVP. He would be selected as a member of the Mythical First Team seven times, along with nine All-Star appearances and the PBA’s Defensive Player of the Year during the 2010-11 season.
At 42 and with a nearly two-decade playing career under his belt, Santos dabbled in the possibility of a PBA comeback, not ruling out a return to join the country’s highest level of basketball.
