TNT to retire Ranidel de Ocampo’s No. 33 jersey

Ranidel De Ocampo shoots over Cliff Hodge, now his teammate with the Meralco Bolts. | PBA Images

MANILA, Philippines — Legend status.

There will no longer be another TNT player to wear number 33, as the Tropang 5G are set to retire Ranidel de Ocampo’s jersey number on Friday.

De Ocampo’s jersey number will be retired at halftime of the PBA Philippine Cup Game 3 semifinal clash between TNT and the Meralco Bolts on Friday.

The forward won six PBA championships in his time with the then-Tropang Texters. He was also named the Finals Most Valuable Player twice and a Best Player of the Conference once.

De Ocampo, now the assistant coach of TNT, was one of the most iconic players during his playing career in the PBA, combining his height with a silky-smooth touch from the perimeter.

“Ngayon nararamdaman ko proud kasi nabigyan ng pansin yung… kumbaga, parang magiging legend ako. So, masarap din yung pag natatawag ng legend. So, PBA legend,” de Ocampo told reporters after the Tropang 5G’s 109-92 win in Game 2.

“At the same time, parang nagbunga yung pinaghirapan ko,” he added.

He also thanked team manager Jojo Lastimosa for planning the jersey retirement, as well as the team management, family and fans.

After playing for the FedEx/Air21 Express squad early on in his career, De Ocampo was traded to TNT, where he won all his championships as one of the main guys of the squad alongside Jimmy Alapag and Jayson Castro.

He finished off his playing career with the Meralco Bolts until he announced his retirement in April 2020.

He also played for a number of Gilas Pilipinas teams in the past.

The Tropang 5G are currently holding a 2-0 lead over the Bolts in their semis series.

Game 3 will is on Friday, 5:15 p.m., at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.