2002 FedEx Express season

The 2002 FedEx Express season was the first season of the franchise in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

2002 FedEx Express season
Head coach	Derrick Pumaren
General Manager	Lito Alvarez
Owner(s)	Bert Lina FedEx Philippines
Governors' Cup results
Record	6–6 (50%)
Place	5th seed
Playoff finish	QF (lost to Alaska)
Commissioner's Cup results
Record	7–5 (58.3%)
Place	6th seed
Playoff finish	QF (lost to Alaska)
All-Filipino Cup results
Record	1–8 (11.1%)
Place	N/A
Playoff finish	N/A
FedEx Express seasons

Draft picks

Main article: 2002 PBA draft

Round	Pick	Player	Nationality	College
1	1	Yancy De Ocampo	Philippines	Saint Francis
1	8	Renren Ritaulo	Philippines	La Salle Manila
4	27	John Victorio	Philippines	UNLV
5	24	Jerome Barbosa	Philippines	San Sebastian Recoletos
5	37	Edrick Ferrer	Philippines	UP Diliman
6	39	Francis Aquino	Philippines
7	4	Paolo Malonzo	Philippines	New Era

New team

FEDEX-Airfreight 2100 buy out the Tanduay Rhum franchise before the 2002 PBA season started. Team Owner Bert Lina, emphasizing that his company is the biggest courier company in the world, aims to make a big splash in its initial season. The newest ballclub absorbed four players from the defunct Tanduay and went for the biggest catch by choosing 6–8 Yancy De Ocampo from the multi-titled PBL ballclub Welcoat House Paints as the number one overall pick in the 2002 PBA draft. FedEx also took in De Ocampo's Welcoat teammate Renren Ritualo at eight overall. Coach Derrick Pumaren, who was the last coach of Tanduay Rhum Masters, will handle the coaching job for FedEx.

Occurrences

Former Tanduay forward Bong Hawkins was among those absorbed by FedEx during the off-season, but a controversy sparked when Hawkins wanted to have the same terms of the salary he had with Tanduay while the FedEx management wanted to negotiate a new contract. Hawkins was later shipped to his former team Alaska. The management pay him about Php 4.2 Million, even Hawkins was not playing for the FedEx in 2003.

Roster

2002 FedEx Express roster

Players

Coaches

Pos. # POB Name Height Weight DOB (YYYY–MM–DD) From G 3 Billones, Egay 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Centro Escolar Las Piñas C 5 Babilonia, Gido 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) UST F 8 Meneses, Vergel (A) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) José Rizal G 10 Pumaren, Dindo 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) De La Salle G 14 Ritualo, Renren 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) De La Salle F/C 18 De Ocampo, Yancy 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) Saint Francis of Assisi G 19 Arboleda, Wynne 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) MLQU F 21 Friedhof, David 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) F 23 Alvarez, Paul (M) 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) San Sebastian G 26 Simon, Biboy 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Manila F 31 Bernardo, Ryan 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) UST F 20 Capobres, Danny 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Lyceum C 41 Realubit, Zaldy 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) USJ–R F/C 44 Codinera, Jerry 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) UE F/C Moore, Tim (G) 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) Houston F 12 Rhodes, Rodrick (G) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) USC F 2 Walker, Jermaine (G/C) 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) Miami (FL) G 21 Robinson, Jeremy (C) 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) F/C 40 Pierre-Louis, Frantz (C) 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) Wagner

Head coach Derrick Pumaren Assistant coach(es) Gee Abanilla Agustin Tiongco Legend (DP) Unsigned draft pick (FA) Free agent (S) Suspended (G) Governor's Cup import (C) Commissioner's Cup import (A) Acquired (M) Moved to TNT Injured

Eliminations (Won games)

Date	Opponent	Score	Venue (Location)
February 23	Shell	70–64	Cuneta Astrodome
March 1	Sta.Lucia	93–83	Caruncho Gym (Pasig)
March 10	Alaska	83–69	Ynares Center
March 23	Brgy.Ginebra	79–78	Ynares Center
April 5	Purefoods	89–75	Ynares Center
April 11	RP-Hapee	75–71	Makati Coliseum
June 29	Shell	93–84	Cuneta Astrodome
July 13	RP-Selecta	94–87	Cuneta Astrodome
July 25	Purefoods	85–76	Caruncho Gym (Pasig)
August 2	Sta.Lucia	92–90	Philsports Arena
August 6	Red Bull	92–90	Philsports Arena
August 10	Brgy.Ginebra	107–91	Philsports Arena
November 23	Sta.Lucia	90–83	Cuneta Astrodome

  Governor's Cup
  Commissioner's Cup
  All-Filipino Cup

Transactions

Trades

July 2002

To FedEx Express Vergel Meneses

To Barangay Ginebra Kings Future draft picks

Additions

Player	Signed	Former team
Paul Alvarez	Off-season	MBA
Gido Babilonia		Talk 'N Text Phone Pals
Ryan Bernardo		Free agent (Drafted by Mobiline/TNT in 2001)
Egay Billones		Free agent (Drafted by Ginebra in 2000)
Danny Capobres		(Pick by Talk 'N Text in the rookie draft)
Jerry Codiñera		Talk 'N Text Phone Pals
Biboy Simon		MBA

Subtractions

Player	Signed	New team
Paul Alvarez	Mid-season	Talk 'N Text Phone Pals