Joseph Henry Lim Yeo (born September 7, 1983) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the Manila Stars of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL). He was drafted third overall by the Coca-Cola Tigers in 2006.[1]

Joseph Yeo
Yeo with the GlobalPort Batang Pier in 2015
No. 18 – Manila Stars
PositionShooting guard
LeagueMPBL
Personal information
Born (1983-09-07) September 7, 1983 (age 41)
Manila, Philippines
NationalityFilipino
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight175 lb (79 kg)
Career information
High schoolXavier School (San Juan)
CollegeDe La Salle
PBA draft2006: 1st round, 3rd overall pick
Selected by the Coca-Cola Tigers
Playing career2006–present
Career history
2006–2007Coca-Cola Tigers
2007–2010Sta. Lucia Realtors
2010–2013San Miguel Beermen / Petron Blaze Boosters
2013–2014Air21 Express
2014–2015Barangay Ginebra San Miguel
2015Barako Bull Energy
2015–2016GlobalPort Batang Pier
2016–2017Meralco Bolts
2018; 2022–presentManila Stars
Career highlights and awards

Amateur career

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Yeo took his primary and secondary education at Xavier School and his collegiate education at De La Salle University. He was a part of the Green Archers team that completed its quest for four-peat by defeating Ateneo in the 2001 UAAP finals.[2] From a UAAP rookie year in 2001 where he averaged of 3.4 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 9.5 minutes per game, he improved this to an average statline of 11.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 23.3 minutes in the 2004 season.

In the PBL, he led his team, Harbour Centre Batang Pier, to its first PBL crown alongside ex-Ateneo star LA Tenorio by winning the 2006 Unity Cup finals against Toyota Otis.[3]

Professional career

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Yeo was drafted by the now-defunct Coca-Cola Tigers as third overall pick in 2006, just behind Kelly Williams and Arwind Santos. As a rookie, he played limited minutes as a reliever to Tiger's main-man John Arigo. Despite the limited playing time, he still managed to average 10 ppg, 4.6 rpg and 1.2 apg in 26 minutes per contest halfway into the elimination round of the 2006-07 PBA Philippine Cup. However, this did not stop critics from calling him a bust and attribute this to his lacking in size to play the two-spot.

In 2007, he was traded, along with a future draft pick, to Sta. Lucia for former FEU forwards Mark Isip and Cesar Catli.[4] As a Realtor, he effectively played his off-the-bench role, winding up as the team's second-best scorer behind Kelly Williams with a 13.5-point average,[5] and became a vital cog of the team that won the 2007–08 PBA Philippine Cup.

In 2010, he was dealt to San Miguel for Bonbon Custodio.[6] While playing for the Beermen, he spent most of his time on the bench and in the injured list, and did not play with the team that won the 2011 PBA Governors Cup championship.[7]

During the midseason of 2013 PBA Governors Cup, he was shipped to Air21 Express in a one-on-one swap with Mark Isip.[8] which reunited him with his college coach Franz Pumaren and college teammate Mark Cardona.[9] During the 2013–14 PBA Philippine Cup, he switched his role from shooting guard to point guard during the absence of Simon Atkins.[10] He has since switched back to his natural two-guard position once Simon Atkins returned from injury and after the team acquired a true point guard in Jonas Villanueva.

In the 2014 season, he averaged 12.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 31 minutes per game. His minute, rebound and assist marks were all career-highs while his scoring output was his highest since he averaged 13.5 points for now-defunct Sta. Lucia in 2008–09, his third year in the league.

Right before Air21 sold its franchise to NLEX, he was traded to Barangay Ginebra.[11]

On May 4, 2015, Joseph Yeo traded by the Barangay Ginebra to the Barako Bull in exchange for fellow guard Sol Mercado.

On July 3, 2015, Joseph Yeo traded by the Barako Bull to the GlobalPort Batang Pier in exchange for 2016 1st round pick.

PBA career statistics

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Legend
  GP Games played   GS Games started  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

[12][13]

Season-by-season averages

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Year Team GP MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2006–07 Coca-Cola 32 16.4 .289 .208 .575 2.5 .9 .7 .1 7.4
2007–08 Sta. Lucia 52 22.3 .373 .375 .703 3.0 2.5 .5 .1 10.5
2008–09 Sta. Lucia 44 26.6 .392 .287 .742 3.6 2.2 .9 .2 13.5
2009–10 Sta. Lucia 50 20.6 .351 .305 .688 2.4 2.2 .4 .1 8.6
San Miguel
2010–11 San Miguel / Petron 40 15.3 .346 .318 .816 1.8 1.3 .3 .0 5.2
2011–12 Petron 46 26.0 .379 .313 .667 3.4 2.9 .4 .0 8.8
2012–13 Petron 30 20.7 .387 .333 .487 2.2 2.2 .3 .0 6.4
Air21
2013–14 Air21 40 31.0 .378 .325 .691 4.1 4.3 .6 .0 12.4
2014–15 Barangay Ginebra 36 25.9 .351 .290 .750 2.9 3.7 .5 .1 10.0
Barako Bull
2015–16 GlobalPort 36 23.8 .337 .280 .693 2.4 1.8 .2 .1 8.6
2016–17 Meralco 17 9.1 .329 .267 .692 .7 .9 .1 .1 4.1
Career 423 22.5 .361 .306 .693 2.8 2.4 .5 .1 9.1

Personal life

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He married Angela Medalla on May 27, 2008,[14] and their baby named Mariana Zaria M. Yeo was born on September 3, 2008, and in January 2012, another baby girl, named Helena, was born.[15]

Feud with Enrico Villanueva

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Yeo was notable for his on and off-court feud with college rival, former King Eagle Enrico Villanueva. During the PBA-sanctioned Ateneo-La Salle Dream Games in December 2005, he elbowed Villanueva at the forehead as the latter was getting the ball rebounds.[16] In 2006, another incident happened pitting the two rivals was after the game between his team Coca-Cola and Villanueva's Red Bull, when they engaged in a parking lot brawl. They were both summoned by then PBA Commissioner Noli Eala. He has since apologized to Villanueva.[17]

When Villanueva was recently traded to Air21 in March 2014, he clarified that their old quarrel has long been a thing of the past.[18]

Notes

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  1. ^ Forfeited due to the scandal that leaked out the following season

References

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  1. ^ "Steady As She Goes: Some Thoughts on the 2006 PBA Draft =)". 21 August 2006.
  2. ^ GoArchers (25 October 2013). "Poll: The Best DLSU Men's Basketball Champion Team - GoArchers".
  3. ^ Kirhat. "Joseph Yeo".
  4. ^ "Joseph Yeo | Air21 Express". Archived from the original on 2014-03-24. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  5. ^ "Yahoo! Groups". groups.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on April 18, 2001.
  6. ^ "502 Bad Gateway". www.ianmedina.com.
  7. ^ Camille B., Naredo (21 August 2011). "Petron takes Game 7, wins PBA Governors Cup". ABS-CBN News.
  8. ^ "PBA approves Joseph Yeo deal from Petron to Air 21 for Mark Isip | InterAKTV". www.interaksyon.com. Archived from the original on 2013-09-16.
  9. ^ Flores, Celest R. (12 September 2013). "Petron, Air21 swap Yeo, Isip". sports.inquirer.net.
  10. ^ "Solarsportsdesk.ph - solarsportsdesk Resources and Information".
  11. ^ "DotPH domains available portal".
  12. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20161217194004/http://www.pba-online.net/profile/Joseph-Yeo/69/ PBA-Online.net
  13. ^ https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Joseph-Yeo/Summary/40321#International Real GM
  14. ^ Kirhat. "There's No 'Sukob' for Yeo, Williams".
  15. ^ "Ninja kid: New baby daughter brings Joseph Yeo sweet inspiration | InterAksyon.com | Sports5". Archived from the original on 2014-03-23. Retrieved 2014-03-23.
  16. ^ "Joseph Yeo Punches Villanueva Ateneo vs La Salle 2005 Dream Game Fight UAAP PBA Video". www.oritoday.pp.ua. Archived from the original on 2014-10-19.
  17. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-10-20. Retrieved 2014-03-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  18. ^ "'OK na kami': Joseph Yeo says quarrel with Enrico Villanueva a thing of the past | InterAksyon.com | Sports5". Archived from the original on 2014-03-20. Retrieved 2014-03-23.