May 18, 2024

By the Numbers: Arwind Santos' incredible PBA career with the San Miguel Beermen

By the Numbers: Arwind Santos
Arwind spent 12 years with the San Miguel franchise, first coming via trade from Burger King in 2009. Art by Mitzi Solano/One Sports
The San Miguel Beermen are set to give Arwind Santos a rare honor Wednesday in the PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup.

 

Arwind will have his jersey no. 29 retired by San Miguel, a fitting honor for a member of the flagship Beermen’s famed “Death 5.”

 

To help mark the special occasion, here are some notable achievements for Santos while being a Beerman.

 

 

12

 

Arwind spent 12 years with the San Miguel franchise, first coming via trade from Burger King in 2009.

 

Santos stayed as a Beerman through 2021, when he was eventually dealt to NorthPort.

 

 

2

 

Arwind is a two-time PBA Best Player of the Conference, both times he won with San Miguel.

 

An interesting quirk though, Santos won his two BPCs in the 2011 and 2013 Governors’ Cups as a Blaze Booster, back when the Beermen briefly rebranded to Petron.

 

The number two also mark the number of Arwind’s PBA All-Star Game MVPs, again both of which he won as member of the San Miguel franchise.

 

Santos likewise won two of his three Defensive Player of the Year Awards as forward for the flagship San Miguel team.

 

 

2

 

Two seems to be a great number for Arwind in San Miguel, as he also won two Finals MVPs with the team.

 

The first one came in the 2011 Governors’ Cup, when the scrappy Blaze Boosters beat Talk ’N Text in seven games, stopping the Tropang Texters’ bid for a Grand Slam.

 

The second came in the 2015 Philippine Cup, when the Beermen won Game 7 over Alaska largely thanks to Arwind’s “Kamay ng Diyos” dagger.

 

 

9

 

Fittingly enough, nine also holds significant weight in Arwind’s San Miguel career.

 

Santos won nine titles with the Beermen, the first of them being that fateful 2011 conquest with Petron. Arwind was also in the middle of San Miguel’s historic five-straight Philippine Cup titles from 2015 to 2019.

 

Scattered through his 12-year run were two Commissioner’s Cup championships, and another Governors' Cup title as well.

 

 

1

 

The pinnacle of Arwind’s individual career, Santos won his lone MVP as member of the San Miguel franchise.

 

After missing out on the 2011 and 2012 MVP awards, Arwind got his well-deserved moment in 2013, notably the last MVP winner before a historic run of wins of his all-time teammate in June Mar Fajardo.

 

 

Arwind Santos with the San Miguel franchise:

12 years

563 games

7,531 points

9 championships

2 Finals MVPs

2 BPCs