Nelson Asaytono is arguably the greatest player never to win the PBA Most Valuable Player award.

Three times the scoring dynamo came so close to winning the most prestigious individual plum.

In 1992, Asaytono, then the newest franchise player of Swift, led the statistical derby race, but lost to Ato Agustin.

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San Miguel won the All-Filipino title over Purefoods, 4-3, while the Mighty Meaties of Swift swept the 7-Up Uncolas in four games for their first title in franchise history.

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In 1993, Asaytono was in a neck-and-neck battle with former Purefoods teammates Alvin Patrimonio and Jerry Codiñera for the MVP award. Purefoods, then carrying the Coney Island brand, beat the Beermen in the All-Filipino in 6 games.

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Asaytono and the Mighty Meaties then edged Patrimonio and Codiñera’s squad, Purefoods Oodles, in 6 games in the Commissioner’s Cup, and Swift would lose to the San Miguel Beermen in 5 games of the season-ending Governors Cup.

But before the season ended when the MVP was announced, Patrimonio, winning mostly on player and media votes, beat Codiñera and Asaytono for the award. The same thing happened in 1997 and it was Patrimonio who ended up winning the award and saw Asaytono settling for a place in the Mythical Team selection.

The year 1997 was probably the most productive season for Asaytono, who became a scoring machine for the rebuilding Beermen as he would average 23.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. And although he was clearly the statistical champion, Patrimonio churned up more bonus points and more votes from media and the players.

Patrimonio’s Purefoods won the 1997 All-Filipino trophy and ended up as runner-up to Alaska in the season-ending Governors Cup.

Asaytono came close to winning the MVP several times. He did end up claiming the best player of the conference, in the 1997 and 1998 All-Filipino Conference.

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But despite his greatness, seeing Asaytono not winning the MVP nor being included in the PBA’s all-time greatest list remains a mystery.

Even his long-time coach, Yeng Guiao, couldn’t come up with an answer.

“I don’t think I could answer that,” Guiao told ABS-CBN News in a telephone interview. “Even ako nagtataka rin bakit hindi siya nananalo ng MVP or why his name wasn’t even included in the all-time greatest list. There’s no doubt, he’s one of the greatest players ever.”

Guiao, who coached Asaytono in 3 of the 7 titles won by “The Bull”, believes that although he considers his long-time player among the greatest players ever, he wasn’t given the proper respect and recognition he deserves.

“Mayroon rin talagang suwerte at malas,” added Guiao. “In the case of Nelson, talagang malas lang talaga. But I think Nelson wasn’t given the proper recognition he deserves despite his greatness. Talaga namang magaling. Parang import nga ’yung numbers ni Nelson. On any given night, he would score 30 points and 15 rebounds.”

Asaytono, according to Guiao, didn’t have the same marketing appeal like some of former peers Patrimonio and Codiñera had and that played a big factor in the former’s failure to get the MVP award.

Asaytono was left off the PBA’s 25 Greatest Players, as well as the 40 Greatest list when the league added 15 more names in 2015.

“ ’Yung image kasi ni Nelson is different, and although maraming fans rin naman si Nelson, hindi kasing dami ng fans nina Patrimonio and Codiñera or even si Jojo Lastimosa,” added Guiao.

“Maybe doon rin nagkakatalo and that deprived him of some of the most important individual awards and recognition in his career. But there’s no question that Nelson is one of the greatest players ever and for me, his non-inclusion in the all-time greatest list is long overdue.”

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