Benjie Paras

From Hoopedia

Before he discovered his flair for comedy, Benjie Paras was already a hit -- in basketball. Paras began his basketball career as a UP Maroon where he won the Maroon's only collegiate title under coach Joe Lipa, and like a dutiful son, Paras followed his coach when Lipa handled Philip Sardines in the PABL.

As a UP Maroon, Paras was already a force at the paint, but in the Philippine Basketball League, Paras blossomed into a slam-dunking, shotblocking monster. His Mutt-and-Jeff partnership with the cat-quick Ronnie Magsanoc produced two championships for the Sardine Masters.

Those two championships lined up Paras for a stint in the PBA, but right in his first year, he won both Rookie of the Year and MVP honors, a feat unmatched until today.