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Player Profile Series: “The Tower of Power” – Benjie Paras
In this Player Profile Series, we look back at the career of Benjie Paras—“The Tower of Power”—the only player in PBA history to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season.
Paras was drafted by the Shell Turbo Chargers in 1989 and made an immediate impact. With his strength, mobility, and basketball IQ, he brought a complete inside presence—shot-blocking, rebounding, mid-range shooting, and post scoring. Shell didn’t win a title that year, but Paras’ dominant rookie season stood out above the rest.
Venancio "Benjie" Paras, Jr.
Name: Venancio Paras Jr.
Nickname: Benjie:
Moniker: Tower of Power
Birthdate: October 2, 1968
Hometown: Caloocan City
Height: 6’4”
Position: Center
Jersey Number: 14
Career information:
- High school: San Beda (Manila)
- College: UP
PBA draft: 1989:
- 1st round, 1st overall Selected by the Formula Shell
Career history
As a player:
- 1989–2002 - Shell Turbo Chargers
- 2002–2003 - San Miguel Beermen
As a coach:
- 2012–2019 - San Beda (assistant)
- 2019–2020 - UP (assistant)
Career highlights:
As player:
- 4x PBA champion (1990 First, 1992 First, 1998 Governors', 1999 All-Filipino)
- 2× PBA Most Valuable Player (1989, 1999)
- PBA Rookie of the Year (1989)
- PBA Comeback Player of the Year (1999)
- PBA Best Player of the Conference (1999 Commissioner's)
- PBA Finals Most Valuable Player (1998 Governors')
- 5× PBA Mythical First Team (1989–1991, 1995, 1999)
- 3× PBA Mythical Second Team (1992, 1994, 1996)
- 9× PBA All-Star (1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2000)
- 2× PBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player (1994, 1999)
- PBA Slam Dunk Team Co-champion (1995)
- PBA Hall of Famer (Class of 2013)
- 50 Greatest Players in PBA History (2000 selection)
- PABL champion (1988 Maharlika)
- 2x PABL Most Valuable Player (1988 International, 1988 Maharlika)
As assistant coach:
- 6x NCAA champions (2012, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018)
International:
- Asian Games - Silver medalist, 1990 Beijing team
In 1990, Paras led Shell to its first PBA championship, defeating Anejo Rhum in six games in the Open Conference Finals—a series remembered for Anejo’s controversial Game 6 walkout. The following year, Shell and Ginebra met again in the Reinforced Conference Finals. Shell took a 3–1 series lead but couldn’t close it out. Ginebra forced a Game 7 and won it on Rudy Distrito’s buzzer-beater.
Paras bounced back in 1992, helping Shell win another title—this time over San Miguel. But the team struggled with consistency after that. In 1993, Paras sat out one conference due to a contract dispute and requested a trade to Anejo, which didn’t materialize. He shifted focus to his acting career before returning to Shell. The team wouldn’t make another Finals appearance until the 1996 Commissioner’s Cup, where they pushed Alaska to seven games but came up short. Paras was back in the MVP conversation that season.
In 1998, Paras returned to the Finals in the Centennial Cup but lost to Mobiline. The rematch came later that year in the Governor’s Cup. Shell trailed 2–3 in the series but fought back to win in Game 7, with Paras and Gerry Esplana stepping up in crunch time.
His final championship came in 1999, leading Shell past the Tanduay Rhum Makers in six games. Facing a tough frontcourt that featured Fil-Ams Eric Menk and Sonny Alvarado, Paras held his own and steered Shell to the title. He won his second MVP that year—ten years after his first.
In the early 2000s, Paras battled injuries and eventually joined San Miguel in 2003. He retired at the end of that season, finishing his PBA career with 10,322 points in 574 games.
Philippine team journey and coaching career
Paras also represented the Philippines in the 1990 Asian Games, where the national team brought home a silver medal after falling to China in the final.
In 2013, he returned to basketball as an assistant coach for the San Beda Red Lions and played in the PBA Legends Asia Tour the following year.
Life after basketball and personal life
After his playing days, Paras transitioned into showbiz. He appeared in a range of TV dramas, sitcoms, and fantasy series, and also hosted game shows. Known for his versatility, Paras became a familiar face both on screen and on stage.
He is married to Lyxen Diomampo and has three children with her. He also has two sons from a previous marriage with actress Jackie Forster—Andre, who pursued both basketball and acting, and Kobe, who played college basketball in the U.S. and later for the UP Fighting Maroons before turning pro in Japan.
