| No. 33 – Meralco Bolts | |
|---|---|
| Position | Center |
| League | PBA |
| Personal information | |
| Nationality | Filipino / Australian |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 231 lb (105 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | |
| PBA draft | 2023: 1st round, 8th overall pick |
| Selected by the Meralco Bolts | |
| Playing career | 2022–present |
| Career history | |
| 2022–2023 | Sutherland Sharks |
| 2023–present | Meralco Bolts |
| Career highlights and awards | |
Brandon Matthew Bates is a Filipino-Australian basketball player for the Meralco Bolts of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
Bates played for De La Salle Green Archers men's basketball team starting in 2018. In his time with La Salle, he was tagged as a "useless center". In the first round of his first season (2019), he only averaged 1.8 points on 36% shooting, on top of 7.2 rebounds and 0.6 blocks in 17 minutes of play. He later proved to be a reliable interior defender and rebounder. He scored 10 points, 15 rebounds, and two blocks on an elimination game against UST De La Salle won the game 80–79.[1][2][3] Before leaving La Salle, he averaged 8.43 rebounds.[4]
Bates left La Salle to join the Sutherland SharksofNBL1 in Australia. [4][5]
Bates got selected by Meralco Bolts in the 2023 PBA draft as 8th overall, but he did not sign a contract earlier because he wanted to go home to Australia.[6]
Sharing play time in centre position with Raymond Almazan, he was seen as an energizer[7] with a shot-blocking ability. He had 6 blocks and 13 rebounds in the Game 7 semifinal match vs. Ginebra in 2024 PBA Philippine Cup.[8][9][10][11] He helped his team to win the first championship against San Miguel Beermen. His most notable game was playing with flu in Game 5 while guarding June Mar Fajardo.[12] Another notable moment was a dunk in Game 6.[13]
| 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 |
As of the end of 2023–24 season[14]
| Year | Team | GP | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023–24 | Meralco | 30 | 16.8 | .625 | — | .275 | 5.1 | .4 | .3 | 1.3 | 3.5 |
| Career | 30 | 16.8 | .625 | — | .275 | 5.1 | .4 | .3 | 1.3 | 3.5 | |
Bates worked as a barista while studying in La Salle.[7]
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Meralco Bolts current roster
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