Rookie draft day is one of the most awaited moments by both teams and players who are a step closer from fulfilling their dreams of becoming a PBA player.

Ampalayo also played a key role in Anejo’s 1988 All-Filipino conquest when the 65ers defeated powerhouse, but embattled Purefoods Hotdogs in 4 games of their best-of-5 title series.

He was also a part of Ginebra’s dramatic finals victory over Shell when the Gin Kings battled back from a 3-1 deficit and completed the comeback victory by winning in Game 7.

So when Alaska joined the PBA in 1986, building the team coming from the draft was a big part of beefing up its roster.

Team owner Wilfred Uytengsu already had his sights on Dondon Ampalayo, a talented stretch-4 from University of San Jose-Recolletos.

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Even before he started his amateur career in the old Philippine Amateur Basketball League, Ampalayo had been a key member of the USJR team that beat Samboy Lim and the Letran Knights at the National Inter-Collegiate tournament championship.

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Among Ampalayo’s illustrious teammates back then were Jojo Lastimosa and Zaldy Realubit.

In the PABL, Ampalayo also made quite a reputation, becoming an integral part of the ESQ Marketing champion squad of head coach Joe Lipa and team manager Buddy Encarnado.

Uytengsu was looking forward to having Ampalayo on his team, even talking to the player for quite some time before the draft.

Then came a shocking turn of events on draft day.

Alaska, set to pick No.1 in the draft, selected center-forward Rey Cuenco as the team head coach, Tony Vasquez, defied Uytengsu’s order of taking in the pride of Cebu.

It didn’t take long before Vasquez got the boot.

"He would have made a difference for us during our first season and we lost that opportunity of taking him in our roster," Uytengsu said of Ampalayo.

Meanwhile, Ampalayo flourished on the team that selected him 3rd overall in the draft — Ginebra San Miguel.

Given an opportunity to play for the most popular team in the PBA, the 6-foot-3 Ampalayo immediately became a star, first sharing the forward spot with Terry Saldaña. Together they immediately transformed the Gin Kings into a contender.

In just his 2nd conference, Ampalayo became a crucial part in the team’s finals run before the Gin Kings lost in 4 games to Ramon Fernandez and the rest of the Tanduay Rhum Makers in the 1986 All-Filipino best-of-5 title series.

By the 3rd conference, Ampalayo experienced what was like to be a champion as Ginebra, with superstar imports Billy Ray Bates and Michael Hackett teaming up, ruled the Open Conference.

Cuenco, on the other hand, struggled with Alaska as the Milkmen continued to search for their identity.

After the season, Alaska shipped out Cuenco.

Ampalayo eventually reunited with Lastimosa at Alaska when the Magic Man transferred to the Milkmen in 1994, but Ampalayo was already battling injuries back then.

In hindsight, Lastimosa believes playing for Ginebra in the early part of his career was the best thing that happened in Ampalayo's career.

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"I think he needed to be there with Ginebra and it was a defining moment of his career," Lastimosa said. "Hindi ko alam kung ano mangyayari sa career niya sa Alaska if he was there, but I think Dondon when he went to Ginebra (in 1986) was the best thing that ever happened to him."

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In 1994, Lastimosa and Ampalayo cherished the opportunity of winning a championship together when the Milkmen won the Governors' Cup against Swift.

"Unfortunately, when we became teammates in 1994 and 1995, his knees were bothering him already," Lastimosa said. "It was really a hard time for him. Sayang nga eh, if not because of his knee problems, Dondon would have played a longer career."

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