JC Intal

In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Antonio and the surname or paternal family name is Intal.

John Christopher Antonio "JC" Intal (Tagalog pronunciation: [ʔɪnˈtal]; born November 18, 1983) is a Filipino former professional basketball player. He played for four teams during his career in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He is married to television host and model Bianca Gonzalez.

JC Intal

Intal with the Barako Bull Energy in 2015
Personal information
Born	(1983-11-18) November 18, 1983 (age 41) Minalin, Pampanga, Philippines
Nationality	Filipino
Listed height	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Listed weight	185 lb (84 kg)
Career information
High school	Claret School of Quezon City Letran (Manila)
College	Ateneo
PBA draft	2007: 1st round, 4th overall pick
Selected by the Air21 Express
Playing career	2007–2020
Position	Small forward
Number	7, 21
Career history
2007–2009	Air21 Express / Barako Bull Energy
2009–2012	Barangay Ginebra Kings
2012–2013	B-Meg Llamados / San Mig Coffee Mixers
2013–2016	Barako Bull Energy
2016–2020	Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters
Career highlights and awards
PBA champion (2012 Commissioner's) 3× PBA All-Star (2010–2012) UAAP champion (2002) UAAP Mythical First Team (2006) UAAP Most Improved Player (2004) UAAP Breakout Player of the Season (2006) PBL Slam Dunk Champion (2003)
Medals Men's basketball Representing  Philippines FIBA Asia Championship 2015 Changsha Team William Jones Cup 2015 Taipei Team

Early life and college career

Born in Minalin, Pampanga, Philippines, Intal initially studied at Claret School of Quezon City before he transferred to Letran he became a part of the Letran Squires high school varsity team.^[1] When he was in Grade 7, he made his first dunk.^[1] After his high school days, he tried out for the Ateneo Blue Eagles.^[1] While playing for the Blue Eagles, he was placed in the Team B and upon his second year in college he became a member of Team A.^[1] He was the part of the team that won its first UAAP Senior's Basketball Championship in 2002.^[2] He ended his college career in 2006 with a loss to the UST Growling Tigers in the UAAP Finals in that same year.^[1]

While in college, he played amateur basketball for the Harbour Centre Batang Pier of the Philippine Basketball League,^[1] where he became known for his high-flying abilities, thus earning the nickname The Rocket, having won the Slam Dunk contest in 2003.^[3]

Professional career

Air 21/ Barako Bull Energy

Intal was drafted 4th overall by the Air21 Express in the 2007 PBA draft.^[2] He only played one conference in his rookie season, as he had a rare skin disease that prevented him from sweating, causing him to miss the next conferences while he sought treatment.^[1] After 6 months, he was able to play again.^[1]

Barangay Ginebra Kings

In 2009, he was acquired by Barangay Ginebra Kings via a trade.^[3] In three seasons with the Kings, he was a reliable role player, complementing with leading scorers Mark Caguioa, Jayjay Helterbrand and Eric Menk, and stepping up for them when they were injured.^[1] He was named Player of the Week for the week of February 1 to 7 after averaging 26.5 points, 10 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2 blocks and for scoring a career-high 28 points in Ginebra’s 113–100 quarterfinals win over the Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters.^[4]

B-Meg Llamados/ San Mig Coffee Mixers

After three seasons with Ginebra, he was again traded to B-Meg (now San Mig Coffee) via a blockbuster three team trade in exchange for Kerby Raymundo and Dylan Ababou.^[5] While playing for San Mig, he suffered a meniscus tear in his left knee, causing him to miss basketball action for four months in 2012. Before he could return to full health, he came back into active play, but was never fully healthy, by which his left knee became swollen after every game.^[6] He was able to win one championship with the Coffee Mixers in the 2012 Commissioner's Cup.^[2]

Barako Bull Energy/Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters

Intal was traded again, this time to Barako Bull^[7] via a blockbuster 10-man, 5-team trade in January 2013.

He posted career highs in scoring, rebounds and assists in the 2014-15 season.^[8] That season, he competed in the Three-Point Shootout^[9] and the Slam Dunk Contest.^[10] He also won another Player of the Week award.^[11]

Before the start of the 2016 Governors' Cup, it was revealed that he had bone spurs in his ankles.^[12] He made his conference debut at Phoenix's last game of the conference.^[13]

In the 2017 Philippine Cup, he received another Player of the Week award.^[14]

In his last season, the 2020 Philippine Cup, the Fuel Masters made it all the way to the semifinals.^[2] After that season, he announced on his Instagram account that he had retired.^[2]

PBA career statistics

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

^[15][16]

Season-by-season averages

Year	Team	GP	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2007–08	Air21	32	11.9	.291	.164	.589	1.1	1.3	.3	.2	4.5
2008–09	Air21	41	15.0	.366	.236	.479	2.8	1.0	.5	.5	5.5
	Barangay Ginebra
2009–10	Barangay Ginebra	40	21.4	.420	.339	.659	4.4	1.3	.9	.6	10.4
2010–11	Barangay Ginebra	44	16.2	.325	.298	.732	2.9	1.0	.5	.6	5.6
2011–12	Barangay Ginebra	49	19.7	.360	.221	.651	4.1	1.3	.4	.3	6.2
	B-Meg
2012–13	San Mig Coffee	35	16.3	.272	.189	.696	2.7	1.3	.5	.2	3.8
	Barako Bull
2013–14	Barako Bull	34	22.3	.378	.289	.698	4.5	1.2	.6	.5	9.1
2014–15	Barako Bull	36	30.4	.399	.294	.593	5.7	1.9	.9	.4	12.8
2015–16	Barako Bull	26	29.5	.361	.262	.675	5.1	1.7	.6	.5	11.8
	Phoenix
2016–17	Phoenix	34	22.5	.371	.311	.742	3.6	1.7	.7	.6	10.1
2017–18	Phoenix	35	14.3	.323	.250	.583	2.8	1.0	.8	.4	4.0
2019	Phoenix Pulse	25	17.2	.346	.267	.688	4.5	1.4	.3	.4	5.0
2020	Phoenix Super LPG	16	14.3	.361	.297	.727	2.6	1.8	.4	.1	4.4
Career		447	19.3	.362	.272	.646	3.6	1.3	.6	.4	7.2

International career

Intal was part of the 16-man Gilas Pilipinas 3.0 pool that was gearing up for the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship.^[17][18] After a successful stint in the 2015 Toyota Four Nations Cup and the 37th William Jones Cup in Taiwan, he was named to the Final 12 roster that represented the country in the FIBA Asia tournament.^[19]

Personal life

Intal was engaged to TV host Bianca Gonzalez,^[20] his girlfriend since 2011. On March 20, 2014, he proposed to Gonzalez at Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2, as the latter was about to depart for London.^[21] Intal's parents and couple Cheska Garcia and Doug Kramer were among those who witnessed the proposal.^[22] Intal and Gonzalez married on December 4, 2014, in El Nido, Palawan.^[23] In April 2015, television host Boy Abunda announced on his program Aquino & Abunda Tonight that Gonzalez and Intal expecting their first child.^[24] Their first child, who they named Lucia Martine was born in October 23, 2015.^[25]

He has a younger brother, Rex, who plays volleyball for the national team and also played volleyball for Ateneo.^[26][27]

Since retiring, he has focused more on his career as an artist, specifically abstract painting.^[28] Since 2020, he has had 2 exhibits.^[28]

References

1. "Kahit Papano Pala, Nagkaroon Ako Ng Impact Sa BASKETBALL.." #RocketOUT | JC INTAL, retrieved February 21, 2022
2. Villanueva, Eros (March 22, 2021). "Phoenix's JC Intal retires after 13 seasons". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
3. Saldajeno, Ivan (March 21, 2021). "'ROCKET OUT' | JC Intal calls it a career". www.dugout.ph. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
4. "Intal finds his niche in Ginebra". ABS-CBN News.
5. Belen, Reynaldo (January 26, 2012). "B-MEG, Barako, Ginebra seek approval for Raymundo, Intal, Ababou deal". Spin.ph. Manila. Archived from the original on October 2, 2015. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
6. Dy, Richard (February 27, 2013). "Fit-again Intal eager to recapture old form under Toroman". Spin.ph. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
7. Bracher, Jane (January 10, 2014). "JC Intal's faith in himself pays off". Rappler. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
8. Chavez, Richiel S. (March 23, 2021). "Phoenix's JC Intal retires after 13 years in PBA". The Manila Times. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
9. "Terrence Romeo is new PBA three-point king after beating James Yap, JC Intal in finals". Spin.ph. March 6, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
10. "KG Canaleta back to challenge young high-flyers Justin Melton, Chris Ellis in Slam Dunk contest". Spin.ph. February 17, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
11. "Inspired JC Intal gives Barako Bull an energy boost, earns Player of the Week honors". Spin.ph. May 11, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
12. Ramos, Gerry (June 22, 2016). "Phoenix coach fears JC Intal out for four, six weeks due to bone spurs on ankle". Spin.ph. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
13. Ramos, Gerry (September 15, 2016). "Intal optimistic on Phoenix playoff hopes despite rude welcome from Ginebra after long layoff". Spin.ph. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
14. "Phoenix star JC Intal earns PBA Press Corps Player of Week citation". Spin.ph. December 5, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
15. "JC Intal Player Profile". PBA-Online!. Archived from the original on February 18, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
16. Real GM
17. Joble, Rey (August 6, 2015). "Barako Bull's JC Intal treasures Gilas Pilipinas invite: 'It's an ultimate gift for me as a PBA player'". InterAksyon. Archived from the original on October 2, 2015. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
18. "List of PBA players for Gilas Pilipinas Pool". Philippine Daily Inquirer. August 3, 2015. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
19. "SBP names Gilas Pilipinas Final 12 roster for 2015 Fiba Asia Championships". Philippine Daily Inquirer. September 8, 2015. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
20. Badua, Snow (March 20, 2014). "Find out how PBA player Intal executed perfect game plan for his slam-dunk proposal to TV host Bianca Gonzalez". Spin.ph. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
21. Fopalan, Renee (March 20, 2014). "Bianca Gonzales, JC Intal get engaged after airport proposal". GMA News and Public Affairs. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
22. Ramirez, Patty (March 20, 2014). "Bianca Gonzalez now engaged to JC Intal". ABS-CBN Corporation. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
23. "Bianca Gonzalez and JC Intal wed in Palawan". Rappler. December 4, 2014. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
24. "Bianca Gonzalez, JC Intal expecting first baby". ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. April 28, 2015. Retrieved April 29, 2015.
25. "Bianca Gonzalez gives birth to baby girl". ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs. October 23, 2015. Retrieved October 23, 2015.
26. Lozada, Mei-lin (March 7, 2015). "JC Intal cuts short PBA All-Star stint to show support for brother Rex, Ateneo in title-clinching win". Spin.ph. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
27. Isaga, JR (January 30, 2022). "Valdez, Morado return to national team pool for Hanoi SEA Games". RAPPLER. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
28. Castañeda, Jing. "JC Intal now full-time in painting—and parenting". Philstar.com. Retrieved February 21, 2022.