Eddie Laure

Infobox NBA Player
name = Eddie Laure
nickname = The Dominator


league = Philippine Basketball Association (PBA)
height_ft = 6 | height_in = 7 | weight_lbs= 195
position = Power Forward/Small Forward
team = Rain or Shine Elasto Painters
nationality = Philippines
birth_date = July 6, 1977
birth_place = Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines
college = Adamson University
draft = 3rd overall
draft_year = 2003
former_teams = MBA: Batangas Blades (1998-2002)
PBL: Welcoat Paintmasters (2002)
PBA: Shell Turbo Chargers (2003), Purefoods TJ Hotdogs (2004-2005), Alaska Aces (2005-)
draft_team = Shell Turbo Chargers
career_start = 2003
career_end =
awards = Rookie of the Year (1998), MBA Most Valuable Player (2001), MBA Mythical First Team (2001), MBA Mythical Second Team (2000), MBA Scoring Champion: 2001 (23.6)

Eddie B. Laure (born on July 6, 1977 in San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines) is a Filipino professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. Known by many as The Dominator, is a former MBA MVP. He is acknowledged as one of the greatest players to come from Zamboanga del Norte.

Amateur career

Laure played for the Adamson Falcons in the UAAP from 1994-1997 alongside future PBA superstars Kenneth Duremdes and Marlou Aquino. He also played in the PBL during his time prior to the pro ranks, winning an MVP once.

Professional career

Metropolitan Basketball Association

In 1998, Laure joined the Batangas Blades in the newly-formed professional Metropolitan Basketball Association. Despite playing for lowly Blades teams from 1998-2000, Laure was the cornerstone of the franchise, playing in several All-Star games and the Mythical Team award.

In 2001, he was later joined by former Manila Metrostars players Rommel Adducul and Alex Compton to lead Batangas to their only MBA National Championship over the Negros Slashers. Laure was later named the Most Valuable Player of the 2001 season and the last player in MBA history to win the award before its closure in 2002.

hort return to the PBL

After the MBA's demise, Laure joined the Welcoat Paintmasters in the 2002 PBL Challenge Cup. Again, Laure played with a star-studded team of Rommel Adducul, Ronald Tubid, Marc Pingris and Ervin Sotto.

Laure was named in the Mythical Five of the said tournament and the Paintmasters won the title via a 3-0 sweep over Dazz Dishwashing. Laure then opted to turn pro again in 2003.

Philippine Basketball Association

In 2003, Laure was selected third overall by the Shell Turbo Chargers in the PBA Draft. He had a decent rookie campaign with Shell posting double figures in points but was unable to lead the Turbo Chargers to a respectable record.

He was traded in 2004 to Purefoods for Billy Mamaril but struggled in his stint with the TJ Hotdogs while nursing a knee injury. The 6'3 forward played for just 24 games in the 2004-05 season and hardly a factor on offense but had a few games where he shone on the defensive end.

In the 2005-06 season, he joined the Alaska Aces and is a key contributor off the bench. He has been given steady minutes as of late in lieu to an injury to Reynel Hugnatan. Along with Hugnatan, Laure is also joined by John Ferriols, a fellow former MBA MVP, in a trio of former MBA superstars in the Alaska fold.

24 hours after the 2008 Rookie Draft proper, he was traded to his former PBL team, the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, together with No. 5 pick Solomon Mercado for former No. 1 pick, Joe Devance, and two future second round picks.

Awards

*MBA Most Valuable Player (2002)
*MBA Mythical 1st team (2002)
*MBA Mythical Second Team (1998)
*MBA Mythical Second Team (2000)
*MBA Scoring Champion: 2002 (23.6)

External links

* [http://www.alaskaaces.com.ph Official Website]
* [http://mypba.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=86 MYPBA.com thread: Alaska Origins, History and Trivias]

###@@@KEY@@@###succession box
before = Rommel Adducul
after = None
title = MBA Most Valuable Player
years = 2001