PBA veteran JC Intal announces retirement
JC Intal is retiring from basketball.
The Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters forward announced his decision on Instagram late Sunday evening, March 21.
“After 2 decades of playing the sport I love, 13 years of which in the PBA, I am officially announcing my retirement from basketball,” the 37-year-old cager and husband of TV host Bianca Gonzalez wrote.
“Words cannot express how grateful I am to every single person who helped me make this journey possible--from playing for 2 years in Letran for High School, to 5 years in Ateneo for College, and 13 years in the pro league. Thank you to my wife, Bianca, and our daughters Lucia and Carmen for the love and inspiration.”
JC then went on to thank his parents and family, and closest friends including former college teammate Doug Kramer, who retired from playing professional basketball in 2019.
JC also thanked all of his coaches including Norman Black, Tim Cone, and Tab Baldwin.
Known for his high-flying moves and dunks, JC earned the moniker “The Rocket” dating back to his college and amateur playing days.
JC suited up for the Letran Squires in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in high school.
He eventually moved to play for the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) where he won a championship in 2002.
JC was drafted to play in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) in 2007 by the Air21 Express.
JC's PBA career saw him playing for multiple teams, namely, Air21, Barangay Ginebra, San Mig Coffee, Barako Bull, and Phoenix.
He also played for the country's national team Gilas Pilipinas during the FIBA Asia Championship and William Jones Cup.
Outside basketball, JC is passionate about motorcycles and even art, particularly painting.
Two of his paintings were exhibited at Art Fair Philippines in February last year, a few weeks before the implementation of the national lockdown due to the pandemic.
JC and Bianca got married in El Nido in Palawan on December 4, 2014. The couple is blessed with two daughters, Lucia Martine and Carmen Eliana.
Meanwhile, take a look at Lucia Martine's cute photos in this gallery: