{{short description|Filipino-Australian basketball player}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2022}} {{Infobox basketball biography | image = | image_size = | name = Brandon Bates | number = 33 | position = [[Center (basketball)|Center]] | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 9 | weight_lbs = 231 | league = [[Philippine Basketball Association|PBA]] | team = Meralco Bolts | nationality = Filipino / Australian | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1997|08|12}} | birth_place = | draft_year_pba = 2023 | draft_round_pba = 1 | draft_pick_pba = 8 | draft_team_pba = [[Meralco Bolts]] | high school = | college = [[De La Salle Green Archers men's basketball|De La Salle]] | career_start = 2022 | years1 = 2022–2023 | team1 = [[Sutherland Sharks (basketball)|Sutherland Sharks]] | years2 = 2023–present | team2 = [[Meralco Bolts]] | highlights = * [[List of Philippine Basketball Association champions|PBA champion]] ([[2024 PBA Philippine Cup finals|2024 Philippine]]) * [[Philippine Basketball Association All-Star Week|PBA All-Star Week]] Obstacle Challenge (Big Man) champion ([[2026 PBA All-Star Weekend|2026]]) * [[Philippine Basketball Association Developmental League|PBA D-League]] champion (2022 Aspirants') <!------- | medal_templates = {{MedalSport | Men's [[Basketball]]}} {{MedalCountry | {{PHI}} }} {{MedalCompetition|[[Southeast Asian Games]]}}{{MedalGold|[[Basketball at the 2011 Southeast Asian Games|2011 Jakarta]]| [[Basketball at the 2011 Southeast Asian Games|Team]]}}----> }} '''Brandon Matthew Bates''' is a Filipino-Australian [[basketball]] player for the [[Meralco Bolts]] of the [[Philippine Basketball Association]] (PBA).
== Collegiate career == Bates played for [[De La Salle Green Archers basketball|De La Salle Green Archers men's basketball team]] starting in 2018. 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 Growling Tigers basketball|UST]] De La Salle won the game 80–79.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brandon Bates proves he's not 'the useless one' at La Salle |url=https://www.spin.ph/basketball/uaap-men/brandon-bates-la-salle-green-archers-uaap-season-82-a2437-20191023 |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Spin.ph |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-10-24 |title=How La Salle's Bates is turning negatives into positives |url=https://www.espn.ph/basketball/colleges/story/_/id/27915255/how-la-salle-bates-turning-negatives-positives |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=ESPN.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Li |first=Matthew |date=2018-10-27 |title=Brandon Bates shows why he is part of the Green Archers |url=https://tiebreakertimes.com.ph/tbt/brandon-bates-shows-part-green-archers/132263 |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Tiebreaker Times |language=en-US}}</ref> Before leaving La Salle, he averaged 8.43 rebounds.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Co |first=Chris |title=Bates out na sa La Salle |url=https://www.philstar.com/pilipino-star-ngayon/palaro/2022/02/24/2162933/bates-out-na-sa-la-salle |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Philstar.com}}</ref>
==Professional career==
=== Australia === Bates left La Salle to join the [[Sutherland Sharks (basketball)|Sutherland Sharks]] of [[NBL1]] in Australia.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Abad |first=Ysa |date=2020-08-05 |title=DLSU’s Bates gaining confidence in Aussie semi-pro league |url=https://www.rappler.com/sports/uaap/dlsu-brandon-bates-gaining-confidence-semi-professional-basketball-league-australia/ |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=RAPPLER |language=en-US}}</ref>
=== Meralco Bolts === Bates got selected by Meralco Bolts in the [[PBA season 48 draft|2023 PBA draft]] as 8th overall, but he did not sign a contract earlier because he wanted to go home to Australia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=COLUMN: Why No. 8 pick Brandon Bates has yet to join Meralco Bolts |url=https://www.spin.ph/basketball/pba/why-no-8-pick-brandon-bates-has-yet-to-join-meralco-bolts-a2244-20231005 |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Spin.ph |language=en}}</ref>
Sharing play time in centre position with [[Raymond Almazan]], he was seen as an energizer<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Meralco's Brandon Bates goes from serving coffee to swatting shots |url=https://www.spin.ph/life/people/student-barista-was-the-life-before-pba-for-rookie-brandon-bates-a6035-20240606 |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Spin.ph |language=en}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-06-01 |title=Rookie pero palaban! Brandon Bates sasabayan mga higante ng Beermen |url=https://tonite.abante.com.ph/2024/06/01/rookie-pero-palaban-brandon-bates-sasabayan-mga-higante-ng-beermen/ |access-date=2024-06-17 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Meralco boots out Ginebra in Game 7, makes PBA Finals vs SMB |url=https://www.spin.ph/basketball/pba/meralco-beats-ginebra-in-game-7-to-reach-pba-finals-vs-smb-a795-20240531 |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Spin.ph |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Brandon Bates glad to prove worth for Meralco |url=https://mb.com.ph/2024/5/31/brandon-bates-glad-to-prove-worth-for-meralco |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Manila Bulletin |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=TDT |date=2024-06-02 |title=Bates rises to occasion |url=https://tribune.net.ph/2024/06/01/bates-rises-to-occasion |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Daily Tribune |language=en}}</ref> 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]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brandon Bates fights through flu to help Meralco win Game 5 |url=https://www.spin.ph/basketball/pba/brandon-bates-plays-through-a-case-of-flu-in-game-5-a795-20240615 |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Spin.ph |language=en}}</ref> Another notable moment was a dunk in Game 6.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cadayona |first=Russell |title=Unang PBA crown para sa Meralco |url=https://www.philstar.com/pilipino-star-ngayon/palaro/2024/06/17/2363473/unang-pba-crown-para-sa-meralco |access-date=2024-06-17 |website=Philstar.com}}</ref>
==PBA career statistics== {{PBA player statistics legend 2}} ''As of the end of 2024–25 season''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brandon Bates Player Profile, Meralco Bolts - RealGM |url=https://basketball.realgm.com/player/Brandon-Bates/Summary/224228 |website=basketball.realgm.com}}</ref>
===Season-by-season averages=== {{PBA player statistics start 2}} |- | align=left | {{pbay|2023}} | align=left | [[2023–24 Meralco Bolts season|Meralco]] | 30 || '''16.8''' || '''.625''' || {{sort|-|—}} || {{sort|-|—}} || .275 || 5.1 || .4 || '''.3''' || '''1.3''' || 3.5 |- | align=left | {{pbay|2024}} | align=left | [[2024–25 Meralco Bolts season|Meralco]] | '''35''' || 16.6 || .550 || {{sort|-|—}} || {{sort|-|—}} || '''.444''' || '''5.5''' || '''.5''' || .2 || .9 || 3.5 |-class=sortbottom | align="center" colspan=2 | Career | 65 || 16.7 || .581 || {{sort|-|—}} || {{sort|-|—}} || .333 || 5.3 || .4 || .2 || 1.0 || 3.5 {{s-end}}
==Personal life== Bates worked as a barista while studying in La Salle.<ref name=":0" />
He is currently dating Rocio Trillo, the eldest daughter of Bolts' head coach [[Luigi Trillo]].<ref>{{Cite web |first=Ariane Karlo F. |last=Sacamos |title=Cool dad Luigi Trillo on daughter Rocio dating Bolts rookie Bates |url=https://www.spin.ph/life/guide/meralco-coach-luigi-trillo-on-daughter-rocio-dating-bolt-rookie-brandon-bates-a6872-20240827 |date=2024-08-27 |website=Spin.ph |access-date=2024-12-08 |language=en}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Meralco Bolts current roster}} {{navboxes|list= {{2023 PBA draft}} {{Meralco Bolts 2024 PBA Philippine Cup Champions}} }}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bates, Brandon}} [[Category:1997 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Meralco Bolts players]] [[Category:Filipino men's basketball players]] [[Category:Centers (basketball)]] [[Category:De La Salle Green Archers basketball players]] [[Category:Meralco Bolts draft picks]] [[Category:Filipino men's 3x3 basketball players]]