In a league built on legends, milestones matter. And in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), few carry the weight and rarity of the 10,000 Points Career Achievement Award.

Across 50 seasons and 51 years of Philippine Basketball Association history, only 16 players have reached that milestone. That’s not just exclusive — it’s almost sacred. It also means that 34 of the league’s 50 Greatest Players — at least those who have already retired — never got there. More than double. Clearly, greatness isn’t always measured in round numbers. But this one tells a deeper story.

Because 10,000 points in the PBA isn’t just about scoring. It’s about staying.

The league has evolved dramatically. The late 1990s brought in a wave of Filipino-foreign talent — bigger, faster, more skilled. Yet even many of them never approached the 10K plateau. Timing played a role. From 2005 to 2010, the PBA held only two conferences per season, limiting opportunities to pile up numbers. Team context mattered too. Players on squads that rarely made deep playoff runs simply had fewer games to accumulate points.

Then there’s the modern reality.

Today’s elite Filipino players have more options than ever — lucrative deals in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, even Europe. The PBA is no longer the only destination. Many of them are losing their prime years in those other leagues before they eventually wind up their careers in the PBA. And with that, the path to 10,000 points becomes even steeper.

That’s why this milestone doubles as something else: a loyalty award.

You don’t reach 10,000 points in the PBA without giving a significant portion of your career to the league. Longevity is a prerequisite. Commitment is non-negotiable.

The numbers reflect that rarity. Before James Yap broke through in 2017, the last player to hit 10,000 was Jerry Codiñera in 2001 — a 16-year drought. Yap was followed by Mark Caguioa in 2018 and Arwind Santos in 2022. That’s just three players in the last decade.

Among imports, only Norman Black ever did it, and that took 10 seasons in the 1980s.

Now, history is knocking again — twice.

In the ongoing PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup, two of the most dominant players of this generation are on the brink: Jayson Castro and June Mar Fajardo.

As of this writing, Castro is just 17 points away. Fajardo, 160. Based on current averages — 6.36 points for Castro and 16.5 for Fajardo — it’s not a matter of if, but a matter of when.

Castro could cross the line as early as the quarterfinals. And in a neat bit of trivia, he needs 17 points to become the 17th member of the club while wearing jersey No. 17 for TNT Tropang 5G — a small but poetic detail. Fajardo should follow before the conference ends, especially if San Miguel Beer makes a deep run.

If both get there this season, which I’m sure they will, they will join a rare historical note. The last time this happened was almost four decades ago, or in 1987, when Philip Cezar and Abet Guidaben became the fifth and sixth members of the club. This could happen in the same conference.

That symmetry feels fitting.

Castro, the lightning-quick orchestrator. Fajardo, the immovable force. Different positions, different styles, same sustained excellence.

They are defining figures of their era. And soon, they will be immortalized alongside Atoy Co, Ramon Fernandez, Bogs Adornado, Francis Arnaiz, Sonny Jaworski, Allan Caidic, Alvin Patrimonio, Jojo Lastimosa, Nelson Asaytono, and Benjie Paras, aside from Cezar, Guidaben, Codiñera, Yap, Caguioa and Santos.

For fans and current players, this is more than a milestone. It’s a reminder of careers built on staying power.

Because in today’s game, 10,000 points isn’t just rare.

It’s getting rarer.