Anton Asistio

Anton Rafael Asistio (born June 2, 1995) is a Filipino professional basketball player for the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He suited up for the Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles, and won two UAAP championships. He has also played in the MPBL.

Early life Asistio was born into a family of pro and national team golfers. His father, Nio Asistio, was a former basketball player for Ateneo in high school who became a tennis player, and was a big influence on Anton choosing to pursue basketball instead of golf. He played for Ateneo from grade school up to college.

Collegiate career Asistio then suited up for Ateneo de Manila Blue Eagles. In his first two seasons, Seasons 76 and 77, he seldom played, scoring a total of six points. In his rookie year, he was almost cut from the team, but was added onto the final roster to round it out. He also played in Division II of Father Martin Cup in 2015, leading Ateneo's Team B to the title with 45 points in the championship game.

Beginning in Season 79, Tab Baldwin became the coach of the Blue Eagles. Initially, he wasn't impressed by Asistio due to his weaknesses, such as his athleticism and ball-handling. After seeing his work ethic, he added Asistio to the main roster as a shooting guard. From there, they went on to win the title. For Season 81, his senior year, Asistio was the captain of the team. During the elimination rounds, he shot 45.2% from three.

Professional career

Bataan Risers (2019) Asistio first played for the Bataan Risers in 2019 in the Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas 3x3 league. He then played for them in the MPBL.

Zamboanga Valientes (2019–2020) On September 22, 2019, Asistio and Santi Santillan were traded to the Zamboanga Valientes for four players. He competed in the MPBL's Three-Point Shootout. His shooting helped Zamboanga advance to the semifinals with a win over the Batangas City Athletics. They were eliminated in the playoffs by the Davao Occidental Tigers.

Rain or Shine Elasto Painters (2021–present) On December 7, 2020, Asistio declared for the PBA draft. In the PBA, he was converted into a point guard. Although he only started two games that conference, he averaged 5.7 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists in 18.4 minutes. With his play and Rain or Shine making the quarterfinals that conference, he was given a two-year contract extension.

Asistio got to play in the Rookies-Sophomores-Juniors game during the 2023 and 2024 All-Star weekends. He was given a two-year contract extension at the end of the 2023–24 season.

During the 2024–25 season, in a game against the NLEX Road Warriors, Asistio scored 25 points. In a win over the TNT Tropang Giga, he made a PBA career-best six triples for 21 points as Rain or Shine made the quarterfinals.

Personal life In 2021, Asistio became the first Filipino Anta brand ambassador.

Season-by-season averages