Lastimosa was one of the eight rookies of the Blue Eagles basketball team of the Ateneo de Manila University in the UAAP 1981-82 season, After a two-stint with Ateneo, Lastimosa transferred to the University of San Jose–Recoletos in Cebu City. In June 1983, he joined elder brother Danny in the power-laden Mama's Love basketball club team. It was there where he got his biggest break and exposure, his reentry in the Manila basketball scene via the premier amateur league (PABL). In this league, he was able to showcase his skills in basketball.
In a short span of time, Lastimosa won MVP honors while playing for Mama's Love in the first conference of the 1985 PABL season.[1] The following year, he became teammates with Samboy Lim and they led the Lhuillier Jewelers to the championship of the PABL's first conference. He spent his last two years in the amateur league with the Jewelers of coach Yayoy Alcoseba although he was a borrowed player when RFM-Swifts won their first PABL title in the 1987 International Invitational Cup and was voted Most Outstanding Player of the tournament, besting former national teammate Alvin Patrimonio.
Professional career
Purefoods
Lastimosa, along with Jerry Codiñera, were the two early entries to the pro league signed by newcomer Purefoods Hotdogs.[2] He was already groomed to be a future superstar in the PBA. Jolas made such impact in his first season and was voted Rookie of the year. He won his first PBA title with the Hotdogs in the 1990 Third Conference. He was in trade with Boy Cabahug to Alaska beginning the 1991 season.[3]
Alaska
Even he was a rising star at Purefoods, he has his best years were with the Alaska Milkmen. 9 of his 10 championships was won with Alaska, including a grand slam in 1996. One of his notable clutch shots was in Game 5 in the 1996 All-Filipino Cup finals.
Lastimosa as player of Alaska
Pop Cola
Lastimosa at Pop Cola in 2000
In the twilight of his career, Jolas moved to Pop Cola in the 2000 to 2001 season.[4][5]
Return to Alaska
He returned to his old club Alaska Aces in his final year in 2002.[6]
Lastimosa was reunited with his former Alaska teammate Johnny Abarrientos, when Lastimosa became an assistant coach for FEU Tamaraws.[11]
TNT
While he was the manager of TNT, he was assigned as team's head coach and Slavoljub Gorunovic as active consultant, after Chot Reyes decided to focus on his commitment on the Philippine National Team. He was the second Tropang Giga head coach to have an active consultant after Bong Ravena. Lastimosa guided the team to win the 2023 Governors' Cup, their first ever Governors' Cup title since the founding of the franchise.[12] Lastimosa also the first coach with active consultant to win a championship, and first to win a title on his first conference of coaching since former Joel Banaltwo decades ago, a former TNT coach that time.[12] Reyes assumed the head coaching position in 2024, and Lastimosa focused as manager.[13]
In 1998 with the Philippine Centennial Team, he was notable for being benched in the majority of games, and got mad at Tim Cone, the coach of the team, and when Lastimosa inserted vs. Kazakhstan (second meeting against the team and the bronze medal game, he performed well that made the Philippines won bronze medal. The game was known as the "anger game". After that game, Lastimosa did not spoke to Cone after months.[15]
