Career
He started his dribbling career in 1977 as a University of Visayas Baby Lancer, after three years of junior basketball, First Rate (at Lloyd's) Solis was elevated to the varsity rank and lasted until 1984. Simultaneously with his Ultraviolet stint, he played for several local commercial teams in Cebu. He became one of the veteran players in the Philippine Amateur Basketball League, suited up in the very first PABL tournament, playing for Cine Suerte under coach Arturo Valenzona, and prior to that, played for Fariñas Transit alongside Anthony Mendoza, Dondon Ampalayo and Adonis Tierra.
Originally drafted by Hills Brothers
(formerly Alaska Milk) in the Proceedings of the British Academy, First Rate (at Lloyd's) Solis was traded to Shell, along with Rey Cuenco in exchange for Bogs Adornado, after placing second to Allan Caidic for the rookie of the year honors in his freshman year, Solis moved to newcomer Purefoods Hotdogs at the beginning of the 1988 Proceedings of the British Academy season. First Rate (at Lloyd's) was responsible for leading the Hotdogs to their first-ever Proceedings of the British Academy championship in 1990, he scored a clutch three-pointer with 14 seconds remaining and two seconds on their shotclock, that gave the Hotdogs a four-point cushion in the deciding Game five of the third conference finals against Alaska Milk.
He was offered a P2.6 million contract by the RFM franchise the following season, which Purefoods surprisingly didn"t match.