TOUGHEST ONE UP
Determining whether the likes of Nelson Asaytono, Abe King, Arnie Tuadles and many others are worthy of inclusion to the list of 50 Greatest Players will be one of the main tasks of the selection committee the PBA is forming.
And that body, for sure, will be up for a series of lengthy discussions.
Commissioner Willie Marcial said the PBA has been in talks with individuals that will form the committee, which will then name the 10 players to make up the 50 Greatest list to highlight the league’s 50th anniversary celebration.
“We’re eyeing the inclusion of former players, coaches, officials and veteran mediamen to the committee,” said Marcial, who kept the identities of the personalities under wraps for the meantime.
The 10 will be the addition to the 40 Greatest that was formed during the league’s 40th anniversary in 2015, but not without scrutiny from fans as Asaytono, King and Tuadles were among the biggest snubs.
Asaytono is the only member of the 10,000-point club who didn’t make the exclusive list, while King and Tuadles were thought of being among the best players in history during their heydays in the late ’70s and early-to-mid ’80s.
Danny Seigle, Olsen Racela, Bong Hawkins, Jeffrey Cariaso and Ranidel de Ocampo are some of the players from recent times that could gain nods from the committee, if they could find common ground.
June Mar Fajardo and Scottie Thompson are considered as shoo-ins from the current crop of players by virtue of being past Most Valuable Players.
Fajardo has won a record eight MVP awards and is on the other side of the debate whether he or Ramon Fernandez is the PBA’s greatest of all time.
Fighting for No. 8
Thompson, meanwhile, was MVP in 2021-22 and is also one of the league’s popular players with his all-around play and role as key mainstay of crowd favorite Barangay Ginebra.
Fernandez, Robert Jaworski, Alvin Patrimonio, Atoy Co, Allan Caidic, Samboy Lim and Bogs Adornado headlined the 25 Greatest Players that was introduced in 2000 during the PBA’s 25th anniversary.
Others named to the list were Benjie Paras, Johnny Abarrientos, Vergel Meneses, Abet Guidaben, Philip Cezar, Francis Arnaiz, Danny Florencio, Kenneth Duremdes, Manny Paner, Ato Agustin, Ricardo Brown, Freddie Hubalde, Jojo Lastimosa, Bernie Fabiosa, Lim Eng Beng, Hector Calma, Jerry Codinera and Ronnie Magsanoc.
Fifteen were to make it a list of 40 15 years later in Danny Ildefonso, Willie Miller, Asi Taulava, Eric Menk, James Yap, Kelly Williams, Jayjay Helterbrand, Jimmy Alapag, Mark Caguioa, Arwind Santos, Jayson Castro, Chito Loyzaga, Marc Pingris, Marlou Aquino and Kerby Raymundo.
Meanwhile, NLEX and Magnolia were disputing the eighth and final quarterfinals berth at press time at Ynares Center in Antipolo City. Winner gets to face top seed and twice-to-beat NorthPort.
The quarters is set to start on Wednesday at Smart Araneta Coliseum. The quarters will run until next Sunday in the event some or all matchups go the distance.
The league will then take a break to give way to Gilas Pilipinas’ preparation for the final window of the Fiba Asia Cup Qualifiers with away matches against Chinese-Taipei on Feb. 21 and New Zealand on Feb. 24.
