MORE or less, the last 10 members of the Philippine Basketball Association’s Top 50 Players of All Time have been finalized, according to the league’s first four-time MVP, Ramon Fernandez.
“We have named the remaining 10 players, with eight of my nominees making it,” said Fernandez, who attended the selection and screening panel meeting online from Cebu while the other members attended it face-to-face at the PBA office in Libis, Quezon City.
Also at the meeting were fellow former MVPs Allan Caidic, Atoy Co, former Toyota coach and team manager Dante Silver, ex-PBA commissioner and Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas executive director Sonny Barrios, sports columnist Quinito Henson, veteran sportscaster Andy Jao, former sports editors Ding Marcelo and Al Mendoza, and PSA president and Philippine Star sports editor Nelson Beltran.
Sensitive to the public clamor and based on their achievements, there was a consensus among them that eight-time MVP June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel and Ginebra San Miguel do-it-all spitfire Scottie Thompson ought to be shoo-ins to the elite circle, Fernadez said.
Although he declined to reveal the other possible eight names in the PBA’s Top 50 roster, some of those mentioned during the discussions were his former Toyota teammates Abe King and the late Arnie Tuadles, former Crispa Redmanizer Elpidio “Yoyong” Villamin and Great Taste big man Manny Victorino.
“The PBA’s Commissioner’s Office will make the final announcement during the league’s golden anniversary in April, although we will have another meeting on March 11 to formalize the list,” Fernandez, a former commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission, said.
Also raised during the meeting, he said, was the inclusion of other players who might not have met the statistical criteria and PBA tenure but had a great impact on the league and local basketball at large.
“Quinito and I raised the matter because there may be some players who deserve recognition to be in the Top 50 but fall short of some of the criteria we drew up, although they have had a huge impact in the growth and popularity of the league,” he said. “We will include this in our March 11 meeting.”
Those who have already made it to the first 40 are Johnny Abarrientos, William “Bogs” Adornado, Jimmy Alapag, Renato “Ato” Agustin, Francis Arnaiz, Marlou Aquino, Caidic, Hector Calma, Mark Caguioa, Jayson Castro, Philip Cezar, Co, Jerry Codinera, Kenneth Duremdes, Bernard Fabiosa, Fernandez, Danilo Florencio, Alberto Guidaben, Freddie Hubalde, Jayjay Helterbrand, Danny Ildefonso, Robert Jaworski, Isabelo “Jojo” Lastimosa, Chito Loyzaga Lim Eng Beng, Avelino “Samboy” Lim, Ronnie Magsanoc, Vergel Meneses, Eric Menk, Manny Paner, Alving Patrimonio, Benjie Paras, Marc Pingris, Willie Miller, Kerby Raymundo, Asi Taulava, Arwind Santos, Kelly Williams and James Yap.
Fernandez also laughed off fake news reports claiming that he said Fajardo was undeserving of his eight PBA MVP plums.
“Whoever wrote that obviously doesn’t know me and Junemar and our relationship,” said “El Presidente” of the recent Facebook post on Love Sports purporting that he did not believe that Fajardo was worth all those awards.
His wife, Karla Kintanar-Fernandez, brought the negative post to his attention, but Fernandez said that the public knew the truth and was not bothered at all.
