GAMES TOMORROW
(Ninoy Aquino Stadium)
5 p.m. – NorthPort vs. Terrafirma
7:30 p.m. – Rain or Shine vs. NLEX
THE clock inside the storied Rizal Memorial Coliseum in Manila read 3 p.m., a good two hours before the curtain-raiser.
In a rare sight outside the bustling venue, there was a long queue of fans from all walks of life that complemented the festive atmosphere of marching bands and overnight sellers of jerseys, and of course, ticket scalpers.
If this was a feast, it was indeed grand and bash and for the pro league’s past cage heroes, it was a heartfelt homecoming.
“I’m very honored na nakapunta ulit ako dito,” Elmer “Boy” Cabahug said. “It’s a nice feeling to look back at your experiences before. Basketball is my first love talaga.”
Added the original “Iron Man” Jaime “Jimmy” Noblezada: “Kung walang PBA, wala ako.”
The two retired stars showed up last Wednesday night as the PBA celebrated its 50th founding anniversary in the most memorable way that true-blue supporters will remember for a long time.
Cabahug, 60, was a two-time champion, 1989 All-Star Game MVP, and one-time Mythical Team member after stints with Alaska, Purefoods, Pepsi, and Sta. Lucia in the late 1980s to 1990s.
The bull-strong, 6-foot-2 Noblezada had a short but sweet career in Asia’s pioneering pro league, suiting up for seven seasons with stops at U-Tex and Conception Carrier, capped by two titles before calling it quits at age 31 to focus on raising his family.
Cabahug and Noblezada were just two of the jam-packed crowd that witnessed a retro game pitting defending Philippine Cup champion Meralco and San Miguel Beer in the nightcap.
The fabled squads wore throwback jerseys—the Bolts with their Reddy Kilowatts uniforms during their heydays in the old MICAA, the forerunner of the PBA.
The Beermen chose to bring back to life their 1982 shirts.
SMB fashioned a 110-98 victory over Meralco, with the match serving as nostalgia to Beermen coach Leo Austria.
“Noong dumating ako dito sa Rizal Memorial talagang maraming memorable moments for me,” Austria said. “During my amateur days, most of my games were played at the Rizal Memorial. When I was with Lyceum, we won the championship at the Rizal Memorial and then with Masagana, we won six consecutive championships in the National Seniors.
“So, Rizal Memorial is really dear to me. When I got here, nagka-goosebumps ako, parang reminiscing, ganyan. Before this game, I really wanted to win because there’s something special in this place.”
Today, the league will hold another special event—a grand gala night for the newest 10 players who made the 50 Greatest list at the posh Solaire Resort North in Quezon City.
“Siyempre nostalgic iyong tema ngayon kasi napapanood ko iyong mga ganoong klase na games,” reigning eight-time MVP June Mar Fajardo said. “Sa YouTube lang, iyong black and white pa iyong mga camera, pero iyon, masaya kami and sana may mga games ulit na retro iyong (tema).”
Before Fajardo gets his and the nine other legends their moment today, he was playfully bumped by Noblezada at center court before tip-off, signaling the passing of the torch.
