CANDON City – Philippine basketball’s Living Legend Robert Jaworski Sr. turned 80 on Sunday just as the pro league he helped take to unprecedented heights holds the traditional PBA All-Star Game on its 50th anniversary season.
Born on March 8, 1946, the Big J played an integral part in the staging of the midseason classic, which the league formally institutionalized back in 1989.
And it was in that All-Star edition 37 years ago where the Toyota and Barangay Ginebra great dished off what would one of the most memorable plays in the history of the annual classic.
READ Can this PBA All-Star Game moment ever be topped?
Playing for the Veterans team of coach Virgilio ‘Baby’ Dalupan, Jaworski inbounded the ball to former teammate Ramon Fernandez, who drove past defenders Benjie Paras and Alvin Patrimonio to score on a reverse layup for the game-winner against the Rookies/Sophomores/Juniors, 132-130, before an overflow crowd at the ULTRA (now Philsports Arena).
That game-winning play marked the end of the silent feud between Jaworski and Fernandez, who didn't see eye to eye since parting ways following the disbandment of Toyota in 1983.
Fernandez topscored for the Veterans with 20 points, while Jaworski was held scoreless, but had six rebounds and seven assists including the game-winning dishoff to 'El Presidente.'
The former senator played in the three succeeding All-Star editions while acting as playing coach in 1990, 1991, and 1992.
He led the Veterans to a 146-118 rout of the Rookies/Sophomores/Juniors in his first All-Star coaching foray in 1990, lost the following year while calling the shots for the Dark All-Stars against the Light All-Stars, and dropped a 108-105 loss against the South All-Star as head coach of the North All-Stars in 1992 when the league officially adopted the North-South format.
The Hall of Famer and PBA’s all-time assist leader coached in the All-Star game two more times in 1996, and 1997, respectively.
In the 1996 showcase, Jaworski led the Rookies/Sophomores/Juniors to a 131-115 victory over the Veterans, but couldn’t replicate it the following year as the Veterans bowed to the Rookies/Sophomores/Juniors, 126-123.
In all, Jaworski had a 2-3 (win-loss) record in the All-Star game.
For his contributions to the All-Star spectacle, the PBA greeted the Big J on his special day during the telecast of the North versus South extravaganza at the Candon City Arena.
Commissioner Willie Marcial said Jaworski was a big supporter of the 50-year-old league even in his retirement and has been giving him advice when he took the helm of the league in 2018.
“Lagi niya akong binibigyan ng advice lalo na nung naging commissioner ako,” said Marcial, who disclosed talking to Jaworski over the phone from time to time especially when one of the PBA’s 50 Greatest players was still active watching the game.
“Yung mga basics and fundamental (ng games) lagi niyang pinapaalala sa akin. Sasabihin niya sa aking dapat ganito, dapat ganyan. Kaya malaking tulong si Senator Jaworski sa akin.”
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
