MON Fernandez said the screening committee exhausted all means to ensure that the 10 newest members of the PBA Greatest Players list are the most deserving.
The PBA is slated to reveal the greats that will complete the 50 Greatest Players list on Wednesday night as part of the league’s 50th anniversary this year.
Aside from Fernandez, the members of the committee are current PBA deputy commissioner Eric Castro, former league commissioner Sonny Barrios, former players Atoy Co and Allan Caidic, ex-Toyota coach Dante Silverio, and media practitioners Quinito Henson, Andy Jao, Ding Marcelo, Nelson Beltran, and Al Mendoza.
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Fernandez said the screening committee ensured that no one was left out of the list.
“Naka-tatlong meeting kami, and then ‘yung pang-apat was confirmation na lang doon sa pinili namin. The first meeting, nag-submit kami ng mga pangalan namin, tinally on the second meeting, kinonfirm namin, and in the third meeting, some were asking kung meron pa bang ibang nakalimutan,” said Fernandez on Tuesday.
“We felt na unanimous na ‘yung napili namin,” said Fernandez.
Fernandez described the process as ‘simple.’
“Madali lang proseso because you just have to base it on the statistics of the players, their impact on the game and sa fans. We are talking basketball here,” Fernandez added.
Fernandez didn’t reveal identities of the 10 greatest players on the list, but gave a general clue of who could they be.
“Merong nakasama ko, merong nakalaban ko, meron ding pagkatapos ko [after retirement] meron ding nakapasok,” said Fernandez, who played in the PBA since its inception in 1975 until in 1994.
Observers consider MVP awardees June Mar Fajardo and Scottie Thompson as shoo-ins for the distinction, with players such as Abe King and Nelson Asaytono also deserving of a spot after being snubbed previously.
The former commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission and the defunct MBA said it was a joy to be part of the screening committee, especially with the meetings leading to reminisces of their playing careers.
“We had fun reminiscing our playing days, kaming tatlo ni Atoy and ni Allan,” said the 71-year-old Fernandez of Co, his former rival during the Toyota-Crispa days, and Caidic, who became his teammate at San Miguel.
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