CLOSE friends and former teammates of basketball great Avelino "Samboy" Lim gathered together on Saturday to celebrate the 61st birthday of the high-flying cager dubbed "Skywalker."
Samboy Lim celebrates 61st birtday with fellow basketball legends
The simple celebration at the condo unit where Lim stays turned out to be a mini-reunion of the San Miguel Beer and Philippine national teams where the high-wire wingman made a name for himself during his playing career.
Robert Evangelista of the Manila City Engineer’s Office and best friend of Lim, said among those who came by were former San Miguel teammates Allan Caidic and Hector Calma along with coach Norman Black, while fellow national players Jojo Lastimosa and Alvin Patrimonio were also present.
Caidic and Lim once formed the formidable wing of the Northern Consolidated Corporation (NCC) national team, where Calma served as chief point guard of the late legendary coach Ron Jacobs.
Calma and Lim would later became teammates at San Miguel, which Black steered to a PBA grand slam in 1989.
Caidic joined the Beermen four years later and went to win the 1993 Governors’ Cup together with Lim.
Lastimosa and Patrimonio still got to play together with Lim briefly as part of the Philippine men’s basketball team following the disbandment of the NCC squad, although Lim’s iconic team up with Lastimosa at Lhuillier in 1986 proved to be a blockbuster as the duo led the Jewelers to the PABL (Philippine Amateur Basketball League) First Conference championship.
Atty. Darlene Marie Berberabe, wife of Lim, served as gracious host to all the guests.
“We were invited by Lelen for Sam’s birthday,” said Lastimosa, who, just the night before, steered TNT Tropang Giga to the finals of the PBA Governors Cup after finishing off the Meralco Bolts, 107-92.
“Malakas si Sam ngayon. Medyo tumaba nga, kaya pinagda-diet siya,” shared Evangelista.
A mass was held prior to the lunch gathering, after which Berberabe made a brief thank you speech to show gratitude to all of Lim’s friends who dropped by to celebrate with him.
Others present were sports broadcaster and columnist Quinito Henson with wife Menchu, Butchick Lastimosa, Ynez Ortiz-Calma, and NCAA commissioner Tonichi Pujante, a teammate of Lim at Letran, who also came along with his wife.
Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Jamie Lim, Samboy’s daughter, was not around as she is currently studying abroad.
“Wala si Jamie. Nasa London, nag-aaral,” said Evangelista.
It has been nine years since Lim suffered a heart attack after collapsing during a PBA Legends exhibition game at the Ynares Center in Pasig.
He continues to receive round-the-clock medical care until now.
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