ROLLY Manlapaz, long recognized as the voice of collegiate basketball in the Philippines, died on a gloomy Thursday afternoon after a long fight with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). He was 53.
Manlapaz was the man behind the mic in UAAP and the NCAA games for nearly two decades, his booming baritone voice and catchy monikers for players making the live experience a lot more enthralling for audiences.
The veteran coliseum barker, who for a time also called games in the PBA, the defunct MBA and the Shakey's V-League, was a fighter through and through, and was reportedly revived early Thursday before eventually passing away.
Players and fans alike aired their support to Manlapaz as he battled a disease identified with the late baseball great Lou Gehrig for the past couple of months, with a Ateneo-La Salle exhibition game held to raise funds for his medical needs.
Former Ateneo star Kiefer Ravena is also set to host a golf tournament at Valley Golf Club next month, with Manlapaz one of the chief beneficiaries.
Aside from his work on the mic, the Communication Arts graduate from Ateneo was best remembered for giving PBA star Calvin Abueva his 'The Beast' moniker.
“I thought at first he wouldn’t like the sound of 'The Beast,'" Manlapaz recalled as he sat down for an interview with Spin.ph back in 2013. "But after a few games, he got used to it and now he’s proud to be called 'The Beast.'"
The former deejay was also responsible for christening Nino Canaleta as 'KG,' no doubt because of his resemblance to Kevin Garnett, Rico Villanueva as 'The Raging Bull,' and Ronald Tubid as 'The Saint.'
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