Jaworski is...

It has been almost 50 years since Robert Jaworski first gained notice in Philippine basketball. Initially a muscular center with the University of the East (anyone over six feet tall was a candidate for the slot then) in the early 1960’s, the hard-nosed varsity captain was christened “Big Jack” (probably because he was a giant-killer of sorts) before being known as the familiar “Big J”. With his huge hands, quick wits and immense heart, the kid with the Polish-American name became the symbol of Philippine basketball. If he were to be compared to many of the pioneering heroes of American basketball, he would stack up pretty well.

Jaworski is... Jerry West. The original logo of the Philippine Basketball Association was two generic players in mid-air, contesting possession. Eventually, as the league found its identity, it changed it to a solitary silhouette, that of the barreling Big J. Ironically, it was his backcourt partner, Francis Arnaiz, who was nicknamed “Mr, Clutch” like West. Like the older Jerry West who built the Los Angeles Laker dynasties of the 1980’s and early 2000’s, Jaworski also had a keen eye for talent, turning the underrated into superstars.

Jaworski is...Chuck Daly. This might read the other way around. When FIBA declared basketball an open sport, USA Basketball needed a venerated coach who would be respected by the NBA’s greatest players if they were to see action in the Olympics. The logical choice was Detroit Pistons mentor Chuck Daly. With all due respect, Bobby Jaworski saw action with his all-pro PBA selection first, in the 1990 Asian Games, months before the Dream Team played in the Tournament of the Americas to qualify for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Jaworski is...Bill Bradley. Of course, this comparison is obvious, with the intellectual, scholarly New York Knick being elected senator. Name recognition was one big factor, but passion and integrity also won the votes. And being a winner certainly helped.

Jaworski is...Red Auerbach. Earlier in his PBA career, you could argue that Jaworski was more of a Lakers coach, since Crispa was the foil to Toyota more often. But at Ginebra, the word dynasty comes to mind more often. And like the Celtics, he always had understudies ready to step up. His teams kept winning, even when people thought they were too old, too raw, too injured or too tired.

Jaworski is...Julius Erving. There are two reasons why the Living Legend is like Dr. J. The more pedestrian reason is that they both had huge hands. Erving took the high-wire act of his predecessors and made it into an art form. But his leaping ability was only one of his secrets. At his size, he had the hands of a center, much like the former frontliner Jaworski. That was the reason why he was able to control the basketball incredibly well. Oh, there is a third reason. Like Erving with the NBA, Jaworski’s charisma carried the PBA into its strongest era.

Jaworski is...Phil Jackson. Though Phil Jackson had the most complex approach, they shared the same enviable skill of squeezing the best out of their players. Jawo was the master motivator of the PBA, and he could turn no-name second-stringers into a dynasty, which was par for the course while he was at Ginebra.

Jaworski is...Michael Jordan. Every time His Airness played, other teams felt like they were playing on the road, because even their own fans cheered the Bulls. Ginebra always had the homecourt (and still do) one of Jaworski’s enduring legacies. Sports Illustrated once joked that each NBA team should have chipped in to pay Jordan’s salary. The truth is that the infant and adolescent PBA without Jaworski playing foil to many of the league’s greatest players, would not have been as bright.

Jaworski is...Yao Ming. It is estimated that, each time Yao played, the Houston Rockets had an extra 20 million Chinese televiewers. Television ratings have shown a consistent, proportionate spike for Ginebra games. It was simply the way things were. How often was Ginebra relegated to playing a first game back in the day?

Jaworski is...Dikembe Mutombo. The retired NBA All-Star center has been known for elevating the state of medicine is his native Congo. The tireless defender even raised over $2 million from other NBA players in order to build a hospital. Well. Long before it became fashionable, Bobby Jaworski would send his own money, fill trucks with relief goods, and do his own charity work, helping the poor, victims of calamities, and others in need, all without fanfare. How much he gave of himself – and not just materially – remains untold to this day.

Of course, Robert Jaworski is all of these and more to Philippine basketball. He was fiery, feared and even hated by opposing teams’ fans, but he was accommodating to a fault outside the basketball court. Many of today’s players shun the fans, but Jaworski would literally spend an hour or more after practice and even games signing autographs, posing for pictures, shaking hands and just saying hello. Gladly. He appreciated the fans, and they loved him back, and how. And half a century later, that affection still prevails.