MVP banners ‘Win For All’ in FIBA Hall of Fame

MANILA, Philippines —  SBP chairman emeritus and FIBA Central Board member Manny V. Pangilinan cited the importance of memoralizing greatness among legends of the game in calling to mind this year’s FIBA World Cup slogan “Win For All” during the FIBA Hall of Fame induction rites at the Harbor Garden Tent, Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila the other night.

The event was star-studded with FIBA secretary-general Andreas Zagklis, FIBA outgoing president Hamane Niang, FIBA incoming president Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani, NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum, NBA legends Dirk Nowitzki and Grant Hill, SBP chairman Sen. Sonny Angara, SBP president Al Panlilio, PBA chairman Ricky Vargas, PBA governors Alfrancis Chua, Rene Pardo, Atty. William Pamintuan and Silliman Sy, PBA commissioner Willie Marcial, POC president Mayor Bambol Tolentino, PSC chairman Dicky Bachmann, PSC commissioner Edward Hayco, SM Prime Holdings executive committee chairman Hans Sy and Cong. Mike Dy attending. NBA legend Yao Ming was also present as one of 12 Hall of Fame inductees, including the late Carlos Loyzaga, Japan’s Yuko Oga and Indonesia’s Sony Hendrawan.

Loyzaga was enshrined as the first Filipino player to be named to the FIBA Hall of Fame. The only other Filipino in the FIBA Hall of Fame is the late Dionisio (Chito) Calvo who was inducted as a contributor to the growth of basketball in 2007. Loyzaga’s widow Vicky attended the ceremony with her children Chito, Joey, Princess, Teresa and Bing. Loyzaga was a two-time Olympian who led the Philippines to third place at the FIBA World Cup in Rio de Janeiro in 1954. The finish was the best-ever by an Asian country in FIBA World Cup history. Loyzaga passed away at 85 in 2016.

Recognizing the FIBA Hall of Fame as a platform to continue writing the story of basketball, Pangilinan said “the game we love has grown rapidly…just look at the challenge even the greatest basketball nations face – from millions of kids playing in tens of thousands of courts all over Asia, South America and Oceania…each playground has its own story to tell…contemporary playground legends like Jokic and Antetokounmpo, Nowitzki and Petrovic, Yao Ming and Semjonova…the failure to record such legends would represent a failure of our institutional memory.”

Pangilinan said Loyzaga’s impact on the game “will always be the first great story of Philippine basketball and he has inspired so many of us to make sure that his story won’t be the last.” Pangilinan took the opportunity to explain why SBP brought the FIBA World Cup back to the Philippines after 45 years. “A chance to share our culture and unique hospitality with the world, a tourism boost, a gift to the Filipino people who adore the sport and what we really wanted to do was to plow more fertile ground for legends to grow – to have our hardcourts, our backboards and hoops, our fans – bear witness to the story of Philippine basketball as it is written, to transform our historic stadia into places of worship, to emphasize that this basketball-crazy country of ours belongs to the league of basketball nations which is FIBA and for the Philippines to be a cradle of enduring legends,” he said.

Chito Loyzaga, in accepting the award for his father, said, “Beyond his accolades, our family hopes that he will be remembered for his love of the game … along with this, may he also be remembered for his honesty, integrity, sense of justice and fair play, his simple dignity, quiet humility and deep gratitude for having been given the opportunity to represent his country.”