Jaworski was arguably the most popular basketball player in the country during his heyday.
The younger generation of PBA fans will likely never know just how big the Big J Robert Jaworski really was back in the day. Most of today’s fans might not even know much about the man dubbed the “Living Legend.”
Put simply, Jaworski was the biggest star of the PBA during his time—and nobody came close.
He was the man, the myth, the legend—and he was adored by Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s millions of fans. In fact, Jaworski actually made Ginebra the crowd darling it is today.
And, in a recent episode of An Eternity of Basketball, no less than Ginebra fan favorite Noli Locsin attested to Jaworski’s immense popularity, even as he transitioned to a 40-something playing-coach who rarely played anymore.
Asked by the hosts to recall a specific instance of the fabled Jaworksi magic with the crowd, Locsin clarified there were many. But he nonetheless singled out one moment.
“Nauna na ‘yung kalaban namin, lahat nang tao nandun sa kanila dahil sila ‘yung nauna. Then, babaan kaming mga players. Kami muna, si coach [Jaworski] huli,” recalled Locsin. “Di kami makadaan sa dami nang tao. Maya-maya bumaba na si coach, andun na ‘yung mga tao sa kaniya.
The Tank made sure to emphasize just how big of a draw Jaworksi was.
“Buong team na yan ah. Bumaba kami, kumumpol ‘yung mga tao sa ‘min. Nung bumaba si coach, naubos ‘yung tao sa ‘min,” Locsin added.
The thing is, Locsin is not lying. Jaworski really drew massive crowds wherever he went.