The Skywalker was one of one.
A couple of days before Christmas Day, the local basketball world mourned the passing of PBA great Samboy Lim. Heartfelt messages from fans and peers unsurprisingly poured in honor of the legendary cager.
On Monday, the PBA paid tribute to Lim during the halftime break of the game between the San Miguel Beermen and the Phoenix Fuel Masters with a video and the sounding of the final buzzer.
A few more respected names in the league also honored The Skywalker, who won nine titles with San Miguel.
Suffering several major injuries throughout his storied career, Lim endured it all for the people and for the sake of winning, according to veteran analyst Andy Jao.
“More or less, (he had this) devil-may-care attitude when he plays because he wants to please the fans, as well as try to make his team win. That's what eventually caused his injuries,” Dr. J told reporters.
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Despite missing a lot of games, the fearless guard maintained his high-flying style. Perhaps he didn’t know another way to go about things other than giving it his all every single game.
“Makikita mo ‘yung pursigido (siyang) manalo, ‘yung (kung) paano siya mag-practice, dire-diretso ‘yan. Kung ano ang practice niya, ‘yun din ang sa laro niya. Lagi siyang go hard,” PBA commissioner Willie Marcial shared. “Ang daming naimpluwensiyahan ni Samboy Lim.”
San Miguel superstar Terrence Romeo agreed with Marcial. For TR7, two things stand out when he thinks about Lim’s lasting impact.
“Grabe ‘yung influence ni idol Samboy. Every time na naglalaro si Samboy, as in laging sinasabi na 120 to 200 percent ‘yung binibigay niya, as in all out talaga. At siyempre, ‘yung mga acrobatic shot (niya),” bared Romeo, who dropped 22 points against Phoenix.
Lim passed away last Saturday. He was 61 years old. He had been under medical care since suffering a heart attack, which left him bed-ridden, during an exhibition game in 2014.
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The former Letran Knights standout was included in the PBA's 40 Greatest Players list. Many believe he could've won multiple MVP awards if it wasn't for his injuries. Always a class act, the Sportsmanship Award was named after him.
For sure, the tributes for Lim will keep on coming, perhaps stacking up as high as the sky he walked.
(With reports from Ian Suyu, News5)
(PM)