 |
| From Ginebra tambayan website |
This appears in the PBA website.
Making a difference: Chito
Loyzaga is named to the PBA’s 40 greatest list
by rick olivares
When Chito Loyzaga attended the PSA forum the other day, he was
surprised when veteran sports scribe James Ty asked him about how he felt being
named as one of the PBA’s 40 Greatest Players.
Loyzaga thought it was a prank but when more sportswriters came over
to interview him, it finally dawned upon him that this was for real. He looked
around to check if he wasn’t in some new episode of “Wow Mali” or that sort.
Answering the question, Loyzaga said he didn’t know how to react but was
humbled and happy to be a part of it all.
On the way home, he told his wife, Toni, about being named to the hallowed
list and the PSA incident. His wife’s first reaction was, “It’s about time.”
Joaquin “Chito” Loyzaga played for 10 years in the PBA for three
different ballclubs – Toyota, in his rookie year in 1983; Great Taste for two
years, then lastly, Ginebra San Miguel for which he is most known for. He was
known for his defense of which he was named to the All-Defensive Team seven
times and the Mythical Second Team once. Loyzaga was also known for his booming
triples. He was a part of eight
championship squads.
You can say that the eldest son of the great Caloy Loyzaga was
always in the right place at the right time. He won his first championship as a
San Beda Red Cub in 1974, coincidentally, the first year that Ato Badolato came
on board as head coach. By the time he moved up to the seniors ranks, more
championships followed. Then he was a part of two of the most iconic clubs in
league history.
“I was perhaps luckier than others to get that opportunity,” says
Loyzaga in an aww-shucks manner. “It’s an honor to play for three iconic
ballclubs and with such great players. For me, it was never about scoring the
most points; it was about doing my part for the team to win. And I feel lucky.
Really lucky.”
“To be a part of that glorious rivalry between Crispa or Toyota. To
get that chance to be a part of one of those great teams was a privilege. At
that time, you were either for one team. There was no sitting on a fence. Even for
one year, it is a great honor.”
“In Great taste, we were quite a young team with Bogs Adornado who
was our mentor and kuya who I had the opportunity to play with. Of course, we
had great players like Ricky Brown, Arnie Tuadles, and even Abe King. Again
these are memories and experiences I will always treasure. And of course, there
was the great years of playing for Ginebra San Miguel. It was an experience
that up to this day that I cannot find the right words to explain. You never got
tired because the crowd always energized you. Even to this day when I hear the
chant of “Gi-ne-bra” my hair – whatever is left of it – stands up.”
When Loyzaga came up to the league in 1983, the country was hit my
a political and economic crisis brought about by the assassination of Ninoy
Aquino. Toyota didn’t survive the turmoil and one year after that team’s
disbandment, its great rival, Crispa followed suit.
“At that time I was also thinking about my survival. Even the
league at that time had its own share of concerns and it was a little bit shaky
at that time. That the league survived shows the strength of the product.”
Even after he hung up his sneakers, Loyzaga stayed in the game in
some form from serving as commissioner of the defunct Metropolitan Basketball
Association to the UAAP; working as chairman of the Philippine Sports
Commission, and now with some project that he is cooking up that involves some
retired pros.
In the next few days, Loyzaga plans to inform his father about
being named to the PBA’s greatest list. “When I was growing up, my father
prepared my brother Joey and I for what was to come – and that is being compared
to him. We were never burdened by that expectation. Not at all. We just went
out to play.”
“I’ll tell you one incident that probably drove me to succeed,”
says Chito.
For his elementary years, the Loyzaga brothers went to Ateneo de
Manila. He played basketball and football but opted to try his luck in making
the grade school team. Unfortunately, he was never chosen.
“Naka-strike three ang Ateneo sa mga Loyzaga,” he says.
His father, Caloy, was first discovered by the late Fr. Jim
Donelan, S.J. who brought him to Ateneo for a tryout. They were so impressed
that they wanted to put him on the team but there was no available scholarship.
“That’s how he ended up in San Beda,” explained Chito.
“Now strike two and three? They had Joey and me already but they
didn’t get us so San Beda did (although the sisters studied at Loyola Heights).
But I was able to check things off my bucket list when I played for an Ateneo
All-Star team in the 1980s with Joy Carpio, Padim Israel, Steve Watson, and the
others against La Salle and playing in the Ateneo Basketball League (where this
author was his teammate) where I won a championship. It’s not the NCAA or the
UAAP but it’s something off my bucket list.”
Now on the exact year of Chito Loyzaga’s 40th year in
sports, he is coincidentally named to the PBA’s list of its 40 Greatest
Players. “I would say again, I’m just lucky that my contributions and love for
the sport have been recognized. But 40 years… it means that I have been around
for a long time.”
The son of the Big Difference sure did make a Big Difference.
 |
| This picture of Chito's old column in the Inquirer that I took from Juan Cutillas' archives. |
No comments:
Post a Comment