DeportGrahamLimMovement
Banned
Tejada, I don't know from what team, the one that was paralyzed because another player fell down hard on him, how is he now?
Steve Watson the "Bandana Kid" used to manage Pepsi Mega (the ancestor of Mobiline/Talk 'n Text) in the PBA but that was almost 14 years ago. He is a Fil-Australian. I remember he played for the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the NCAA college competition while still a senior in high school.
Last I heard of him was when he played for the Ateneo All-stars in the 2006 Fil-Oil Flying V Homegrown Cup. He was supposed to play at the aborted San Beda vs Ateneo Games last 2008.
Thanks for the info sir. How about Gary Vargas? I think he was the first local I ever saw dunk.
Tejada, I don't know from what team, the one that was paralyzed because another player fell down hard on him, how is he now?
- Hector Calma - former Team Manager of the Coca-Cola Tigers... currently the San Miguel Beermen Team Manager
- Samboy Lim - former San Miguel Beermen Team Manager... currently the Barangay Ginebra Kings Team Manager
- Allan Caidic - former Head Coach of the Barangay Ginebra Kings, former Assistant Coach of the RP National Team, former Team Manager of Barangay Ginebra Kings and of the Coca-Cola Tigers... currently the Barangay Ginebra Kings Assistant Coach
- Alvin Patrimonio - current Team Manager of Purefoods Chunkee Giants
- Robert Jaworski - former Senator
A PBA legend recalls basketball’s glory years
By Marjorie Gorospe
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 20:32:00 09/14/2009
MANILA, Philippines – There were only a few recognized basketball players coming from the Filipino-Chinese community during his time but the name Lim Eng Beng is already written in local basketball history.
One of PBA’s all-time greatest players, Lim is best remembered for his exploits with the U-Tex Wranglers during the early years of the Philippine Basketball Association (He actually started playing for Concepcion Industries when the league started in 1975 and later on transferred to U-Tex).
Playing shooting guard, he was part of the first-ever PBA Mythical Five that also included Most Valuable Player William “Bogs” Adornado of the Crispa Redmanizers. He won two championships with U-Tex in 1978 and 1980.
“During out time, there was no three-point shot area so even if we take a shot from half-court, it’s still counted as two points, two points so it is easier now,” said the 58-year-old PBA great who also played for now-defunct Crispa and Manila Beer.
Lim had celebrated college basketball career before turning pro, playing for De La Salle back when the Green Archers were still part of NCAA. Playing in his senior year in 1974, he led the Green Archers in winning the championship game against rival Ateneo (also part of the NCAA then) where he scored 55 points.
He was also named MVP during that collegiate season, averaging 32 points per game. La Salle already retired jersey number 14, a fitting tribute to Lim as one of the greatest players to have ever worn a Green Archers uniform.
“I feel blessed because I was the first player to have a retired jersey in the Philippines,” he said, recalling then that the NCAA was more popular than the UAAP.
After almost two decades of playing basketball, he retired and went into business but continued to maintain a healthy lifestyle playing the game from time to time.
Lim said he still watches the PBA on television. While today’s players are definitely taller, he said his generation had the better shooters.
“Before, our tallest player would be someone who is 6-foot-4, now there are players in the PBA who are even 6-foot-10. Today’s players are more powerful under the basket but players before can shoot from different angles,” he explained.
He also became sentimental at one point during the interview, noting that today’s generation of PBA stars owe it to the league’s 25 Greatest Players for making the league well-loved by Filipino fans.
Nonetheless, he wants to see the PBA prosper further and is hoping that players today will play for honor and love of the game, more than just the promise of wealth.
“They’re lucky enough to be getting almost half a million (pesos) a month when during our time, we were contented with five thousand,” he said. “I hope that they will play whatever it takes to be a great player and being a great player means playing for your company and your country whatever it takes.”
when i was young, i hated u-tex because it bothered the crispa-toyota rivalry. like a 3rd wheel or as we say in tagalog, "panggulo."
so i kinda hated limengbeng. i also thought he was korean.
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when i was young, i hated u-tex because it bothered the crispa-toyota rivalry. like a 3rd wheel or as we say in tagalog, "panggulo."
so i kinda hated limengbeng. i also thought he was korean.![]()
In my case, I was a Crispa-natic but also liked U-tex because of their win against my hated team Toyota for the reinforced conference (I forgot what year that was) with their championship series described by great coach Tommy Manotoc as "one step backward, two steps forward".
But as time went by, watching and comparing the PBA then and now that I really learned to appreciate all of the teams and players then, even the marginal players, especially the one that I hated most - Toyota with Jaworski because of the excitement they brought with their rivalry with Crispa as I feel that players and games back then were better and much more exciting than today, no offense meant to present PBA fans.
Oo nga pala, the first dunk that I saw made by a local was a reverse slam by Abe King. He actually confessed afterwards that his arms went sore since the ring wasn't collapsible that time, then a two-handed slam by Guidaben and then by those exciting guards and fowards of Gilbeys Gin - Gary Vargas, Joey Marquez and Steve Watson but I think the ring, but not the backboard was already collapsible during their time.
I didn't know that Gary Vargas did succumb to drug addiction, what I remember once when Vargas was interviewed at sidecourt as the best player of the game, he was thanking his wife for giving him dextrose for added stamina.
I also remember having a very friendly and funny encounter with Guidaben during work as he was one of the walk-in clients. He approached one of my younger staff who was funny "mali-mali" lady, then the staff tried to initiate the conversation with Guidaben trying to flatter him said loudly that she knows him as a good retired basketball player but can't remember his name, she asked me loudly from a distance who he was so, naughty me, knowing Guidaben and his fierce rivalry with Fernandez during their time, I replied in jest "Oo magaling yan, si Ramon Fernandez yan!" - "Yes, he is Ramon Fernandez and he is very good!". That sent everybody laughing in the office, including Guidaben. He was really a good sport with a hearty laugh, contrary to his monicker as a volcano from one of the islands in the Visayas (i forgot the name) due to his short fuse on court.![]()
- Hector Calma - former Team Manager of the Coca-Cola Tigers... currently the San Miguel Beermen Team Manager
- Samboy Lim - former San Miguel Beermen Team Manager... currently the Barangay Ginebra Kings Team Manager
- Allan Caidic - former Head Coach of the Barangay Ginebra Kings, former Assistant Coach of the RP National Team, former Team Manager of Barangay Ginebra Kings and of the Coca-Cola Tigers... currently the Barangay Ginebra Kings Assistant Coach
- Alvin Patrimonio - current Team Manager of Purefoods Chunkee Giants
- Robert Jaworski - former Senator
- Hector Calma - former Team Manager of the Coca-Cola Tigers... currently the San Miguel Beermen Team Manager
- Samboy Lim - former San Miguel Beermen Team Manager... currently the Barangay Ginebra Kings Team Manager
- Allan Caidic - former Head Coach of the Barangay Ginebra Kings, former Assistant Coach of the RP National Team, former Team Manager of Barangay Ginebra Kings and of the Coca-Cola Tigers... currently the Barangay Ginebra Kings Assistant Coach
- Alvin Patrimonio - current Team Manager of Purefoods Chunkee Giants
- Robert Jaworski - former Senator
you forgot... Pido Jarencio - Asst. Coach - SMB...![]()
MANILA, Philippines – Even though he’s retired from professional basketball, Vergel Meneses makes sure he keeps himself fit enough to play exhibition games.
The 6-foot-3 Meneses carried the moniker “The Aerial Voyager” for his acrobatic and moves to the basket, making him an explosive offensive threat reminiscent of Samboy “The Skywalker” Lim, who he succeeded in the amateur leagues playing for Swift.
The 10-time PBA All-Star played for several teams but was most successful with Sunkist, wining the coveted Most Valuable Player award in 1995 when he led the RFM franchise to a near grand slam – copping two of out three conferences.
Even after announcing his retirement in 2006, Meneses said it was important for him to stay fit because he always gets invited to play exhibition matches. He recently saw action in the ASEAN veterans basketball tournament held in Marikina City.
“Not just because I’m out of PBA, I’ll let my body loosen up and get back into shape drastically when there’s an exhibition game. I really discipline myself and be strict with my diet,” he said.
Though not a strict vegetarian, Meneses said he limits himself to a cup of rice every meal and eats a lot of fruits and vegetables.
“I always set my target like when it comes to my weight and when I achieve it I stop then just repeat my routine,” said Meneses, who kept himself busy with various businesses after his professional career.
Prior to the PBL and PBA, Meneses played for Jose Rizal College (now Jose Rizal University) in the NCAA.
The league’s 1993 Most Improved Player and four-time PBA All-Star Game Most Valuable player feels overwhelmed that basketball fans still recognize him even though the league has produced many talented players.
During his heyday, Meneses, who won back-to-back slam dunk contests when he entered the PBA in 1992, was known as a go-to guy who isn’t afraid to take crucial shots when the game is on the line.
“I hope they still remember me as someone who has the will to win especially during crunch time,” he said.