 |
| Jaworski after leading the Gordon's Gin Boars team to the PBA Commissioner's Cup in 1997 (SOURCE: The Philippine Daily Inquirer, September 9, 1997) |
Affectionately known as Jawo, his popularity started to shine when he started playing basketball for the Red Warriors team of the University of the East during the 1960s.
He played at the MICAA league from the mid-1960s to early 1970s. Within the same period, Jaworski occasionally played as part of topnotch Philippine squads in the FIBA championships.
After his stint at the MICAA in the early 1970s, Jaworski began his career as a player in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) spanned more than two-decades. From 1975 to 1984, he played for the Toyota team. Up to 1998, his stint with Ginebra San Miguel (currently known as Barangay Ginebra Kings) as playing coach figured highly in the team's status as one as the league's most popular teams.
Jaworski steered the Philippine men's basketball team to a silver-medal finish at the 1990 Asian Games as coach. This team was composed of the PBA's best players, giving Jaworski the opportunity to work with his rivals in the basketball court.
His fame got an extension in the political arena with his election as a Senator of the Philippines, serving from 1998 to 2004.
No doubt, Jaworski still earns the adoration of fans from all walks of life. Despite the physical nature of his game, Jaworski is known for hard work, discipline, and never-say-die attitude. The last attribute mentioned is also the defining aspect of the Barangay Ginebra team in the PBA.
In celebration of Robert Jaworski's achievements, I will be sharing with you a clipping of Al S. Mendoza's column in the September 9, 1997 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Final lines of the column:
"Never underestimate again the power of the Living Legend - Robert Jaworski.
When he'll finally becomes the league's Living Legend, nobody dares ask."
No comments:
Post a Comment