30 November 2014

Samboy Lim's Health Shocked PBA

Samboy
ABS-CBNnews.com, 29 November 2014

Former teammates of PBA great Avelino ''Samboy'' Lim were shocked after hearing the news about his health condition.

The 52-year-old former San Miguel Beer player was rushed to The Medical City in Ortigas on Friday after falling unconscious shortly following his participation in an exhibition game.

"Everybody’s saddened by the news. He’s my former teammate," said Meralco coach Norman Black in PBA.ph. "We won nine championships. It’s a horrible feeling."

Black, whose Meralco team got defeated by San Miguel in its last outing, used to play with Lim and eventually became his coach during Beermen’s grandslam years.

"[San Miguel assistant coach] Biboy Ravanes told me before the game that [Lim] collapsed. It puts everything in perspective. It’s always what you do in life. The fact that I’m still involved with basketball, but when you talk about life and death, it’s a different story," Black said. "After the game, Biboy told me that he’s comatose."

"He’s a great player, a great person, [has a] great attitude, hard worker, had a little bit of bad luck with injuries, but still, he’s probably the second most popular player in the league behind [Robert] Jaworski. I had a lot of good memories with Samboy."

Danny Ildefonso, for his part, said that he learned a lot from "The Skywalker.'

Ildefonso is a former San Miguel Beer player like Lim . They played against each other at the defunct PBL in 1998, when Lim suited for Welcoat after his PBA years while Ildefonso joined AGFA.

"Si Sam, pag nagkukwento siya, natutulog siya sa gym, paggising niya, weights pa rin. Iyun ang tinuro nya, hard work at pagiging professional sa trabaho," he said.

"Sana yung mga San Miguel fans, lalong-lalo na iyung mga humanga kay Papa Sam, napakalaking tulong ng dasal para sa pamilya nya. Isama natin si Samboy Lim sa mga prayers natin," added Ildefonso.

Some of Lim's team mates who visited him at the hospital include fellow PBA legends Allan Caidic, Pido Jarencio, and Nelson Asaytono.

Lim joined San Miguel Beer when he was picked third overall in the 1986 draft.

His acrobatic shots, hang time moves and slam dunks made him a fan favorite and one of PBA's most exciting players.

Lim sported jersey no. 9 and wore his trademark knee-high socks as a tribute to his basketball idol, former NBA superstar Julius "Dr. J" Erving.

The Skywalker never got an MVP award in his 11 illustrious years in the PBA due to his failure to finish seasons. His gravity-defying moves had led him to suffer numerous injuries, forcing him to miss several games.

However, he still made it to the PBA hall of fame and was chosen as one of PBA’s 25 Greatest Players.

No comments:

Post a Comment