Benjie Paras. https://pba.inquirer.net/ photo
MANILA, Philippines — Two-time PBA Most Valuable Player Benjie Paras led three other greats inducted into the PBA Hall of Fame.
Paras, still the only PBA player to become Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same year, was joined by former Shell teammate and one of the league’s best players at his time Ronnie Magsanoc, league pioneer Lim Eng Beng and multititled head coach Ed Ocampo as the fifth batch of hall of famers.
Paras, Magsanoc, Lim and Ocampo made it through the final cut thoroughly reviewed and evaluated by the Honors Committee led by commissioner Chito Salud and board chairman Robert Non.
Immediate PBA past chairman Mert Mondragon, incoming chairman Ramon Segismundo and media practitioners Bobby Barreiro, Ding Marcelo, Joe Antonio and Lorenzo Lomibao Jr. were the other members of the Honors Committee that screened the list of candidates presented by the Selection Committee.
Paras, the committee’s clear-cut choice, and Magsanoc led Shell to four championships during their reign in the early 90s.
Lim won two championships with the U/Text squad — stealing the limelight away from the Crispa-Toyota rivalry.
Ocampo made his name as one of the only 10 coaches to win at least four PBA titles.
The fifth PBA Hall of Fame ceremony will be held either during the opening of the 2014 PBA Season or in a separate event prior to the opening.
The initial honorees were Robert Jaworski, Ramon Fernandez, Atoy Co, Philip Cezar, Bogs Adornado, Francis Arnaiz, Baby Dalupan, Leo Prieto, Emerson Coseteng, Rudy Salud, Danny Floro and Joe Cantada.
The other inductees were Abet Guidaben, Manny Paner, Danny Florencio, Norman Black, Ron Jacobs, Domingo Itchon, Danding Cojuangco, Dante Silverio, Tony Siddayao, Pinggoy Pengson, Bobby Parks, Allan Caidic, Samboy Lim, Hector Calma, Ricky Brown, Honeyboy Palanca, Jun Bernardino, Alvin Patrimonio, Billy Ray Bates, Freddie Hubalde, Tommy Manotoc, Tito Eduque, Mariano Yenko and Bobong Velez.