After the great Carlos Loyzaga, it was only Avelino “Samboy” Lim, Jr. who was able to raise the Filipino basketball player to a truly regal and noble level.
Lim always performed with heroic passion, bearing the honor, grace and dignity, the inborn integrity of a fearless warrior king.
If Loyzaga got honored for his greatness with his selection to the World Mythical Selection in the 1954 World Basketball Championship, Lim achieved his golden feat with a superlative game for Danding Cojuangco’s San Miguel team that beat the famed Banco di Roma in the World Basketball Club Championship in Girona, Spain in 1985.
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Lim defied all odds, including an asthmatic condition, to score 34 points in sparking the Philippine side to a victory over the famed Italian international squad.
In tribute, the Banco di Roma coach, Mario di Sisti, saluted Lim while announcing at the end of the contest that they could come home again only by taking a plane through the Italian backdoor.
Lim, who would come to be known as “The Skywalker,” continued to perform with undiminished passion and dedication that would make him the marked man by opponents in foreign fields.
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Lim could be well on the way to matching Loyzaga’s worth and possibly assume the kingship in Philippine basketball until multiple injuries, including those in his shoulders and legs, cut short his fabulous playing career.
King Caloy, the Great Difference, has remained with no worthy successor, while Samboy, at this reporting, was still comatose after having given all again before suffering a heart seizure during an exhibition game in Pasig City last Friday.
Let’s all continue to pray for this honest, committed and gentle MVP, a Most Valuable Person, indeed.