THE DIVORCE was as sudden as it was sad. Robert Jaworski and Barangay Ginebra, two local basketball icons whose paths seemed to be hopelessly intertwined, parted ways under less-than-ideal circumstances.
But time has blurred the memory of that separation and, more than a decade later, Jaworski is open to rejoining the team that fans continue to associate with him despite the number of stars that have donned its colors.
“I can have healthy initiatives in that direction,” Jaworski said, flashing a knowing smile. “I’m ready to take the challenge.”
Jaworski, dubbed the PBA’s “Living Legend,” graced a luncheon hosted in his honor by sports channel AKTV as a prelude to his jersey retirement ceremony on July 8.
Whatever animosity was reported during the days when Jaworski left Ginebra over disagreements on how decisions were being implemented seemed a thing of the past. The team appeared like a co-host of the luncheon. After all, the retirement ceremony means that nobody from the Gin Kings can wear the jersey No. 7 anymore.
But Jaworski remained vague over his plans. In politics, he did not directly answer whether he would make another run for the Senate.
“You don’t have to be in public office to help people,” he said. But just when it seemed like he was closing that chapter of his life, he said his experience in the Senate has made him “ready to be a senator.”
And Jaworski refused to say he was officially retiring from the PBA, joking that he was getting in shape “for 2016.”
“There’s a little fat now in my abs, but nothing that I can’t lose. I just might surprise you.”
His vagueness gave rise to talk he could make a return to Ginebra as a coach. But if he is to make a return, Jaworski’s only requirement is that he should be able to perform at his best.
“If I can’t do even just a little of what I want to do, never mind,” he said. “Kung salingpusa lang ako, eh di sa pusa nalang ako makikipaglaro.”
Jaworski and Ginebra are still a perfect match. In fact, the Big J still sees a little of the old Ginebra in this batch of Gin Kings. “They’re good. They just need to be more consistent,” he said.