THE Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is now priming up for the selection of 10 other names who will formally join the 50 Greatest Players in history in time for the league's grand 50 anniversary celebration.
Commissioner Willie Marcial announced the composition of a select panel led by four-time MVP Ramon Fernandez and fellow MVP winners Atoy Co and Allan Caidic to scrutinize and go over the 10 deserving honorees who are going to be added to the 40 Greatest Players earlier named by the league.
Along with Fernandez, Co, and Caidic, also part of the selection committee are champion coach Dante Silverio, former league commissioner Renauld 'Sonny' Barrios, former sports editors Ding Marcelo (Bulletin), Al Mendoza (Philippine Daily Inquirer), The Philippine Star sports editor Nelson Beltran, who is also president of the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA), and veteran broadcasters Quinito Henson and Andy Jao.
Fernandez, Co, and Caidic were all part of the 25 Greatest Players of all time named in 2000.
The panel convenes on Feb. 6 in what Marcial said would be a series of meetings to determine the rightful names that will comprise the new list of the PBA's Greatest Players.
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Marcial said he and some members of the league will help facilitate the nomination and eventually, the selection process.
The commissioner added he's going to suggest for the panel to take a look at the players by batches starting in the league's inception in 1975 in order not to miss out on possible names deserving to be included in the list.
Also up for discussion is the outright inclusion of San Miguel Beer big man June Mar Fajardo, who is the only player in PBA history to win a record eight MVP awards, including six straight from 2014-2019.
"Isa-suggest ko na rin na si June Mar pasok na (50 Greatest Players). Pero depende pa rin yan sa committee. Magpa-facilitate lang naman yung PBA," said Marcial. (RG)
