JAWORSKI AND CO. INVITED AS PBA CELEBRATES 35TH ANNIVERSARY

Players from four of the nine pioneering ballclubs of the Philippine
Basketball Association will be making a rare appearance in a reunion
date next week to highlight the league’s 35th Foundation Week
celebration set April 9-18.

“This will be the highlight of the entire Foundation Week
celebration,” said PBA Commissioner Renauld ‘Sonny’ Barrios. “We will be turning back the hands of time and paying tribute to these greats that evening.”

On April 9, 1975, an estimated crowd of 18,000 packed the Araneta
Coliseum for a double-header that saw Mariwasa Noritake turn back
Concepcion Carrier, 101-98, and Toyota edge U-Tex, 105-101.

Mariwasa was led by American import Cisco Oliver – he of the classic
Alaska Milk commercial – who scored 48 points followed by the 17 of
former Crispa Redmanizer great Adriano ‘Jun’ Papa.

Jimmy Noblezada, to be christened later as Iron Man, poured 24 points for Concepcion while Jimmy Mariano added 17. Joy Dionisio, who scored the PBA’s first basket, had 10 points.

Mariwasa took the first quarter, 29-21, and never trailed at the end
of the next three periods.

In the main game, fast break finisher Ompong Segura scored 23 points for the Comets and Francis ‘Mr. Clutch’ Arnaiz added 22, Big Boy Reynoso 17, Ramon Fernandez 13, and Robert Jaworski 11 points in a wildly applauded debut by Toyota.

Leading U-Tex was Larry Mumar and Danny Florencio, another Redmanizer legend, with 29 points each backstopped by former Crispa mainstay Rudolf Kutch with 13 points.

Both teams were tied at the close of the first 12 minutes and the game went down the wire before Toyota emerged victorious in the end.

Invited to the reunion bash are players from Mariwasa, including
Hubert Filipinas, Jesse Sullano, Luke Dacula Dator, Epoy Alcantara,
Mark Arriola, Edmund Tierra and Ulysses Rodriguez.

Expected from Concepion, other than Noblezada, Mariano and Dionisio, are Alfonso Mora, Lucio Lim, Ramon Lucindo, Roel Deles, Jesus Dungo and Francisco Henares.

From Toyota, outside Segura, Arnaiz, Fernandez and Jaworski, are Oscar Rocha, Jake Rojas and Orly Bauzon, while Danny Basilan, Egay Gomez, Romeo Frank, Roy Deles, George Lizares and Orlando delos Santos are to be welcomed from U-Tex.

The above players and their teammates are requested to call the PBA office and get in touch with Coy Perez at 470-2768 to 70 for their
availability and schedule.