RELIVING THE PBA 40 GREATEST PLAYERS CONTROVERSY

Today marks the birthday of one of the PBA’s most iconic and controversial figures—the three-point shooting, baseball-pass throwing, elbow-wielding Living Legend, Robert Jaworski. From his days with the UE Red Warriors to his senatorial stint, The Big J has never been a stranger to the spotlight. And in a fitting moment, let’s revisit one of the controversies tied to his name—the selection of the PBA’s 40 Greatest Players.

Back in October 2014, Jaworski was set to headline the committee tasked with selecting the next 15 players to join the league’s list of all-time greats. The original 25 Greatest Players were named in 1999, with the primary criteria seemingly centered on MVP winners and other notable stars. However, even this first batch had its share of questionable inclusions and snubs.

Players like Manny Paner and Lim Eng Beng made the cut despite earning just one Mythical Team selection, while Danny Florencio was included without a PBA individual award to his name. Meanwhile, key figures from the Crispa-Toyota rivalry—Arnie Tuadles and Abe King—were left out, as were 1980s standouts Manny Victorino and Yoyoy Villamin. Even among the MVP selections, Kenneth Duremdes’ inclusion was debatable, as he had played only five seasons at the time.

Despite these issues, the 1999 list was generally accepted, as it was assumed that future expansions would rectify past omissions. Unlike the NBA’s Top 75 list, the PBA’s Greatest Players selection is widely regarded as the league’s version of a Hall of Fame. While pioneers like Caloy Loyzaga, Narciso Bernardo, and Kurt Bachmann deserve separate recognition, being named among the PBA’s greatest is the ultimate career achievement for a Filipino player from 1975 to the present.

When the PBA decided to add 15 more names to the prestigious list in 2014, expectations were high.

Unfortunately, the final selections sparked significant debate.

The ten MVP winners—Asi Taulava, James Yap, Danny Ildefonso, Mark Caguioa, Jayjay Helterbrand, Willie Miller, Eric Menk, Kelly Williams, Arwind Santos, and Jimmy Alapag—were automatic choices. Despite the absence of June Mar Fajardo, who had already won his first MVP by then, raised eyebrows because of his age back then.

Also, The Kraken went on to collect seven more MVP trophies.

So, yeah.

Boohoo?

Then came the five remaining picks: Jayson Castro, Marc Pingris, Kerby Raymundo, Marlou Aquino, and Chito Loyzaga. And this is where things got messy.

While Castro and Pingris were respected stars, the overall list skewed heavily towards still-active players. Twelve of the 15 inductees were still playing as of 2015, with Aquino even competing in the MPBL and Raymundo yet to officially retire. Meanwhile, Chito Loyzaga’s inclusion was questionable—despite contributing to multiple championships in the 1980s, his individual accolades were limited to a single Mythical Second Team selection.

I'm not singling out other players for missing the cut, but making room for them would mean leaving out several deserving names. Once again, I go back to Tuadles and King, key figures in what is often considered the greatest rivalry in PBA history. Then, there are the almost-MVP winners from what is regarded as the league’s weakest era—the '80s. Loyzaga may have seven All-Defensive Team selections, but Manny Victorino maintained averages of 9 points and 4 rebounds in 13 of his 15 seasons. Meanwhile, Villamin was part of a Grand Slam team in 1983, nearly won another in 1995, and posted 10 points and 5 rebounds in eight different seasons.

Unfortunately, these names had to take a backseat to three other players, leaving them off the list.

Nelson Asaytono, Bong Hawkins, and Danny Seigle—all of whom came agonizingly close to winning MVPs—were left out. They are the glaring omissions. Not even half of the MVPs that made the list can hold a candle to their achievements. Asaytono, in particular, could have won at least two MVPs over Alvin Patrimonio, while Hawkins had a strong case for both Patrimonio’s and Johnny Abarrientos’ MVP seasons. Seigle, one of the few multiple-time Finals MVP winners at the time, nearly became only the second player in history to win both Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season—a feat only Benjie Paras has achieved.

The backlash was immediate. Many of the original 25 Greatest Players boycotted the event, a clear statement about their dissatisfaction with the selections.

As the PBA prepares to expand its list to 50 Greatest Players, all eyes are on the selection committee. Led by Allan Caidic, Ramon Fernandez, and Atoy Co, the ten-person panel also includes legendary Toyota coach Dante Silverio, former commissioner Sonny Barrios, and esteemed sports journalists Quinito Henson, Andy Jao, Ding Marcelo, Nelson Beltran, and Al S. Mendoza.

When the 40 Greatest Players were named, Fernandez and Co notably skipped the event. Fernandez, in particular, objected to the inclusion of active players in a club that prides itself on being “the greatest.” The outspoken four-time MVP didn’t hold back, saying, “The haste with which the last committee selected the additional 15 is mind-boggling to me. Was it a fast break? Bulldozed? Is it true they did it in less than three hours? At the very least, it smacks of favoritism. No focus and commitment to the task given to them. I’ve always believed that awards and citations should be based on what you’ve done inside the basketball court—not in the boardroom. That’s part of the reason I didn’t attend. Several deserving players were left out.”

Co echoed the sentiment, suggesting that active players should have been retired before being added. “Sana pinag-retire na muna sila. Then that’s the time na sinama sila. Kasi parang sinasabi mo, ‘40th Greatest ka na, dapat retired ka na. Tama na yan.’” Even two-time MVP Danny Ildefonso was baffled by the exclusion of Danny Seigle, Nelson Asaytono, and Olsen Racela. As for Chito Loyzaga, he admitted that when he first heard of his selection, he thought he was being “pranked.”

Netizens have flooded social media and comments sections with outrage—not so much over the players who made the list, but over those who didn’t. The frustration only intensified when the snubbed players began speaking out, starting with a visibly agitated Nelson Asaytono, who didn’t hold back in expressing his disappointment. His words only added fuel to the fire.

The debate isn’t about whether the 15 additional players deserved their spots—it’s about whether they deserved them over other legends who were left out. Asaytono himself voiced his frustration, saying, “Ang daming nare-react sa akin, (sinasabi), ‘Niyari ka na naman nila… bakit hanggang ngayon,’ di ba? Ang sa akin lang, bakit ganun ang labanan… e tingnan nila sa stats… tingnan nila sa record namin, matagal din akong naglaro, 17 years din ako naglaro.”

With a committee led by Caidic, Fernandez, Co, Silverio, Henson, and Jao—alongside legendary sportswriters who have seen the league’s best and worst—there’s hope that the presence of active players on the list will be limited this time. While Scottie Thompson is a one-time MVP, perhaps his spot could have gone to four-time Finals MVP LA Tenorio, whose longevity, record-breaking iron man streak, and perseverance despite his illness make him just as, if not more, deserving of the honor.

In a few months, the league will unveil its latest batch of honorees. While it’s impossible to satisfy everyone, a well-chosen list could at least avoid unnecessary scrutiny and controversy. There are eight names I truly hope to see included, based on their undeniable achievements: Tuadles, King, Victorino, Villamin, Asaytono, Seigle, Hawkins, and Fajardo. This time, let’s hope the selections are made purely on merit—without questionable justifications or glaring omissions.

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