THE PBA HALL OF FAME DESERVES A COMEBACK

In a recent interview, Allan Caidic expressed his desire to revive the PBA Hall of Fame—and honestly, that's a great idea.

Whenever I catch games and see Caidic, Atoy Co, or Quinito Henson talk about the Hall of Fame, they keep reminding us why it even exists. But my first reaction was: "Wait, what Hall of Fame are we talking about?" It’s been so long that people might’ve forgotten it even happened.

The league actually held five induction ceremonies. Of the 21 players honored, 18 were locals. It all began in 2005 with a powerhouse batch: Ramon Fernandez, Robert Jaworski, Atoy Co, Philip Cezar, Bogs Adornado, and Francis Arnaiz. In 2007, the next wave included Abet Guidaben, Danny Florencio, Manny Paner, and Norman Black.

Then in 2009, they spotlighted the Northern Consolidated Cement (NCC) core—Caidic, Samboy Lim, and Hector Calma—alongside Ricardo Brown and Bobby Parks. Two years later, in 2011, Mapua MVPs Alvin Patrimonio and Freddie Hubalde were inducted along with Billy Ray Bates, who famously took over the mic during the ceremony and asked for a job. A few months later, he lost that same job due to off-court issues.

The most recent induction? That was back in 2013—with Benjie Paras, Ronnie Magsanoc, and Lim Eng Beng.

And that was it.

If we look at the 50 Greatest Players list, it’s clear that '80s stars like Patrimonio, Paras, and Magsanoc leapfrogged someone like Bernie Fabiosa. For imports, Sean Chambers is still somehow not in the Hall. And if the Hall of Fame is supposed to honor players who had a significant impact but didn’t quite make the “Greatest” list, then it’s fallen way short.

There are plenty of players—especially those who had standout careers in the MICAA before joining the PBA—who deserve this kind of recognition. The Hall of Fame should be a place to celebrate their legacy. Unlike in the NBA, no one can mock these guys as "firemen" or "plumbers," like what JJ Redick said about the '50s and '60s stars in the U.S.

When the Philippines won the ABC Championship (now FIBA Asia Cup) in 1973, guys like Yoyong Martirez, Jimmy Mariano, and Ricky Cleofas were part of that historic run and had respectable PBA careers. The 1972 Olympic team also had Jun Papa, Freddie Webb, Marte Samson, Cleofas, Mariano, and Martirez—all of whom made waves in the league, even if briefly.

There’s also Estoy Estrada, Rudy Kutch, Larry Mumar, Rene Canent, Mike Bilbao, Jesse Sullano, Tino Reynoso, Rey Alcantara, and Ompong Segura—players whose best days may have been before or during the early years of the PBA, but who still deserve recognition. Just because the league was still new or they were already aging doesn’t mean they should be erased from history.

HERE ARE SOME STATS TO CONSIDER:

Even in the '80s, you had solid names like Terry Saldana, Jimmy Manansala, Rudy Distrito, Ricky Relosa, Willie Pearson, Padim Israel, Dondon Ampalayo, Rey Cuenco, Yves Dignadice, Franz Pumaren, Pongkie Alolor, Willie Generalao—guys who weren’t superstars but left their mark. And if we’re being real, if Toyota and Crispa hogged the spotlight during the '70s and early '80s, then let’s at least give guys like Rudy Soriano, Joy Dionisio, Arnie Tuadles, and Abe King their flowers.

With the PBA’s 50th anniversary coming up, why not induct 50 Hall of Famers? You can keep the “Greatest Players” list exclusive, but make the Hall of Fame inclusive.

And I’m not just talking about the old-timers. There are plenty of '90s standouts worthy of a spot—Dindo Pumaren, Bong Alvarez, Olsen Racela, Vic Pablo, Jun Limpot, Dennis Espino, Poch Juinio, Boybits Victoria, Gerry Esplana, Alvin Teng, Romy Dela Rosa, Zaldy Realubit, Chris Jackson, Freddie Abuda, Dante Gonzalgo… so many who deserve to be remembered beyond highlight reels.

Hopefully, come the 2025 All-Star Weekend, the PBA gives long-overdue recognition to some of its forgotten stars. Most of them are now in their 60s or 70s. The younger fans might not get it, but for the kids and grandkids of these legends? That would be an unforgettable moment.