By REYNALD MAGALLON
The Philippine Postal Corporation unveiled its “SALAMAT – Pagpupugay sa mga Alamat” series: the ROBERT JAWORSKI – LIVING LEGEND commemorative stamps to honor the basketball legend in a simple ceremony held Saturday at its main office in Lawton, Manila.
The Jawo collection is the first of the three-part series of postage stamps to be released by PhilPost which was aimed to pay tribute to outstanding Filipino individuals who have made valuable contributions both in local and the international scene.
“The Big J is an icon in more than one sense of the word – so much so that his figure is what embellishes the “B” in the logo of the PBA. His legendary status and his popularity are the result of his discipline, dedication, and passion on and off the court – and his “Never Say Die” attitude,” said the PhilPost management on its Facebook page as it recognizes Jaworski’s impact on Philippine basketball.
Present in the event were Jaworski’s son Dodot and fellow PBA legend and Philippine Sports Commissioner Mon Fernandez.
Current Ginebra stars Joe Devance, LA Tenorio, Stanley Pringle, Mark Caguioa and Scottie Thompson were also there to honor the man that made the phrase “never say die” even more famous in the PBA.
Shouts of “Gi-ne-bra! Gi-ne-bra! Gi-ne-bra!” are often heard each the team comes up with a rally or making one booming shot.
During Jaworski’s time as player-coach of the team, his adoring fans will go wild if he makes one spectacular shot – much more from the trifectaville.
His charisma to PBA fans — young and old — remains unmatched up to the present time.
PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial and Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea added star power to the event – one of the highlights of PhilPost’s 75th anniversary. The first ever stamp of the Republic of the Philippines was released in 1946.