Basketball
The List: Top 10 Imports in Ginebra’s Jaworski Era
This feature is part of 7 Days of Jaworski, InterAKTV’s special tribute to the Living Legend, whose jersey will be retired on Sunday, July 8.
As playing coach of Ginebra, Robert Jaworski was a master motivator and possessed a keen eye for talent. He was responsible for bringing in some of the most memorable imports in PBA history through the years, players who captured the imagination of the Ginebra faithful. In the latest edition of The List, we count down the greatest imports who played under the Big J at Ginebra.
As always, before we get to the actual list, here are some honorable mentions:
Mitchell Wiggins
1994 Commissioner’s Cup
A talented former NBA veteran, Wiggins exemplified the type of import Jaworski loved to bring in at Ginebra. He was banned from the NBA after testing positive for cocaine, and had started a career as a basketball nomad since. He joined a Tondeña team in the 1994 that was short on talent but long on heart. He highlighted his stint with a 78-point game in Ginebra’s July 17, 1994 overtime victory against Sta. Lucia.
Steve Hood
1994 Governors’ Cup
Steve “Robin” Hood stole from the rich and gave to the poor, helping the struggling Tondeña team finish with a .500 record in the 1994 Governors’ Cup eliminations. The 65ers unfortunately lost a playoff for a semis seat to Shell, but diehards still remember Hood’s sweet-shooting stroke, which he used to drop 67 points on Sta. Lucia on October 16, 1994.
Tommy Davis
1988 Reinforced Conference
The tournament saw the end of Billy Ray Bates’ PBA career, getting cut after four games with Ginebra. In came Tommy Davis, a high-flying, sweet-shooting import who may not have delivered victories, but plenty of highlights.
