Reunion: An All-Star Week like no other (May 13, 2003)

The highly-anticipated Crispa-Toyota reunion match served as a kickoff to the 2003 PBA All-Star Weekend at the Araneta Coliseum.

An All-Star Week like no other

Manila Standard

Published Tuesday May 13, 2003

The Philippine Basketball Association All-Star Week returns this year with a promise of lots of fun, thrill and excitement, a doze of nostalgia and slam-bang action on May 30 and 31 and June 1 at the Araneta Coliseum.

The country’s premier sports entertainment show is so determined to make up for the nonstaging of the All-Star spectacle last year that it is lining up a program of activities one should not miss. The annual All-Star Week wasn’t held last year with the league tied up so much with the country’s participation in the Asian Games in Busan, Korea.

There will be the usual Fans Day on May 31 and the reunion game between former fierce rivals Crispa and Toyota on the 30th.

Aside from Senator Robert Jaworski, two other great Toyota players in Ramon Fernandez and Francis Arnaiz have confirmed their participation in what could become a classic duel.

There’s word that Fernandez, one of only four-time MVP winners in the league, has polished his shoes and has now been working out to prepare himself for his rematch with long-time nemeses Abet Guidaben and Philip Cezar.

The US-based Arnaiz has told no less than commissioner Noli Eala about his strong desire to join his former teammates subject to the availability of his schedule.

Crispa legends Atoy Co, Bogs Adornado, Freddie Hubalde, Bernie Fabiosa, Guidaben and Cezar are all in town, also raring to play in this game that would bring back memories of their classic matchups in the early years of the league.

The two teams figured in 10 fiercely fought title playoffs with the last in the 1981 Open Conference won by Toyota then under Ed Ocampo. The Redmanizers and the Corollas/Tamaraws had a combined number of 22 championship in the league.

Meanwhile, Talk N Text superstar Asi Taulava leads the balloting in the choice of the starting fives for the two teams that will battle each other in the PBA All-Star Game on June 1.

Taulava, who is in Group B, garnered a total of 1,921 votes after six days of balloting by fans at the venues while the top vote-getter in Group A was Danny Ildefonso of San Miguel Beer with 1,835 votes.