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.

Reunion: Jaworski to play in reunion game (May 7, 2003)

Robert Jaworski, who had set aside his familiar role as basketball's living legend to serve as senator, accepted an invitation to suit up in the 2003 legends game between Crispa and Toyota.

Jaworski to play in Crispa-Toyota All-Star reunion game

pba.com.ph

Published Wednesday May 7, 2003

For one fleeting moment, PBA fans will be treated to a nostalgic spectacle and rare chance to travel down memory lane.

Oh yes, the Living Legend promised to be there wearing his famous No. 7.

Robert Jaworski, arguably the best thing that ever happened to Philippine basketball, on Monday said yes to an invitation to play in the 2003 All-Star Reunion Game, marking the return of the man they call the "Living Legend" after more than six years in retirement.

The cage legend that was Crispa (March 3, 1985)

Crispa's disbandment served as a cover of the March 3, 1985 issue of the Philippine Panorama, with sportswriter Al Mendoza providing an in-depth story of how the Redmanizers decided to end their glorious PBA tenure.

THE CAGE LEGEND THAT WAS CRISPA

By Al S. Mendoza

Philippine Panorama

Published Sunday March 3, 1985

BASKETBALL’S self-styled experts had misread their crystal balls. Even the scalper, the most grizzled cage scientist in the land, didn’t see it coming. Nobody had dared say it was blowin’ in the wind.

So, when it finally came, it came like a thunderbolt. The news sent shock waves all over the land. To millions of cage devotees in this basketball-crazed nation, it was simply unbelievable.

Barber shops and plush coffee shop, talipapa and supermarket, every conceivable public space was abuzz. From Aparri to Jolo, from Marawi to Laoag, people were asking: “How come? What happened? Why?”

A champion for all time (Feb. 5, 1985)

Ding Marcelo shared his thoughts on Crispa’s disbandment during his Sportsfan column for Tempo which was published four days the Redmanizers sold the franchise to Shell.

A champion for all time

SPORTSFAN

By Ding Marcelo

Tempo

Published Tuesday Feb. 5, 1985

IT seems almost unbelievable that a man like Danny Floro would disband his fabled Crispa basketball team. We say so because basketball is practically Danny’s life and to take it away from him is like stopping the flow of oxygen into his body. Meaning, it’s like committing suicide.

But, like in the pop song, all things must pass. Danny has perhaps a thousand and one reason to justify his pullout, rationalize his exit, explain his withdrawal but none of which will ever satisfy the thousands of Crispa fans who have stuck with the team from crisis to triumph.

Crispa disbanded (Feb. 1, 1985)

Crispa’s legendary run in the PBA came to an end before the start of the 1985 season after an agreement was reached to sell its franchise to Shell.

Crispa bows out of PBA

Bulletin Today

Published Saturday Feb. 2, 1985

Crispa’s once mighty Redmanizers, the Philippine Basketball Association’s winningest team with a record 13 championships in 10 years, including two grand slams, are bowing out of the professional cage scene.

Reason: Crispa has sold out lock, stock and barrel, to Shell Chemicals, a 60 percent Filipino-owned company engaged in agricultural development.

Guam: Crispa 108, Toyota 92 (March 5, 1984)

Crispa denied Toyota a chance to bid goodbye on a winning note after salvaging a split of their two-game exhibition series in Guam.

Crispa strikes back against tired Toyota

By Bert Eljera

Tempo

Published Wednesday March 7, 1984

GUAM, March 6 (via Philcom) — Toyota’s bid for a glorious exit turned into a nightmare Monday night as Crispa, playing like it was the one saying goodbye, came through with a devastating fourth quarter to pull off a 108-92 victory over the Corollas here.

The Redmanizers, stung by the humiliating loss in the first game Sunday, spewed fire throughout this time and buried the fast-tiring Corollas with relentless fastbreaks before another sell-out crowd at the University of Guam gym.

Guam: Toyota 109, Crispa 101 (March 4, 1984)

Toyota won the first of their two-game farewell series against Crispa in Guam behind Abe King and Robert Jaworski. The Super Corollas played their sendoff tour without star center Ramon Fernandez.

Toyota bombs Crispa

‘The boys were determined’

By Bert Eljera

Tempo

Published Tuesday March 6, 1984

GUAM, March 5 (via Philcom) — Toyota, trying to leave behind the legacy of a true champion, played with its old fire Sunday to humble Crispa, 109-101 in a game filled with the color of their past encounters before a highly-enthusiastic crowd here.

It was close all the way and the match was decided in the last four minutes — as in most of their past encounters — with the Corollas finishing strong and the Redmanizers turning ice-cold.

Abe King, sizzling from afar, fired a game-high 32 points. Arnulfo Tuadles had 23 and nine rebounds, six of them offensive, but it was Robert Jaworski, playing with a sense of mission, who personally assured the victory.