Sporting Chance

Ricardo Brown won't be around to be honored as one of the greatest 25 players in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) at the Big Dome tonight.

In a letter sent to PBA Commissioner Emilio Bernardino a few days ago, the 1985 MVP said: "I am deeply honored to be named as one of the top 25 players of all time. You cannot imagine how very special this means to me. I gave everything I had during my years on the basketball floor in your fine league. I feel horrible that I will not be able to make it but it will be the day after my surgery so there is absolutely no way I can make it."

Brown, 42, underwent back surgery yesterday in the US. It was his third surgery since busting his back and suffering a herniated disc while working a junior high school game as a referee in 1995. He also had a back operation last year.

"Things have not gone well for me these past couple of years," said Brown who played eight seasons in the PBA and retired in 1990. "I've had three back surgeries. I am currently an Assistant Principal at a wonderful high school (Laguna Hills) in Southern California but I have been off work for several months due to the injury. It is for this reason that I regretfully will not be able to attend the April 9 occasion. If it were possible, I would be there. That moment would be one to remember and cherish for the rest of my life. I guess all of those wars in PBA finally caught up with me."

Brown lives in Mission Viejo with his wife Lorma Sahagun of Ilocos Norte and their children Justin, 15, and Kevan, 12. Brown, whose father Lee is an American and mother Consuelo Vidal is a Filipina, met his wife, an accountant, in California and they got married in 1984. Justin was born in the US and lived five years in Manila. Kevan was born at the Cardinal Santos Hospital.

Brown said he'd like to go online with PBA fans and chat about basketball. "We could talk about basketball and more basketball," he continued. "And I'm sure the fans would love to exchange stories with me on the PBA during the hot and heavy 1980s. If anyone in the Philippines is interested, please have them contact me. I would love it and to be able to interact with the Filipino basketball fans once again would be very enjoyable."

Brown's e-mail address is r[email protected].

On his PBA career, Brown said:

"First, it was a tremendous thrill and honor to play in the PBA. To have the opportunity to perform in front of an entire nation for eight years was an experience I will cherish forever. I am proud of my individual accomplishments but even more proud of the fact that I played on winning teams and multiple championship teams. The greatest aspect of my career was the relationship I developed and maintained with the fans of the league. The admiration and respect from the everyday basketball fan holds a very special place in my heart. I feel I gave it my best each and every night -- some nights it worked and some nights it didn't. I believe the fans appreciated and trusted my efforts and desire to win. Statistics, I believe, breed individualism. Therefore, I have never been a big fan of a player's individual statistics and often felt there were overblown by PBA experts. However, when I look back and realize the numbers I put up as a player in the PBA on a consistent basis, I am not only surprised but also a bit overwhelmed."

There was supposed to be a news blackout on who will be named to the elite cast of 25. But the cat fell out of the bag the other day when the 25 players were listed in a newspaper (not The STAR), preempting the league's much-awaited announcement during the 3-hour show at the Araneta Coliseum tonight.

As expected, the league's 15 former MVPs made it to the list of 25. In a previous column, I picked seven of the 10 other awardees, missing out on Manny Paner, Ronnie Magsanoc and Lim Eng Beng. Instead, I chose Yoyong Martirez, Dindo Pumaren, and Chito Loyzaga. The remaining seven choices were Hector Calma, Samboy Lim, Danny Florencio, Bernie Fabiosa, Jerry Codiñera, Jojo Lastimosa, and Francis Arnaiz.