Miller PSA’s major awardee for pro basketball

Willie Miller, the shooting point guard whose backcourt savvy gave Red Bull impressive finishes in the PBA in the season just ended, was the unanimous choice as the Philippine Sportswriters Association’s major awardee for professional basketball in 2002.

The 25-year-old pride of Olongapo City was only second in statistical points to teammate Davonn Harp in the race for the PBA MVP crown, but he got the nod of media voters and the four-man selection committee to become the first point guard since 1996 to earn Philippine pro basketball’s most prestigious individual award.

He was consequently the unanimous choice of the PSA, an 85-strong organization of sports editors, columnists and sportswriters in print and broadcast media, as the major awardee for professional basketball in 2002.

Milller will be among 11 athletes from eight sports to be given a major award during the PSA Annual Awards Night set Jan. 10, at 7 p.m., at the Holiday Inn Manila.

The Awards Night, which will have President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo as the invited guest of honor and speaker, is sponsored by Red Bull, Photokina and Agfa and supported by Samsung, San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation.

It will be telecast by NBN-4.

The other major awardees are Enrico Villanueva in amateur basketball, Efren "Bata" Reyes and the tandem of Django Bustamante and Antonio Lining in billiards, Liza del Rosario and the pair of Paeng Nepomuceno and RJ Bautista in bowling, Harry Tanamor in amateur boxing, Angelo Que, Dottie Ardina and Jayvie Agojo in amateur golf, and Horse of the Year Wind Blown.

World boxing champion Manny Pacquiao and Asian Games equestrian individual gold medalist Mikee Cojuangco are this year’s Sportsman of the Year and Sportswoman of the Year, respectively.

Miller became only the sixth guard in PBA history to win the MVP honors. The five others are Robert Jaworski in 1978, Atoy Co in 1979, Ricky Brown in 1985, Ato Agustin in 1992 and Johnny Abarrientos in 1996.

Although, he did not win any conference MVP award, Miller amassed 8,000 points in the PBA derby to clinch the title, and consequently, the PSA major award.