The best rivalry in the Philippine Basketball Association was definitely between Crispa and Toyota, an old feud that spilled over from the now defunct Manila Industrial Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA), all the way to the first nine seasons of Asia’s pioneering professional basketball league.
But surprisingly, the most well-followed individual duel came from two players who were former teammates – Robert Jaworski and Mon Fernandez – two icons who were among the biggest stars in that fabled Toyota team.
At a time when the PBA was scrambling and teetering on the brink of a possible fold up following the disbandment of Cispa and Toyota, the rivalry between Fernandez and Jaworski became the league’s saving grace.
That rivalry started when Basic Holdings Corporation, which owned Beer Hausen/Manila Beer, acquired Toyota’s PBA franchise by the end of the 1983 season, a move that didn’t sit well with Jaworski and his bosom buddy, Francis Arnaiz.
The bulk of players of Toyota’s team were retained by Beer Hausen, which purchased the old franchise owned by the Slverio family thru lock, stock and barrel.
Jaworski and Arnaiz went to Gilbey’s Gin to join former teammate Terry Saldaña, who had been there a year earlier while the rest of the squad were dispersed elsewhere – Abe King to Gold Eagle Beer (San Miguel), Chito Loyzaga and Arnie Tuadles to Great Taste.
In 1985, the first season the PBA played without Crispa and Toyota, team participation was down to six teams and the league had to accommodate the Philippine men’s basketball squad composed of amateur players as guest participant on a regular basis.
But Jaworski and Fernandez’s teams were drawing fan bases and both were ready to move on their respective careers in the post-Toyota era and finally in 1986, the two icons met in a championship duel for the first time.
Jaworski was the playing coach of Ginebra while Fernandez was the main man playing for Tanduay, but the Rhum Makers went on to beat the Gin Kings, 3-1, in their best-of-five championship series.
In the 1988 All-Filipino, the two league titans met again and this time, Fernandez, who entered the season as playing coach for the Purefoods Hotdogs, the company which took over the old Tanduay franchise, handled a young core bannered by former national team standouts Alvin Patrmonio, Jerry Codiñera, Jojo Lastimosa, Glenn Capacio and Jack Tanuan.
The Hotdogs, heavily favored to win the series, faced a rugged but hard-fighting crowd favorites in Añejo 65ers, the team being carried then by Ginebra led no less by Jaworski.
Amid the controversial benching of Fernandez, who was suspected for game-fixing, the rivalry remained at its fever pitch and without El Presidente providing the leadership for Games 2, 3 and 4, the Hotdogs succumbed to the more experienced 65ers in four games of their best-of-five titular showdown.
The rivalry between Jaworski and Fernandez took a different tone when the two were paired during the 1989 PBA All-Star Game between the Veterans against the Rookies, Sophomores and Juniors squad.
In his message to Jaworski posted on Facebook, Fernandez recalled that game-winning play designed by the late great Baby Dalupan during the dying seconds of the game that led the Veterans to victory.
“Yes, who would forget that 1989 All Star Game (Veterans vs. RSJ/Rookie-Sophomore-Junior). With the game tied at 130, and time down to four seconds, Coach Baby Dalupan, sued for time, devised a play for me and Sonny. Sonny lofted an inbound pass to me at half court and I did the rest…led the Veterans to a 132-130 win over the RSJ Team,” posted Fernandez.
That game when the two cage titans conniving for the winning play was like the end of the cold war for Jaworski and Fernandez.
“That was like somewhat the thawing of the ice, so to speak,” added Fernandez in a previous interview with the author as the four-time Most Valuable Player even became Jaworski’s team captain during the first ever all-professional team sent to the 1990 Asian Games that finished with a silver medal in Beijing.
In 2003, during the Crispa-Toyota reunion game, it was Fernandez who returned the favor.
Just a few seconds after Bogs Adornado hit a three-point basket to shove the Redmanizers to within striking distance, 61-62, Fernandez served as a decoy, drove to the basket to set up Jaworski, who was squared up to hit that triple with 23 seconds left and sent the Big Dome in pandemonium.
From allies to rivals, but remained good friends.
Jaworski and Fernandez could somehow be mentioned in the same breath when one talks about the PBA.
Fernandez paid a tribute posted on his Facebook account to Jaworski on The Big J’s 78th birthday and shared his heartfelt message.
“For many basketball fans, ours was considered the most enduring rivalry in the pro league. But if there is one thing I’d wish our new generation players learned from it, it is the value of TEAMWORK. During our time, kaming mga players, kalaban, kakampi, maski hindi kami nagkakausap-usap, there was already that built-in relationship, especially with Sonny,” posted Fernandez.
“We were teammates for 10 years at the beginning of our PBA career with Toyota. We knew each other’s attitude. It wasn’t hard to really play with each other or work together as a team. It wasn’t really hard to do it, especially for a cause like playing for the national team. In that 10 years with him in Toyota, we won nine championships. I played with him as our team coach in the Asian Games in Beijing.”
Fernandez relished the opportunity of sharing these memories with Jaworski.
“Just too many fond memories to share and today (March 7), allow me to honor that great rival, the very person who made my pro league stint truly colorful; to one, at the end of it all, I can call my friend and my partner in my years in Philippine basketball. HAPPY BIRTHDAY , SONNY! Thank you very much for all those great action in the court! I sincerely pray for your good health, peace and happiness,” ended Fernandez.
Photos from Retro PBA 80s and 90s/Toyota Facebook.
