A fitting birthday celebration for this basketball legend.
April 1 may be more popularly known as April Fools’ Day, but not for the PBA community and the Lim family.
To them, the first of April is the birthday of basketball icon, Samboy Lim. This year, Lim is celebrating his 61st birthday.
And on his special day, the man they call The Skywalker is celebrating with his contemporaries in the game, as PBA legends Alvin Patrimonio, Allan Caidic, Hector Calma, Jojo Lastimosa, Norman Black, and veteran journalist and sportscaster Quinito Henson paid him a visit.
Henson uploaded the group’s photo with Lim on social media.
Of course, the group is all smiles, as seeing Samboy Lim in good spirits is a welcome sight for the PBA family and Filipino hoops fans.
Caidic, Calma, and Black were all former teammates of Lim in the San Miguel franchise. Patrimonio and Lastimosa were among Lim’s contemporaries with whom he regularly competed against in his heydays in the PBA.
Samboy was even the best man in Jolas' wedding.
Lim, who has been in a long medical battle since 2014, is now in stable condition—as previously announced by his loved ones through Facebook.
His medical struggles started after he collapsed in an exhibition basketball game in November 2014, which sent him into a coma. While the San Miguel high-flyer got out of coma weeks later, he has since been rendered bed-ridden.
Known for his athletic moves that defy gravity, Lim represented the Philippine national team several times, including the 1986 FIBA Asia Championship when the country won gold in Malaysia. The Skywalker is one of the PBA’s 40 Greatest Players.