There were a lot. But we only made room for three of the most memorable Ginebra conquests.
The ongoing PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals between Ginebra and Bay Area has seen the number of fans in attendance grow game by game.
Last Sunday, almost 22,000 supporters showed up at the Mall of Asia Arena to cheer for the Gin Kings in Game 5 of the best-of-seven series.
And with Ginebra on the verge of adding another trophy to its collection, expect a massive sea of red on Wednesday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
But before attracting massive crowds like it has since God knows when, Ginebra was an “underdog” team which slew dragons behind the “Living Legend” himself, Robert Jaworski. The iconic player brought out the best in every player he had at his disposal, resulting in countless triumphs that now belong to Ginebra lore.
Winning games that were impossible to win has spawned the Ginebra “Never Say Die” mantra which still lives on to this day. As Filipinos love David-and-Goliath stories, Ginebra has captured the hearts of the masses and become the crowd darlings.
Let’s take a look back at some of the moments that made Ginebra what it is today.
Bal David leaner vs Mobiline
Before the turn of the millennium, Bal David put on a performance for the ages at ULTRA.
There were 2 seconds left in the All-Filipino Cup quarterfinal game between top seed Mobiline and eighth seed Ginebra, with the former holding an 81-80 buffer.
After going through 3 screens, David received the ball from Noli Locsin. He took one dribble then scored on a leaner against Jeff Cariaso as time expired.
It was the first time in history No. 8 team pulled the rug from under the best squad in the league.
Rudy Distrito’s "The Shot" vs Paras
Before San Miguel's “Beeracle” against Alaska and the Cleveland Cavaliers winning the Larry O’Brien trophy after being down 1-3 opposite Golden State, Ginebra orchestrated the greatest comeback in a best-of-seven championship series.
The year was 1991.
After facing a 1-3 deficit against Shell Rimula X in the First Conference finals, Ginebra fought back and snared the next two games.
In Game 7, Rudy Distrito, known more as a role player, had a career-defining moment. He scored on a tough fallaway shot in the dying seconds against Benjie Paras as the crowd reached a crescendo.
The shot gave Ginebra a 104-102 lead, and the win.
The birth of NSD
When you say NSD moments, this one should be on top of the list.
Remember when Jaworski suffered a busted lip in the second quarter of a semifinal game against Northern Consolidated Cement in 1985?
Ginebra fans, old and new, know what happened next.
The “Living Legend” was brought to a nearby Medical City after being on the receiving end of an inadvertent elbow from Jeff Moore. He got 9 stitches, but still returned in the second half like nothing happened.
He then led a spirited fourth quarter rally to win the match and give birth to the Never-Say-Die spirit that will probably endure forever.
To this day, Jaworski remains an icon for Ginebra and Philippine basketball.