By Jason Espiritu
MANILA--Caloy Loyzaga, arguably the best Filipino basketball cager in international competitions, passed away on Wednesday at the age of 85.
The legend known as “The Big Difference” breathed his last at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center after suffering a heart attack.
The former San Beda Red Lion was part of the 1952 and 1956 Philippine basketball teams in the Olympics.
He was also the leader of the Philippine team that finished third in the 1954 World Basketball Championship, now known as the FIBA World Cup, the country's best finish in the international basketball scene.
After a colorful basketball career that spilled to coaching as well, Loyzaga retired from the game for good and resided in the US.
After a massive stroke occurred in 2011, he decided to go back in the Philippines two years later.
His sons Chito and Joey also played basketball at the time the PBA was starting to get post-Crispa-Toyota rivalry hype.
Follow him on Twitter: @EST42890
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