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| Samboy Lim passed away at age 61. |
QUEZON CITY--The entire Philippine basketball community was stunned by the passing of PBA legend Samboy Lim.
Lim's family, who manages the shooting guard's official Facebook page, announced late Saturday night that the former San Miguel superstar died at age 61.
"Heaven gained an angel just in time for Christmas. We love you Samboy, thank you for loving all of us unconditionally. No more pain nor suffering!" the Lim Family said in a statement.
The reason behind Samboy Lim's passing was not divulged, but it can be recalled that he collapsed during a PBA Legends game in 2014 and fell into a coma.
Lim recovered from the coma and has been taken care of by doctors round the clock ever since.
"We thank Samboy’s amazing team of doctors headed by Dr. Luigi Segundo, physical therapists, nurses, caregivers, family, and friends who, for the last 9 years, took excellent care of him," the statement further said.
Allan Caidic, Lim's teammate with Northern Consolidated Cement and San Miguel, paid one final visit to his hospital room just before his passing, while Larry Albano, Lim's collegiate coach at Letran, also bade him farewell online.
Lim's legacy began in the early 80s when he and the rest of the Albano-coached Knights won an NCAA three-peat.
Lim then became part of the NCC Philippine team program under coach Ron Jacobs during the mid-80s.
Lim was eventually hired by the Beermen when they returned to the PBA in the 1986 Third Conference as Magnolia Cheese, and he stayed with the franchise until 1997.
Lim, who first played PBL ball with the Lhuillier Jewelers in 1986 before the Beermen's direct hiring, played one more year in the PBL through Welcoat, now PBA's Rain Or Shine, before retiring for good at age 36.
Lim won nine PBA titles including the 1989 grand slam, two Southeast Asian Games golds, one FIBA Asia Cup championship, and one FIBA Asia Champions Cup title.
He was also named into the PBA's Greatest Players list, making the first batch of inductees during the league's 25th anniversary on April 9, 2000.
Lim's daughter Jaime eventually became an athlete herself and like her dad won two SEA Games golds in karate.
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