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| Jimmy Mariano, who was among the last basketball players to represent the Philippines in the Olympics, passed away. |
MANILA--Jimmy Mariano, one of the veteran pillars of the PBA when it was founded 50 years ago, passed away on Sunday night.
First reported by Sports Bytes' Brian Yalung, the league confirmed the sad development during halftime of the game between Rain Or Shine and Converge at the Ynares Center 2 in Rodriguez, Rizal.
Before action resumed, the PBA held a moment of silence to honor the legacy left behind by Mariano, who died at the age of 84.
While playing as a power forward, the six-foot-four basketball legend was known for his solid perimeter shooting that could stretch to the present-day three-point range.
Mariano first became prominent by being in the early years of the University of the East's dynasty under coach Baby Dalupan.
Mariano would then take his acts to the MICAA, suiting up for Ysmael Steel, Meralco, and Carrier.
When Concepcion Industries, Carrier's mother company, co-founded the PBA in 1975 alongside eight other MICAA strongholds, Mariano was retained to the Weathermakers team that would play in the de jure pro league's inaugural staging, teaming up with the likes of Joy Dionisio, the first player to score a basket in PBA history, Jimmy Noblezada, and Lim Eng Beng.
Mariano left Carrier for the original 7-Up franchise before finishing his club career with Filmanbank, which bought the 7-Up squad, in 1978.
National team-wise, Mariano represented the Philippines in the 1968 and 1972 Olympics, becoming one of the last Filipino basketball players to step foot on the Olympic stage.
He also did not miss the podium in his four-edition run in the FIBA Asia Cup, winning the gold in 1967 and 1973, the silver in 1965, and the bronze in 1969.
Mariano was also named team captain for the Philippine squad in the 1974 FIBA World Cup.
Three years after his player retirement, Mariano returned to the PBA in 1981, this time as Great Taste's head coach.
Under his tutelage, the Coffee Makers made their first finals appearance during the 1983 Reinforced Filipino Conference, pushing Crispa to the limit before settling for the runner-up finish after a 2-3 defeat.
Swapping places with Dalupan eventually in the Great Taste coaching staff, Mariano went back to his alma mater and led the Red Warriors to their last two UAAP men's basketball titles during the mid-80s led by Allan Caidic.
Mariano left UE to accept a four-year job as the head coach of Oman's national team before returning to the Philippines to give the Great Taste franchise, playing as Presto, its last PBA chip in the 1990 Philippine Cup, beating former mentor Dalupan and Magnolia, then known as Purefoods, in a seven-game classic.
He also coached for Xavier in the high school ranks, Red Bull and Ana in the PBL, Surigao in the MBA, and Philippine Christian University in the NCAA before fully stepping away from the mainstream basketball scene in 2004.
