Sports

PH basketball legend Caloy Loyzaga dies

Philstar.com

January 26, 2016 | 10:26pm

MANILA, Philippines – Notes of mourning welled in social media following the news of Carlos "Caloy" Lozaga's fall to cardiac arrest. He was 85.

Loyzaga, arguably the greatest Filipino to ever play the game of basketball, died Wednesday around 7 a.m. at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center.

The 6-foot-3 Loyzaga commandeered various editions of the Philippine national basketball teams into the Asian Games in in the late 1950s and in the FIBA Asia championships during the early 1960s. He also played in the Olympic Games twice.

Highly regarded was Loyzaga's all-around and equally clean play that it became a subject of many memoirs and discussion by many Philippine basketball pundits. But he will always be remembered as the "Big Difference" who made an indelible mark in behalf of the country in the 1954 FIBA World Championships (now the basketball World Cup), by making the tournament's Mythical Team and securing a Bronze medal.

Loyzaga, a former San Beda Red Lion, went on to coach the University of Santo Tomas men's basketball team in the collegiate arena. He also mentored U-Tex and Tanduay during the early years of Asia's first pay-for-play league, the Philippine Basketball Association.

Check out the tributes written by local sporting stars and personalities:

SALAMAT PO GINOONG GREAT DIFFERENCEToday I say goodbye and thank you for the man who taught me how it is to truly play for flag and country.(artwork tribute by Michael Canja)#CarlosLoyzaga
Posted by Manolo Chino Trinidad on Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Just got word that 'The BIG Difference' Caloy Loyzaga just passed. We will be 4ever grateful & honored. RIP #Legend pic.twitter.com/jX7Vo1CmSV
— Chot Reyes (@coachot) January 27, 2016

RIP PBA legend and National hero, Caloy Loyzaga. Was an honor to have met you. Hope to build on the ... https://t.co/MFmsXceT6M
— Gabe Norwood (@GNorwood5) January 27, 2016

RIP to one of the legends of Philippine basketball Caloy "the Big Difference" Loyzaga. I still… https://t.co/jqNAaDTThf
— Jimmy Alapag (@JAlapag3) January 27, 2016

In 2014, Loyzaga was the recipient of the Philippine Sportswriters' Association Lifetime Achievement Award. He was named to the Philippine National Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.

He is survived by his children Chito and Joey, who also forayed into basketball. His daughters Bing and Teresa went on to become actors.

The nation, known worldwide to be fanatics of the game, have also lost hoop heroes Lim Eng Beng and Ron Jacobs a few weeks ago.

Check out Loyzaga's overseas campaign breakdown in this FIBA.com statistical entry.