Summoning the mythos of Jaworski and Ginebra. By Martin Sarmenta.

Summoning the mythos of Jaworski and Ginebra.

By Martin Sarmenta

It was as if Achilles simply dusted off his beloved armour, ready to take Troy anew. Or Demolition Man (complete with a Stallonian accent), unfrozen from cryogenic preservation, ready to kick ass in a new century. Robert Jaworski, Sr spoke. Jawo was every bit an Achilles, Demolition Man and more, especially to his legions of devout Ginebra fans spanning at least three generations. He had just hinted at a possible return to active duty. “May konti pa akong taba sa abs. Pero kaya pa naman,” he was quoted as saying. He added, “But if I can’t do it fully, I won’t do it.”

Through quick turns-of-phrase, during the announcement that his Number 7 jersey would be retired on July 8, Jaworski hinted at immortality. Why not? He is, after all, The Living Legend. He is living proof that passion chooses no age. He is walking evidence that heart is more important the technical know-how. Who knows how to rile a crowd better than Jaworski? When you say “Ginebra,” you still think of Jaworski.

Yet I was never a hardcore Ginebra fan. I cheered more for The Captain and Purefoods than for Jaworski and his Barangay (probably because hotdogs seemed more wholesome than gin to an eight year old). Still, Ginebra’s significance was never lost on me. Whenever Purefoods played Ginebra, I remember always getting upset with Ginebra’s loud fans. It felt like shouting against unending thunder.

When I reached high school, however, I started to appreciate the entire Barangay Ginebra phenomenon as a way by which people cheer for heroes, albeit, bordering on absurd. I wrote an actual research paper about the Ginebra mythos by the time I was in college. I finally saw them as a reflection of the Pinoy Spirit. Jaworski is the cornerstone of that mythos.

Just like Thanos in the Infinity Gauntlet Saga, Wolverine in X-Men, the fizz in your Coca-Cola, Jawo brings a certain OMG-WTF to a team, a franchise, a league. He built his teams using players who, like him, played with pride, a chip on their shoulder, and knew how to use the full extent of the rules (in Pinoy blacktop speak: gulang). We recall “The Tank” Noli Locsin, “The Skyscraper” Marlou Aquino, “The Flash” Bal David, “Mr. Adrenaline” Jayvee Gayoso, and others.

Jaworski coached them. He played with them. He made the crowd feel that they were on the court with them too – play by play, sweat drop by sweat drop, from start to finish. Legend has it that he would not go home until he had pleased every single soul who had lined up after games, praying to get his autograph.

My officemate, a die-hard Ginebra fan, never misses a beat. He knows the line-up, who left, who arrived, why Siot Tanquincen coaches well, and why he doesn’t. Like most die-hard Barangay mainstays, he holds his head high when they win and has a scathing commentary of his team’s play and the league’s officiating when they lose. These past few conferences, he’s been loyal, but he feels Ginebra has successfully given him a Split Personality Disorder.

I bet my officemate feels the same way Siot and Jawo feel. This current team needs to win it all. My officemate’s anxiety actually intersects with the Ginebra’s need for fresh character-defining moments. Something momentous must happen soon. Jaworski and his Ginebra Legend must live on.  

Perhaps Jawo sort of knows the answer to that? Jaworski has always been about heart: honest-to-goodness, fresh-with-blood-spattering-all-over-the-court heart. C’mon Ginebra! Ask yourself. W.W.J.D. What would Jawo do? It’s always good to remind fans why they love this league. It’s always fun to witness what makes Pinoy Basketball special. By our stars, place on the continent and natural physical gifts, we shouldn’t even be playing the damn sport – but by God, give us a ball and we’ll make magic.

The Ginebra Kings are at a crossroads. I see an opportunity to continue a tradition. They have one last chance to win a championship this season. They can make a dramatic run to the Finals. They can make people from all walks of life talk about Ginebra the way they should. For their fans, immortality always beckons. Ginebra could use a classic-Jaworski-style Ginebra resurgence right about now. Never say die. Jawo has always personified that spirit. Give us a ball, we’ll make magic. That’s the Ginebra mythos. That’s the Jaworski mythos. That’s our mythos. I know my officemate would love it. Jawo would, too. MS