Chancing upon a PBA Legend...

Not that many younger fans would recall the name, Rey Lazaro. He wasn't in the same elite star level as a Robert Jaworski, Ramon Fernandez, Alvin Patrimonio or Bogs Adornado. He didn't reap that many individual awards as well, his primary accomplishments being a member of the 1982 PBA All Star competition held in Manila and Cebu where he played for the North team, and as a surprising runner-up to Fernandez in the 1982 Hardcourt King One-on-One competitions held in between the two games.

Yes, you read it right, there was a one-on-one tournament held a couple of times in the early PBA years. Three years before that, in 1979, Philip Cezar became the Keyhole King when he beat Fernandez in the Finals. But with Cezar not participating in 1982, Fernandez was the odds-on favorite to  win the crown. There were two divisions - one featuring players below six feet tall (won by Willie Generalao), while another that had players going up against each other who were 6'1 and above. On his way to the Finals, Lazaro defeated the likes of Arnie Tuadles and Manny Victorino to set up a showdown with El Presidente.

It was in 1977 when I first heard of his name. He joined the Far Eastern University Tamaraws under Coach Turing Valenzona but became a fixture in many national teams, notably the 1979 FIBA-Asia tournament held in Nagoya, Japan under Coach Freddie Webb, and in the 1980 FIBA World Youth held in Brazil and as captain ball for the 1980 FIBA Asian Youth Championships in Bangkok. Even during that time, I was already following his game closely as he became part of my first favorite amateur team, the Solid Mills Denim Makers. At that time, Solid Mills had Valenzona as their coach so it was natural that the FEU players suited up for the team.

But when Valenzona was "pirated" by Herdis Group of Companies Chairman Herminio Disini to form the APCOR Financiers team in the MICAA, Solid Mills lost some of their star players who joined their coach with the neophyte team. Despite the success that Solid Mills achieved in the MICAA, winning titles in 1976 and 1978, they couldn't stop Valenzona and his wards from leaving. APCOR naturally became the super team of the MICAA, with a roster that was practically the national team at that time already - guys like future pros Yoyoy Villamin, Gerry Samlani, Bay Cristobal, Ramon Cruz, Padim Israel, Zaldy Latoza, Gary Vargas, Terry Saldaña, Marte Saldaña, Alex Clariño, Rad Pasco and Lazaro forming the dreaded roster.

True enough, APCOR won multiple MICAA championships and was already forming a dynasty of its own. There were reports that Disini wanted to join the PBA as early as 1981 and bring with him the core of his amateur team directly to the league (there was no PBA Draft at that time). Had he done so, APCOR would probably have become extremely competitive, judging from the Financiers' ability to beat the mighty Crispa Redmanizers in tune-up games.

Fate, though, had other plans. Disini was forced to flee the Philippines in the Dewey Dee caper and the company had no choice but to disband its basketball team. Almost everyone in the team went on to suit up for different PBA teams midway in the 1981 season - Cristobal, Israel, Villamin and Cruz for Crispa, Samlani went to U/Tex, Vargas suited up for Galleon Shippers, Latoza and Lazaro joined forces at YCO/Tanduay, Clariño and Pasco went to Gilbey's Gin. Only the Saldañas, Terry and Marte (not related), joined the year after with Terry donning the Toyota jersey while Saldaña hooking up with the San Miguel Beermen. Terry was on the cusp of winning the ROY award in 1982 but a melee in a PBA game against the visiting South Korean national team where Saldaña kicked a Korean opponent, knocked him out of the race. Marte, who was then running second, eventually won the award.

Before joining YCO/Tanduay, Lazaro received feelers from the Toyota camp who expressed interest in acquiring his services. Lazaro, a one-on-one specialist, would have fitted well with the then Super Diesels, backstopping Arnie Tuadles at the small forward position, or rotate at the power forward slot, spelling Abe King. But Webb, who coached Lazaro in the 1979 national team, convinced Lazaro that the ideal team to go to was the Esquires as he would be guaranteed playing time. True enough, Lazaro, as a rookie midway into the season, became a starter right away, supplanting resident forward Abet Gutierrez. Lazaro played a phenomenal rookie year but couldn't earn enough statistical points to overtake Rafael "Cho" Sison of Presto for the ROY award. Had Lazaro been able to join the PBA at the start of the season like Sison, he would have crowded Sison for the award.

1982 was a breakout season for Lazaro. He started becoming Tanduay's go-to guy at the slot, in tandem with former San Beda Red Lion JV Yango. In October that year, he was selected to play for the North team in the PBA All-Star Series sponsored by the soda brand, Mello Yello.  North won the series, losing in Cebu, 122-119, but winning in Manila, 123-118. The cumulative scores of the two games saw North, with 242 points, nipping South which scored 240. Only on his sophomore year, Lazaro was already a bonafide PBA All-Star.

On the same year, he surprisingly beat Victorino and Tuadles to set up a showdown with Fernandez in the Hardcourt King One-on-One tournament. Fernandez had the advantage in both height and experience, two factors that proved pivotal to his win. Lazaro gamely tried to compete but Fernandez, then already recognized as the best player in the league, proved too much for him. Still, it was a major coup for the 6'2 forward who wasn't even expected to figure deep in the tournament.

He played for two more seasons with Tanduay until his contract expired and was given offers by other teams. The most notable was the offer coming from incoming playing coach Jaworski, who was then putting up his team at Ginebra after taking over the coaching chores from Valenzona. Lazaro and the Big J struck a verbal agreement for the former to play for Ginebra, thereby reinforcing the Gins' interior that already had Ricky Relosa, Terry Saldaña, Romy Mamaril, Ed Ducut and Nic Bulaong. But Webb, who was taken in to coach the new franchise, Shell Azodrin Bugbusters, came into the scene once more and made Lazaro decide to play for the new team instead. It was Webb's commitment to make Lazaro an outright starter for the team that convinced him.

At Shell, he played the #4 position, alongside center Philip Cezar, small forward Bogs Adornado, shooting guard Bay Cristobal and point guard Bernie Fabiosa. Shell proved that despite being a new team, they were already worthy contenders, placing second to Great Taste in their very first All Filipino conference in the PBA, losing the Best of Five series, 3-1. Lazaro played a crucial role in Shell's cause, being the team's best offensive weapon inside the paint. Unfortunately, they came across a very motivated Great Taste team led by Ricardo Brown, Abe King and Manny Victorino, then aiming for a rare Grandslam to end up second overall.

Lazaro's reputation as one of the league's best one-on-one players of all time became evident at Shell when he had three consecutive 40-point games in a mighty display of offensive firepower. His confidence brimming and playing at peak form, Lazaro was at the cusp of superstardom.

In one game against the popular Ginebra team in the 1986 Reinforced Conference, Lazaro figured in a near brawl with import Terry Duerod. The Shell forward got clipped on the chin by a wayward elbow from Duerod. In the return play, Lazaro undercut Duerod that led to a dangerous fall by the import, and the refs immediately assessing Lazaro a technical foul. Ginebra fans howled and jeered Lazaro endlessly and from out of nowhere, authored a now familiar chant - "Lazaro, Gago (silly)!" This chant later morphed into different variations - from the now immortal "referee, gago," to any player with a 3-syllable surname that earned the fans' ire. When many fans thought this chant was originally meant for the zebras, it was actually Lazaro who became the first "victim" of this.

As such, Lazaro became one of the biggest villains in the eyes of the Ginebra multitude. It didn't help that he would play his best games against Ginebra, and figured in physical battles with Ginebra big men like Dondon Ampalayo, Saldaña, Mamaril, among others. He would also figure in clashes with the fans in the hope of silencing them. But he later realized that the best way to quiet the crowd was to play his game and score inside.

Despite the skirmishes, it is curious to note that Lazaro and Jaworski remained in good terms even beyond their retirement years. Jaworski has always admired Lazaro's interior game, his tough mental approach, and his one-on-one ability. The Big J was always known to have a post up player go one-on-one - whether it was Saldaña or Michael Hackett, or Noli Locsin or Steve Hood, or Marlou Aquino or Chris King. Heck, even his point guards have to know how to play the post, something that guys like Leo Isaac, Rudy Distrito and Joey Loyzaga took advantage of when going up against smaller defenders. Lazaro was the perfect fit, because he was genuinely crafty and skilled with his post game. His classic move is playing behind the basket, pushed his way inside the paint for his sweet spot, then turn around just below the ring, but suspend himself in mid-air, and take the reverse shot instead. It was a thing of beauty, an art mastered by someone who knew how to score inside despite being guarded by bigger and taller imports. Older folks who used to play the game would oftentimes ape the elegant shot of Fernandez, or the barreling drive of the Big J, or the turnaround fadeaway jumper of Atoy Co. Yet, there were also many who want to do the Lazaro undergoal reverse stab, as, in local parlance, the term, "pinahihirapan yun tira" became popular. "Eh ang ganda nga naman tingnan talaga, di bale nang hindi pumasok, basta maganda porma," was the common quip among neighborhood toughies.

In 1988, Lazaro moved to the Alaska Air Force who was then coached by, you guessed it, Valenzona. Turing was later replaced by Lazaro's Shell teammate, Adornado, but with the entry of young and exciting rookies like Bong Alvarez, Ric Ric Marata and Boy Cabahug, his playing time dwindled. With Tim Cone replacing Adornado as head coach, Lazaro was benched and by the 1990 season, he opted to leave Alaska and the PBA quietly and flew to the United States. He is presently based in Miami, Florida, working as an accounts receivable specialist for a sports and events management group. He is married to the former Diana Laurel, with whom he has four children - Daryl (36), Reynaldo, Jr. (34), Dennis (32) and Aurora (22).

Being one of my favorite players of all time, it was a privilege to have met and talk to Lazaro up close and personal. He remains the shy, softspoken player we've known, whose viciousness can only be evidenced inside the playing court. He enjoys the time away from the hardcourt, but has his own personal sentiments that lingered: what would have happened if he responded positively to the Toyota feelers? Would he have a longer PBA career, would this have made him popular, or would he find himself retiring when the franchise disbanded at the end of the 1983 season? What if he pursued his verbal deal with the Big J to play for Ginebra - would he have been a big name like many Ginebra players? Would he have become a darling of the fans and the media? Could he have won individual awards along the way? Would he have won a coveted PBA title?

The same questions linger in the mind of this blogger. Having been a Ginebra follower from 1986 to 1998, what would have been like cheering for a personal idol back in the 70's while playing for his favorite team? When Philip Cezar joined Añejo Rum in the 1989 season, I cannot hide my excitement seeing the Scholar play alongside the Big J. It would have probably been the same sentiment had Lazaro ended up playing for Jaworski and Ginebra.

Then again, Rey Lazaro is one legend difficult to forget. The guy who brought so much class when scoring underneath the basket, when posting up against a taller defender and cunningly score against him was a totally awesome sight to look at, when crunch time comes and you have an extremely reliable player capable of scoring in the clutch - the memories that Lazaro brought to the court and mesmerized the fans will never, ever, be forgotten...