On this day, December 26, the mourning for the late basketball legend Avelino “Samboy” Lim begins. The gathering will take place inside the chapel at Colegio de San Juan de Letran.
Until 10 p.m. today, the public is welcome to view his remains. On the following day, December 27, his body will be transferred to the Arlington Memorial Chapel.
Avelino Borromeo Lim Jr., better known as Samboy “The Skywalker” Lim, was a renowned professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association and a multiple-time national player in the 1980s and 1990s. Lim was discovered at the age of 15 while playing on the courts of Phil-Am Life Homes in Quezon City by former basketball player Jun Celis.
On the night of November 28, 2014, he was swiftly taken to the hospital unconscious after collapsing just minutes after exiting a PBA Legends exhibition game at the Ynares Center in Pasig. According to Nelson Asaytono, a fellow PBA player, Lim was stretching on the sideline after being substituted by Legends coach Bogs Adornado when he suddenly collapsed.
He fell into a coma and was initially admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Medical City before being transferred to the intermediate care unit. On January 14, 2015, he emerged from his comatose state and was brought home where he continued to undergo treatment and therapy.
The iconic Samboy Lim, one of the greatest basketball players in the Philippines, passed away on Saturday, December 23, 2023, as announced by his family. He was 61 years old. His death was a profound loss for the basketball community and the entire nation.