Avelino Borromeo Lim Jr. (April 1, 1962 – December 23, 2023), better known as Samboy "The Skywalker" Lim, was a Filipino professional basketball player of the Philippine Basketball Association and many-time national player in the 1980s and 1990s.
As a high-flying wing, he distinguished himself with his flamboyant and often dangerous forays to the basket, punctuated by acrobatic shots, hang-time moves, or slam dunks.[1] A five-time All-Star and two-time PBA Mythical Team selection, he did not however win a Most Valuable Player Award because he did not get to complete a full season due to the many injuries he sustained on the court.[2]
Career
Lim was discovered at 15-years old while playing on the courts of Phil-Am Life Homes in Quezon City by former basketball player, Jun Celis.[3] This subsequently led to athletic scholarships, which were helpful given that his father, Dr. Avelino B. Lim Sr., died due to coronary thrombosis just as the younger Lim was entering high school.[4]
Amateur career
After high school in San Beda, Samboy spent a year's residence at Letran before finally seeing action in the NCAA in 1982. Even as a first-year varsity player for the Letran Knights, Samboy was already a vital cog of Letran's championship team. He would have won the NCAA Most Valuable Player award if not for his teammate, Jerry Gonzales, whose late season push and heroics in Letran's last two games won him the coveted plum. In 1983, Lim was remembered for the "Asthma series" against the San Sebastian Stags, where he had asthma throughout the championship series. Trailing the best-of-three series 1–0, Lim was fetched from the University of Santo Tomas Hospital on Game 2 to score 12 points, routing the Stags, then scored 20 points in the title-clinching Game 3.[5] Samboy was all set to join the NCC squad of coach Ron Jacobs even before the start of the 1984 NCAA tournament but he begged for a grace period so he could play in the collegiate league. Samboy finally won the NCAA MVP trophy as he led the Knights to a grand slam, their third straight NCAA seniors’ championships from 1982 to 1984, under coach Larry Albano.
Lim was a consistent national team member. His first stint with the national team was during the 1983 SEA Games in Singapore, where the Philippines retained the title. In 1984, he was a mainstay of the RP Youth team and the RP quintet in the Asian Interclub. He readily marched off to the Ron Jacobs camp the following year and as a rookie of the Northern Consolidated squad, the guest amateur quintet in the PBA, he dislodged several stars from their starting position and was always among the first five players off the bench. Samboy won championships with the nationals in the Jones Cup, SEA Games, and the ABC crown in early 1986. After the NCC core disbanded, he was selected as part of the Philippine national team that competed in the 1986 Asian Games. He was one of the main players and top scorers of the national team that went on to win the bronze medal.[6]
Lim was injury-prone for the next two seasons (1987–88), although he led the San Miguel Beermen to the 1988 PBA Open Conference title. Lim's outstanding hang time earned him the monicker "Skywalker" and previous injuries did not stop him from playing with reckless abandon and coming up with acrobatic and unbelievable shots.
Sat out 11 games early in the 1989 PBA Open Conference, Samboy missed "only" 18 games the whole season, the year San Miguel Beermen won the grand slam and Lim was the team's third-leading scorer with 15.2 ppg (13th-best in the league that season).
Lim finally had an injury-free season in 1990. This resulted in his emerging as San Miguel's leading scorer. Lim scored 42 points in the 2nd PBA All-Star Game and was named Most Valuable Player. He was hands down choice as a member of the RP Team in the Asian Games in Beijing, China, and was selected in the Asian Games Mythical five. Samboy could have made it to the Mythical five in the PBA for the first time had his team fared better in the Third Conference. Nevertheless, the Dragon, as he was often called besides the Skywalker, settled for the Mythical Ten.
In 1993, he was awarded with the first ever sportsmanship award for his exemplary behavior on the court. Lim was also a member of the Mythical Second Team Selection twice (1990 and 1993). His remarkable play was a joy to watch and he was a constant fan favorite because of his aerial maneuvers. However, also because of those seemingly inhuman skills, Lim suffered numerous serious injuries that limited his PBA career to just nine seasons. Despite the fact that he never won an MVP award, Lim was considered by fans as the "Real MVP."
Throughout his career, he sported jersey no. 9 and wore knee-high socks, his testament and tribute to his idol Julius "Dr. J" Erving even though he stood only five feet eleven inches tall.
In 2005, PBA fans had another chance to see him put his intensity and high-wire forays back on the court as he suited up for the PBA Greats Team. The PBA Greatest Game was held in the Araneta Coliseum as thousands of fans watched their favorite legends and great players of all time play. Lim scored 29 points in that game.[12]
On October 6, 2016, the PBA renamed the Sportsmanship Award in his honor as he was the first recipient of the feat. It is given to a PBA player who most “exemplifies the ideals of Sportsmanship on the court - ethical behavior, fair play, and integrity”.[13]
Lim's health had been an issue during his playing days, with the numerous injuries he suffered as a result of his stunts on the court. After his retirement from active play, he kept himself fit by lifting weights, jogging, and playing basketball. He also set up a basketball clinic for children. In the early part of 2005, Samboy Lim started conducting basketball training classes and summer camps. His training regimen and modules focused on ball handling, dribbling, passing, shooting, lay-ups, and defense. In 2010, the Samboy Lim Player Development Academy was created.[18] Enrollment was highly successful especially for the summer basketball camps. Unfortunately, the program was discontinued when he suffered a heart attack in November 2014.
On the evening of November 28, 2014, he was rushed to a hospital unconscious after collapsing just minutes after coming out of a PBA Legends exhibition game at the Ynares Center in Pasig. According to fellow PBA great Nelson Asaytono, Lim was doing some stretching on the sideline shortly after being pulled out of the game by Legends coach Bogs Adornado when he collapsed.[19] He slipped into a coma and was first admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Medical City before he was later transferred to the intermediate care unit.[20] On January 14, 2015, he slipped out of his comatose state and was brought home where he continued to receive treatment and therapy.[21]
Samboy's story became instrumental in the passage of the Samboy Lim Law, Republic Act 10871, or “The Basic Life Support Training in Schools Act”. The Bill authored by Rep./Coach Yeng Guiao in 2015, was filed in honor of Samboy. The law provides for basic life support training or CPR in high school in public and private schools.[22]
Years after that medical emergency, Samboy continued to receive round the clock 24 hour medical care and was constantly being attended to by a team of medical specialists/doctors, physical therapists, and private nurses.
Lim died on December 23, 2023, at the age of 61.[23] Colegio de San Juan de Letran, the National Colleagiate Athletic Association, and the Philippine Basketball Association all feted tributes to Lim.[24] The Philippine Heart Association also gave tribute to Lim as he was the inspiration for the CPR law.[25]
Career PBA highlights
Member, PBA's 25 Greatest Players
2-time Mythical Second Team Selection (1990 and 1993)
First ever recipient of the Sportsmanship Award (1993)
