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NINE-TIME PBA champion Avelino “Samboy” Lim died on Saturday at the age of 61.<\/p>\n
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The Philippine basketball icon\u2019s family confirmed his death in a post on his Facebook page.<\/p>\n
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“Our Hearts are broken… our dearly beloved Samboy passed away peacefully,” the statement read.<\/p>\n
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Lim, known as \u201cThe Skywalker,\u201d was surrounded by relatives and fellow basketball stars that included Allan Caidic.<\/p>\n
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During his final moments at the Medical City, Ft. Franklin Beltran, a former Letran Chaplain, was able to administer the Last Rites Extreme Unction<\/p>\n
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“Please pray for Samboy. He needs our prayers as we commend his soul to the loving arms of our Lord God,” the family wrote.<\/p>\n
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“Heaven gained an angel just in time for Christmas. We love you Samboy, thank you for loving all of us unconditionally … no more pain nor suffering! Goodbye for now …… you will be in our hearts forever,” they added.<\/p>\n
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Lim played in the PBA between 1986 and 1997, mostly with the San Miguel Beermen, winning nine championships while with the team.<\/p>\n
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While with the Philippine national team, Lim has also won two gold medals in the Southeast Asian Games in 1983 and 1985, as well as two Asian Games medals, a bronze in 1986 and a silver in 1990, which was the best result for the country until its gold medal at the 19th Asian Games last October.<\/p>\n
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He retired from the professional league in 1997.<\/p>\n
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His health, however, took a toll in November 2014 after he was rushed to a hospital after collapsing just minutes after coming of a PBA Legends exhibition game at the Ynares Center in Pasig.<\/p>\n
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The PBA legend slipped into a coma and was first admitted to the Intensive Care Unit before he was later transferred to the intermediate care unit.<\/p>\n
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In January 2015, he slipped out of his comatose state and was brought home where he received treatment and therapy.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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