Exactly 50 years ago on December 19, the music died. On that fateful day of December 19, 1971, the festive local basketball scene was rocked by the physical mauling of a pair of referees in an All-Filipino game in the Manila Industrial Commercial and Athletic Association (MICAA).
The son of a Polish father and a Filipino mother, Robert “Sonny” Jaworski was already making waves not only in the local cage scene but also on the international stage.
![PH National Team that won the bronze in 1954 World Basketball in Rio de Janeiro. [Henry Liao photo]](https://sportsbytes.com.ph/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/144429345_221818172990075_1891445414791191084_n-400x200.jpg)
According to the famous historian and National Artist awardee Nick Joaquin, basketball was introduced to Filipinos within the historic walls of Intramuros, Manila. Unclear, however, is the exact date of the first basketball game ever played on Philippine soil.