Fernandez, Caidic, Co lead selection panel for additions to PBA 50 Greatest Players

Metro Manila, Philippines - The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) will be adding 10 more names to join its 50 Greatest Players list in time for the league's golden anniversary celebration in April.

Former PBA Most Valuable Players Ramon Fernandez, Allan Caidic, and Atoy Co will lead the selection panel that will deliberate on who are deserving to be added to the 40 Greatest Players earlier unveiled by the league.

Fernandez, Caidic, and Co were all part of the 25 Greatest Players that were named during the PBA's 25th anniversary in 2000.

Apart from the three legends, also included in the selection panel are champion coach Dante Silverio, former PBA commissioner Renauld “Sonny” Barrios, former Manila Bulletin sports editors Ding Marcelo, former Philippine Daily Inquirer sports editor Al Mendoza, The Philippine Star sports editor and Philippine Sportswriters Association president Nelson Beltran, and veteran broadcasters Quinito Henson and Andy Jao.

The panel will begin to convene on Feb. 6 in a series of meetings to determine the final list.

PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said he will be recommending the outright inclusion of San Miguel Beermen stalwart June Mar Fajardo, who is the only player in PBA history to win a record eight MVP awards, including six straight from 2014 to 2019.

The commissioner added he will suggest for the panel to take a look at the players by batches starting in the league's inception in 1975 to avoid missing out on possible names deserving to be included.