Benjie Paras, Ronnie Magsanoc lead new members of PBA Hall of Fame

Benjie Paras and Ronnie Magsanoc became PBA stars together early in their career at Shell.

Fittingly, the two men will also become members of the PBA Hall of Fame together.

Paras and Magsanoc will be the newest members of the league’s pantheon along with pioneer player Lim Eng Beng and late coach Ed Ocampo.

Paras is a two-time Most Valuable Player, being the only rookie to win the league’s top honor in 1989 before repeating the feat 10 years later. Nicknamed the Tower of Power, he was one of the first truly athletic centers in the league playing above the rim.

Magsanoc was named one of the PBA’s 25 Greatest Players during the league’s silver anniversary in 2000. He formed Shell’s “Awesome Threesome” along with Paras and Hall of Fame import Bobby Parks, leading the franchise to two championships.

Lim was a pioneering Filipino-Chinese player, who starred for several teams, most notably U/TEX, during the early years of the PBA. Like Paras and Magsanoc, he was also part of the league’s 25 Greatest list.

Ocampo, a former national team member during the pre-PBA days, won four championships as a coach in the league, where he called the shots for San Miguel Beer, Toyota, and Pepsi.

The four men will be the latest inductees after a vote by the PBA honors committee headed by commissioner Chito Salud and chairman Robert Non.

Also in the committee are PBA board members Mamerto Mondragon and Ramon Segismundo along with media members Bobby Barreiro, Ding Marcelo, Joe Antonio, and Lorenzo Lomibao Jr.

Already in the PBA Hall of Fame are the inaugural batch consisting Robert Jaworski, Ramon Fernandez, Atoy Co, Philip Cezar, Bogs Adornado, Francis Arnaiz, Baby Dalupan, Leo Prieto, Emerson Coseteng, Rudy Salud, Danny Floro and Joe Cantada.

Also inducted have been Abet Guidaben, Manny Paner, Danny Florencio, Norman Black, Ron Jacobs, Domingo Itchon, Danding Cojuangco, Dante Silverio, Tony Siddayao, Pinggoy Pengson, Bobby Parks, Allan Caidic, Samboy Lim, Hector Calma, Ricky Brown, Honeyboy Palanca, Jun Bernardino, Alvin Patrimonio, Billy Ray Bates, Freddie Hubalde, Tommy Manotoc, Tito Eduque, Mariano Yenko and Bobong Velez.