FIBA, the International Basketball Federation, announced its lineup of inductees for the 2023 Hall of Fame, and Carlos "Caloy" Loyzaga has rightfully earned his place among basketball legends.
Loyzaga will be the first Filipino athlete to be honored in the prestigious FIBA Hall of Fame, alongside eight other exceptional players and two esteemed coaches.
The induction ceremony is scheduled for August 23 in Manila, just two days before the 2023 FIBA World Cup kicks off in the Philippines.
The stellar FIBA Hall of Fame Class of 2023 is here! 🏀 🌟
— FIBA (@FIBA) June 2, 2023
The ceremony will take place in Manila on 23 August, 2 days before the tip-off of the @FIBAWC 🏆 pic.twitter.com/1DUAuJBFq9
Loyzaga, who was considered the greatest basketball player in Philippine history, made significant contributions during the golden era of Philippine basketball in the 1950s and early 1960s.
He led the national team to four Asian Games gold medals (1951, 1954, 1958, and 1962) and two consecutive FIBA Asia Cup golds (1960 and 1963).
Loyzaga also represented the Philippines in the Olympics, finishing in ninth place in 1952 and seventh place in 1956.
Sadly, this basketball legend passed away on January 27, 2016, at the age of 85.
In addition to Loyzaga, the 2023 FIBA Hall of Fame will also recognize other notable athletes such as Yao Ming, Wlamir Marques, and Penny Taylor, among others, as well as coaches Valerie Garnier and Alessandro Gamba.
