Carlos Loyzaga officially inducted to FIBA Hall of Fame

Filipino basketball legend Carlos "Caloy" Loyzaga was officially inducted to the FIBA Hall of Fame on Wednesday.

In a ceremony held in Manila, Loyzaga and Georgia's Zurab Sakandelidze were recognized posthumously.

Included in the 2023 class were China's Yao Ming, Penny Taylor of Australia, Yuko Oga of Japan, Katrina McClain of the United States, Amaya Valdemoro of Spain, Brazil's Wlamir Marques, Angola's Ângelo Monteiro dos Santos Victorian, and Sonny Hendrawan of Indonesia. 

Loyzaga's children Chito, Joey, and Bing received the award for the late basketball great.

In a speech delivered by Loyzaga's son, Chito said their father gave his all, and showed sportsmanship and good character during his days as a player.

“Imagine, that was not too long after the war. The struggles, the difficulties they had to go through to represent the country, to play for the flag. That was no joke,” said Chito.

Enshrinement of the FIBA Hall of Fame Class of 2023 took place in Manila ?

Congratulations to all of our inductees for their contribution to our beautiful game ?????? pic.twitter.com/WXe49WIj92

— FIBA (@FIBA) August 24, 2023

Known as "The Big Difference," San Beda basketball legend Loyzaga put the Philippines in the global basketball stage as he bannered the country in the 1954 FIBA World Championship where the nationals placed third, the highest finish by any Asian team in the global conclave.

He was also a two-time Olympian (1952 and 1956) and led the Philippines to four gold medals in the Asian Games in 1951, 1954, 1958, and 1962.

The Philippine basketball great passed away in 2016.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News