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| (Image Source: Orange Magazine TV) |
If
you ask a player of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel about what keeps the team going
when the odds are against them, then the answer should be obvious when you hear
the chants of "Gi-ne-bra" rocking the stadiums where the team is
playing. In today's age of technology and social media, every Barangay Ginebra
game has always been a trending topic on Twitter and drawn massive crowds
everywhere even in the world's largest indoor arena, the Philippine Arena in
Bulacan. Indeed, there is no stopping the undying dedication and devotion of
probably the biggest basketball fans in the world today - the fans of Barangay
Ginebra San Miguel.
Aside
from the fans, what keeps Ginebra going and fighting against all odds in its
40-year history is its Never Say Die spirit which has been etched and marked in
the Philippine basketball history books. The mantra began in 1985 and the man who
brought the spirit to the local basketball scene is no less than the Big J, Robert
Jaworski Sr. After being hit by a wayward elbow in the second quarter, Jaworski
surprisingly returned during the third quarter from the hospital with seven
stitches on his lip. In the final few minutes of the fourth quarter, the Big J re-entered
the court and quickly led his team to victory after being behind by 15 points.
Ginebra's
Never Say Die spirit has lived on within the hearts and minds of not just its
fans but also those who love playing and watching basketball reaching towards
the new millennium. Among the notable players that have continued the spirit's
legacy was "The Fast and the Furious" duo of Mark Caguioa and Jayjay
Helterbrand who have showed resilience and determination in capturing the PBA
Fiesta Conference championship in 2004 which ended the team's seven-year
drought. Meanwhile, Justin Brownlee's buzzer-beater three-point shot clinched
the 2016 Governor's Cup trophy for the Gin Kings - the first in eight years. Then
there is Earl Scottie Thompson who recorded his first triple double and even became
the 2018 PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals MVP.
Jayjay
Helterbrand believes that Barangay Ginebra's Never Say Die spirit continues to
live on within its current roster of players. In celebration of the team's 40th
anniversary and as a "thank you" gift to its millions of fans in the Philippines
around the world, Ginebra San Miguel officially introduced its 2019 Never Say
Die Jersey Collection featuring the Living Legend Robert Jaworski Sr. (7), the
Fast and the Furious duo of Jayjay Helterbrand (13) and Mark Caguioa (47), fast-rising
local basketball star Scottie Thompson (6) and today's most beloved PBA import Justin
Brownlee (32). These limited special edition jerseys will be worn by the
players in the upcoming 2019 PBA Commissioner's Cup.
This
may be the first time in the team's long history that a mantra is featured in a
jersey and it is no ordinary mantra. The 2019 Never Say Die Jersey Collection will
be served as a tribute to Barangay Ginebra's legions of fans who have embodied
the Never Say Die attitude and spirit which began with Jaworski, and you should
have a piece of that tribute just by buying any Ginebra San Miguel product. Every
six seals of GSM or any five caps of GSM Blue, GSM Blue Flavors, Primera Light
Brandy and GSM Premium Gin is entitled to purchase any of the five 2019 Never
Say Die jerseys for only Php100 at their favorite supermarkets and convenience
stores nationwide and they can be availed until June 30, 2019.
For more details and updates
on the 2019 Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Never Say Die Jersey Collection, visit
www.ginebra.com.ph or follow the team's official Facebook page (www.facebook.com/barangayginebra).
You may also contact the GSMI Customer Care hotline at 632-2564.
