ONE of the Philippines’ basketball pillars, Jimmy Mariano, passed away on Sunday night, after battling a long illness. He was 84.

A well-decorated career that spanned from his excellence in the amateur ranks, leadership in international play, and his trailblazing impact in the professional league — there’s no doubt that Mariano was a key figure in the growth of the sport in the country.

Mariano’s passing was confirmed by the PBA during the halftime break of the battle  between Rain Or Shine and Converge at the Ynares Center 2 in Rodriguez, Rizal.

Making his mark in the long range — long before the stretch big was even a term — Mariano paved the way for the Philippine team, serving as the flag bearer of the country that competed in the 1972 Munich Olympics, the last time the men’s basketball team played in the Summer Games.

Before the game resumed, the league, together with its players, held a moment of silence to honor the life of one of the country’s most impactful players.

​The University of the East pride was also the team captain of the national basketball team that reigned supreme in the 1973 FIBA Asia Cup — the last all-Filipino group that won the continental championship.

​ The 6-foot-4 forward was one of the pioneering batch of players of Asia’s oldest league — the PBA, when it was founded 50 years ago, suiting up for the likes of Carrier, Seven-Up, and Filmanbank.

​ Mentored by legendary coach Virgilio ‘Baby’ Dalupan, Mariano then moved to coaching after his retirement. He led his alma mater, UE Red Warriors, to back-to-back UAAP championships in 1984 and 1985. Mariano then went back to the PBA and coached the Presto franchise, winning the team’s last PBA title in the 1990 All-Filipino conference.