A two-time Olympian, a former PBA Rookie of the Year, one of the most accomplished collegiate coaches in the country, a one-time college star who surprisingly never got to play in the PBA, and a cage icon who's well-loved by Filipino basketball fans. They are some of the great names…
Terry Saldana (Contributed photo) MANILA - Terry Saldana, one of the Philippine Basketball Association's (PBA) most exciting players during the early 80s, passed away at age 64. League commissioner Willie Marcial confirmed the sad news on Wednesday night, relaying a conversation he had with Ed Cordero, Saldana's teammate at Toyota, earlier in the day. Prior to his passing, Saldana was suffering from a lingering kidney problem. Saldana first became well-known as a superstar for Letran's high school program during the late 70s. He would join Toyota in the PBA in 1982 after his career prospered in the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association. He had a fantastic rookie campaign that year which would have easily merited him the Rookie of the Year award, but he was disqualified from winning it after he was suspended for his role in a brawl with the South Korean national team during their match in the Invitational Conference. He bounced back mightily by becoming the f