Olando “Orly” Bauzon, a UST alumnus, Olympian, and a Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) pioneer, passed away Saturday night. He was 75.
Pangasinan Mayor Joseph Bauzon confirmed the death of his uncle in a facebook post.
“A quiet, gentle and unassuming man. Kind to everyone. We will miss you Repang Orly. You are now with Mareng Josie. May the Lord grant you peace. Sending my sincerest condolences to the family he left behind especially his dear children,” former PBA Toyota teammate Gil Cotez said in a separate post.
Bauzon bagged three PBA championships with Toyota. He also won a championship in the 1973 Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA).
“If not for his last second shot in our semifinal game in our very first MICAA tournament, we would not have made it to the championship series against the Concepcion Motorolas and we would not have won in Cinderella finish,” former MICAA teammate and PBA legend Mon Fernandez said on Facebook.
Buazon was part of the roster that represented the Philippines in the 1968 Mexico Olympics. He also played in the 1970 Asian Games and 1965 to 1967 Asian Championships.
Buazon coached the UST basketball team in 1988 where they finished seventh.
Buazon was born on Calasiao, Pangasinan on November 17, 1944.
