Samboy Lim

On October 6, 2016 the PBA renamed the Sportsmanship Award in his honor as he was the first recipient of the feat.

In the evening of November 28, 2014, he was rushed to a hospital unconscious after collapsing just minutes after coming out of a PBA Legends exhibition game at the Ynares Center in Pasig City. According to fellow PBA great Nelson Asaytono, Lim was doing some stretching on the sideline shortly after being pulled out of the game by Legends coach Bogs Adornado when he collapsed. He slipped into a coma, and was first admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Medical City, before he was later transferred to the intermediate care unit. On January 14, 2015, he slipped out of his comatose state and was brought home where he will continue to receive treatment and therapy.

In 2005, PBA fans had another chance to see him put his intensity and high-wire forays back on the court as he suited up for the PBA Greats Team. The PBA Greatest Game was held in the Araneta Coliseum as thousands of fans watched their favorite legends and great players of all time play. Lim scored 29 points that game.

In 1998, Lim joined the Philippine Basketball League to play for the Welcoat House Paints and retiring that year becoming its team manager. In 2000, he was named into the PBA's 25 Greatest Players. In his entire PBA career, he played for only one team, San Miguel Beer, he later served as San Miguel team manager. In 2006, he assumed the team manager post of SMB's sister team Barangay Ginebra Kings.

In 1993, he was awarded with the first ever sportsmanship award for his exemplary behavior on the court. Lim is also a member of the Mythical Second Team Selection twice (1990 and 1993). His remarkable play was a joy to watch and he was a constant fan favorite because of his aerial maneuvers. However, also because of those seemingly inhuman skills, Lim suffered numerous serious injuries that limited his PBA career to just nine seasons. Despite the fact that he never won an MVP award, Lim was considered by fans as the "Real MVP."

He finally had an injury-free season in 1990. This resulted in his emerging as San Miguel's leading scorer. Lim scored 42 points in the 2nd PBA All-Star Game and was named Most Valuable Player. He was hands down choice as member of the RP Team in the Asian Games in Beijing, China and was selected in the Asian Games Mythical five. Samboy could have made it to the Mythical five in the PBA for the first time had his team fared better in the Third Conference. Nevertheless, the dragon, as he is often called besides the skywalker, settled for the Mythical Ten.

Sat out 11 games early in the 1989 Open Conference, Samboy missed "only" 18 games the whole season, the year San Miguel Beermen won the Grandslam and Lim was the team's third-leading scorer with 15.2 ppg (13th-best in the league that season).

He was injury-prone the next two seasons (1987-88) although Lim led the San Miguel Beermen to the third conference crown, winning the finals MVP in the 1988 Third Conference. Outstanding hang time earned him the monicker "Skywalker" and previous injuries have not stopped him from playing with reckless abandon and he still comes up with acrobatic and unbelievable shots.

Samboy's first commercial team was the Lhuillier Jewelers in the PABL First Conference in 1986. He spearheaded the ballclub to a title, together with Jojo Lastimosa and Al Solis.

In September 1986, the cream of amateur cagers, including former national players, are seeking their release from the BAP to turn pro and join the comebacking San Miguel team (To be known as Magnolia Cheese) in the PBA Third Conference. Samboy, along with Elmer Reyes, were released upon their return from the Asian Games. Lim made his pro debut on October 7, 1986 as Magnolia scored their first win against Alaska after three straight losses.

Lim has been a consistent national team member. His first stint with the nationals was during the 1983 SEA Games in Singapore where the Philippines retained the title. In 1984, he was a mainstay of the RP Youth team and the RP quintet in the Asian Interclub. He readily marched off to the Ron Jacobs camp the following year and as a rookie of Northern Consolidated squad, the guest amateur quintet in the PBA, he has dislodged several stars from their starting position and is always among the first five players off the bench. Samboy won championships with the nationals in the Jones Cup, SEA Games and the ABC crown in early 1986. After the NCC core disbanded, he was selected as part of the Philippine national team that competed in the 1986 Asian Games. He was one of the main players and top scorers of the national team that went on to win the bronze medal.

Samboy spent a year's residence at Letran before finally seeing action in the NCAA in 1982. In his first year, he was a strong MVP contender but teammate Jerry Gonzales, who was the hero in Letran's last two games, won the coveted plum. In 1983, Lim was again frustrated in his bid for an MVP award as another teammate Romeo Ang was adjudged Most Valuable Player. Samboy was all set to join the NCC squad of coach Ron Jacobs even before the start of the 1984 NCAA tournament but he begged for a grace period so he could play in the collegiate league. Samboy finally won the NCAA MVP trophy as he led the Knights to a grandslam, their third straight NCAA seniors championships from 1982 to 1984, under coach Larry Albano.

Avelino Borromeo Lim, Jr. (born April 1, 1962), better known as Samboy "The Skywalker" Lim, is a Filipino retired professional basketball player of the Philippine Basketball Association and many time national player in the 1980s.