By Ronnie Nathanielsz

THERE is a feeling of immense satisfaction when one learns that a longtime friend, who has by his strength of will and the Divine Intervention of a just and loving God, turned around a life that was at times troubled in a wayward sort of way, and embarked on a path that we can all be proud of.

As we hail the King of Kings, who looks down on us all with tenderness and a guiding hand, we salute a dear friend and outstanding Philippine Basketball Association player, Abe King, who has been justly honored for what he has achieved and indeed the example he has set, by the prestigious San Beda College Alumini Association, whose respected board of directors has decided to induct him into the Hall of Fame.

King was an outstanding player at a time, which basketball fans fondly remember as the glory days of the PBA, where an entire nation was inexorably caught up in the storied Crispa-Toyota rivalry.

It was during that era that King emerged as the unquestioned ?King of the Boards,? a rebounding demon, who battled with all his might to give his team that extra chance which he himself has been blessed with in life.

Somewhere down the line, King faltered like many of us do, and effectively lost track of the values and virtues of a genuine sportsman and in the process a husband and father. We do not wish to dwell on that unfortunate period in King?s life, but would rather recognize it as the tapestry for his subsequent renewal that lifted our spirits and warmed our hearts.

As chairman of the highly successful PBA Legends USA Foundation, where another exemplary Filipino, Ruffy Ignacio, serves as secretary general and workhorse extraordinaire, King has put more than a little purpose into life and used the sport of which he was a superstar to further a life of caring which simply has to be a manifestation of God?s will.

King lives with his lovely wife Ligaya and their children in the US, but his heart and indeed, his soul are bonded with his beloved homeland. King?s recent medical-dental mission organized in Antipolo and Nueva Ecija was not merely a tribute to his desire to help the less fortunate, it also demonstrated how all King?s colleagues who played the game with so much passion and skill, had the heart and the willingness to get together in a worthy effort under the banner of the PBA Legends USA Foundation.

There are times when many of us, perhaps unwittingly, downplay the inner qualities of our PBA players and fail to recognize that they are indeed men of essence, ready to share their blessings and give their time in the pursuit of a worthy endeavor. King is a shining example.

He broke away from his sometimes wayward ways and a truly troubled life to set out on a path much like St. Paul the Apostle on the road to Damascus, who was blinded by a light from heaven only to soon become a beacon to others in the path of righteousness. King may not be an apostle of such magnificent dimensions, but he is an example nevertheless of the power within each and every one of us to right the wrongs of the past and with the love and guidance of the only King in the heavens above, to put meaning and substance into our lives.

King is truly a worthy inductee into the San Beda Hall of Fame? a Red Lion, who has turned from a one-time angry, aggressive individual into an amazingly gentle and compassionate human being who has touched the hearts of many and who richly deserves the accolades and the many blessings bestowed upon him. King is not only enshrined in the San Beda Hall of Fame, he is also enshrined in our hearts as a glorious example of the power of the one and only King?Almighty God!