Brgy. Ginebra mourns passing of long-time utility man ‘Mang Jun’
Brgy. Ginebra San Miguel mourned the passing of its long-time utility man Jun Vicera.
‘Mang Jun’ passed away on Saturday due to complications of diabetes. He was 67.
Vicera served as the Gin Kings’ masseuse for nearly four decades, being the lone remnant from the team’s fabled ‘Robert Jaworski’ era.
Veteran Mark Caguioa and head coach Tim Cone took to their social media accounts to pay their last respects to the fallen support staff.
“For the people that doesn’t know Mang Jun he is a legend and one of the most important key members of the team. You have Coach Sonny and this guy Mang Jun. He is always there when you need him. If you’re injured or you need a massage Mang Jun can do this for hours while telling you jokes. You can tell he loves working for Ginebra,” wrote Caguioa on his Instagram account.
“If he thinks you’re sick he will give you hot water in a bottle with vicks vapor rub inside and tell you to sniff it and it will clear your blocked nose (jokoy) I was like wtf is this Mang Jun and it worked. From then on I started doing it because of him. Kidding aside we will all miss you and I’m sure the old school fans and old school players will miss you too. My heart truly goes out to the Vicera family. Rest in peace we love you Mang Jun,” added the 2012 PBA Most Valuable Player.
Cone, meanwhile, described Vicera as his connection to the team’s ‘great’ past.
“Just heard the news of the passing of Mang Jun. He was really loved by the players and the organization, and he was my connection to the great Ginebra past. We all will miss him dearly,” wrote the PBA’s winningest mentor on his Twitter account.
Just heard the news of the passing of Mang Jun. He was really loved by the players and the organization, and he was my connection to the great Ginebra past. We all will miss him dearly.
— Tim Cone (@manilacone) August 9, 2020
