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PBA and UST basketball great Danny Florencio, 70, passes away

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ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/sports/02/25/danny-florencio-022518.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>Danny Florencio celebrating his 70th birthday in September. Florencio, considered one of the most prolific scorers in Philippine basketball, died over the weekend in the US. Handout</figcaption></figure></div>Danny Florencio, considered one of the greatest scorers in Philippine basketball, has died.According to the family, Florencio suffered a heart attack at about 9 p.m., Friday (US Pacific time), in Velif, Calif. He was 70.Rino Salazar, a former Barangay Ginebra head coach and Florencio&#x27;s contemporary, said: &quot;No farewell words were spoken, no time to say goodbye, you were gone before we knew it and only God knows why.&quot;Florencio, one of the most revered basketball players in the history of University of Santo Tomas, was part of the last Philippine team that competed in the Olympics -- in Munich, Germany in 1972.He played in the MICAA league, then continued his career in the PBA, where he featured for 8 seasons. He is part of the PBA&#x27;s &quot;40 greatest players&quot; list.Getting buckets was Florencio&#x27;s calling card.He is the first local player to drop more than 60 points -- 64 to be exact -- doing it in November 1977, a record that stood for 14 years until Allan Caidic broke it by scoring 79.Florencio finished his stint in the PBA as the ninth-fastest player to score 5,000 points.At about 5-foot-9 or 5-foot-10, he was considered one of the most entertaining players of his era, earning the nicknames &quot;Daredevil Danny&quot; and the first to be called &quot;Skywalker,&quot; a label more famously attached later to Samboy Lim. -- With a report from Anna Gabrielle CerezoHis family is planning to bring his ashes back to the Philippines.<div>For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com/">ABS-CBN Sports website.</a></div>

Danny Florencio, one of Philippine basketball's greatest players, has died, his family confirmed to ABS-CBN News.

Danny Florencio, one of Philippine basketball's greatest players, has died, his family confirmed to ABS-CBN News.