Will history repeat itself for Ginebra?

MANILA, Philippines – Typhoon Karen (international name: Sarika) left a trail of destruction in Northern and Central Luzon over the weekend, but will it also be a positive omen of sorts for the Barangay Ginebra Kings?

Carlo Pamintuan of Sports5 dug up an interesting piece of history on Monday, as he discovered that Ginebra and Typhoon Karen had been linked once before already.

8 years ago, a typhoon named Karen also entered the Philippines before Ginebra won the championship. Will history repeat itself? pic.twitter.com/0IVy42ATU8 — Carlo Pamintuan (@carlo_pamintuan) October 17, 2016

"Karen" did not prevent Game 5 of the 2016 PBA Governors Cup Finals from taking place last Sunday, with Ginebra beating Meralco 92-81 to take a 3-2 lead, and come to within one win of clinching the championship.

The last time that the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings won a PBA championship, their celebrations also coincided with a destructive typhoon that lashed Northern Luzon.

Typhoon Karen (international name: Nuri) left 12 people dead in 2008 and affected nearly 300,000 people, most of them in Northern Luzon. On August 20, 2008 – the day Ginebra clinched the 2008 Fiesta Conference title in Game 7 against Air21 – signal No. 3 was up over six provinces because of the typhoon.

Fast-forward to eight years later. Typhoon "Karen" did not stop Ginebra fans from trooping to the Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, where they watched the Gin Kings hold off a late Meralco charge to book their second straight win in the series.

Ginebra can end their eight-year title drought on Wednesday's Game 6, also at the Big Dome.

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