Never Say Die. In a
basketball community in the Philippines, who does not know this motto? You
don’t have to be a basketball-crazy to recall this. You’re right. It’s about
one of the most, if not the most, popular ball club in the first play-for-play
basketball league in Asia, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel. It passes from
generation to generation. But with a five-year title drought, is it really
evident that the “Never-say-die” spirit still exists within the players? Not
before the pony-tailed Coach named Alfrancis Chua took over the head coaching
chores from the three-time champion (2 with Ginebra and1 with then-San Miguel,
now Petron Blaze) Bethune Tanquincen.
The fiery coach was designated as
Team Coaching consultant of the SMC-controlled ballclub a season ago. Is he the
best coach to replace Tanquincen? For a team with the largest fan base in
social media, it takes a lot of guts to accept a head-coaching job. He only had
one finals appearance in PBA in his resume. Aside from being a reklamador, what
do we know about him? He is the best fit for the job. Believe it or not, he is.
Ginebra was what after Jaworski, who
instilled the Never-Say-Die attitude among its players and the legion of fans,
left the team? They won 3 championships. But after that, it has never been the
same-old Ginebra. Different players. Different coaches. Different systems. And
it’s all management’s call. Who would have thought, Joseph Uichico, after
serving more than two decades with SMC, will leave the team to join the
MVP-owned team? Who would have thought? Coach Ato Agustin, a nemesis coach of
Mark Caguioa, will be transferred to Ginebra? I never imagined that.
So let’s go back to Coach Al. He is a
motivator. He may not be the designer of the greatest plays during crunch time,
but this long-haired coach is the one who can bring out the players the best
out of them. For coaches, the pressure to win is like holding a live hand
grenade. Please hold it. Don’t drop it. It’s a maddening set-up. Coaches are
expected to win with whatever roster they have.
After starting 0-4 in
the Commissioner’s Cup, I never expected that fans will still support this
coach. I was expecting that I would read, “Bakit yan pa kinuha?”, or “Ibalik si
Siot!”.With fans hungry for a championship celebration, this is a love for a
coach. Wala pang coach na hindi na-trashtalk pag natalo ang Ginebra. But the
Barangay kept the faith. With a depleted line-up, Ginebra managed to overcome
the twice-to-beat advantage of Rain or Shine and dispose the grueling Norman
Black-mentored Talk ‘n Text. With a crippled line-up, Ginebra managed to book a
finals showdown to the eventual-champion Alaska Aces. We saw how Jayjay
Helterbrand rejuvenated his MVP years. We saw Kerby Raymuyndo proved that he
isn’t at the twilight of his career.
After being swept, the legion still chanted the old but classic
“Gi-Ne-Bra! Gi-Ne-Bra!” after the ceremony.
Kasalanan ang umasa.
Kasalanan din ang umasa. Yang ang mahirap sa may mga mabisyon. Sila ang may
kakayahan na maging inspirasyon. Sila na may kapal ng mukha para sabihin sa tao
na “kaya natin to” ang sisisihin pag nabigo ang lahat. Now we have to face the
painful reality. Yan kasi. Lumaban pa
kasi kayo. Olats din sa huli.
I'm proud of myself
and what I stand for. It just hurts to say it out loud right now. But I am.
Because right now, I can't help but feel these: how we ruin the dream for
ourselves when we all believe we could. We say and do stupid things when we're
heartbroken. Like punch the wall and break our fingers in the process. Gains
convince us to believe. Losses in the most cruel of ways, discourage us from
even trying. Yet the alternative is even more tragic. To not dare. To not
dream. Patience, in some cases, is an anomaly. Process, in some instances, is
an afterthought.
Now, coach Al
resigned due to “personal reasons”. Who would have thought? After steering a
team with a depleted line-up to a Cinderella-run last conference, why would he
leave the team? Rumors say it’s about management. He is the players’ coach.
I’m hurt. Paano na
ang team? Siya pa naman nagbalik ng never-say-die spirit. No coach has received
a love like this after the Living Legend. But then, no player or coach is
bigger than the team itself. I will still be a Ginebra fan no matter what
happens. I will still be even Mark Caguioa retires. I will still be whoever
takes over what Al Chua left. I will still be and forever will be.
Five years of title
drought is haunting the fans. But I'm positive enough to wait for dreams to
materialize and dreamers to finally make it happen. Dahil, kahit sa
pang-araw-araw na buhay, mas okay na sa akin ang maging hibang kaysa ang maging
takot.
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