Basketball personalities are celebrities in their own right. They have a multitude of followers who closely monitor their every move, watch their games diligently, go out of their way to visit them during practices with the hope of a “selfie” plus autographs, and even give them gifts during special occasions.
In this modern age, it’s also not uncommon for fans to keep abreast of their respective idols’ activities and sentiments posted via social media. Whether it's an outlet for the personalities to vent their sentiments or to attract followers, or both, there's no denying the impact that social media has done for fans to hear the players. In 2012, Don Allado was fined Php 500,000 and suspended for one conference after ranting on Twitter that the PBA games were fixed. This came after his team, the Barako Bulls, lost to the Powerade Tigers, 99-95, in a knockout game that saw a missed three second violation call by the referee on Powerade import, Omar Sneed, resulting to a crucial floater by JVee Casio with three minutes left in the game.
As such, allow us to take a look back to the most controversial, funniest, interesting and earth-shaking quotes from PBA personalities. We’ll go old school a bit though, opting to get the quotable quotes from interviews made with the players before, during and after the game or through televised interviews and documentaries produced.
10. “Once we go out, it’s always a war. No ifs and buts about it. If I have a machine gun, I will mow them down and spit on their corpses.” – Red Bull Coach Yeng Guiao in the 2004 Fiesta Conference Finals
Coach Yeng Guiao, like his contemporaries Chot Reyes and Tim Cone, will always be a reporter’s dream interview. Not the type who will mince his words, Guiao’s brutal frankness coupled with his ability to articulate his sentiments has made his pre or post-game interviews exciting. When Guiao mentioned this quote, it was in preparation for the 2004 Fiesta Conference Finals duel against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel. Ginebra was the odds-on favorite in this series but the two-time All-Interview Team awardee will always have a way with his words to make the rivalry even more enticing to watch.
Photo c/o The Philippine Star
9. “We are like sharks, if we smell blood, we go for it.” – Alaska Coach Tim Cone in the 1996 Commissioner’s Cup Finals, and swiftly replied with: “If they’re sharks, then we’re dolphins. We drive away the sharks!” – by Shell Coach Chito Narvasa who battled Alaska in the same conference finals.
Many fans were disappointed not to see an Alaska versus Ginebra Finals series after Shell’s Kenny Redfield converted from 30 feet with a buzzer-beating three point shot in their sudden death game for the second Finals berth. When Alaska and Shell faced for the championship of the 1996 Commissioner’s Cup, the two coaching protagonists made sure that the fans would be treated to a grand show. Alaska, the slight favorites in this series, was brimming with confidence after having won the last 2 championships. Cone, who normally downplays their chances, was unusually candid with his statement. In retaliation, Narvasa, equally articulate, responded accordingly. True enough, the series went to 7 games with “the sharks” winning in the end.
Photo c/o ABS-CBN Sports
8. “It was God’s play!” – Añejo playing coach Robert Jaworski in the 1988 All Filipino sudden death game.
The young Purefoods TJ Hotdogs were able to snag the first Finals seat in the 1988 AFC. San Miguel Beer and Añejo Rum 65 slugged it out in a sudden-death knockout game, the winner to face the Hotdogs in the Finals. It was a close game all throughout as both teams engaged in a shooting duel. With time down to 5 seconds, the game was tied at 100 and the 65ers sued for time. Coach Robert Jaworski mapped out a play for Joey Loyzaga to penetrate and attract a swarm of defenders. Loyzaga was either to take it strong or to find an open man. The burly guard followed the Big J’s instructions, went straight to the paint, only to be met by a collapsing defense. Loyzaga fed off an open Romy Mamaril inside when his defender, Abet Guidaben, helped out. Mamaril got the ball and scored an easy layup with no time remaining as the ULTRA exploded. Jaworski, in the post-game interview, described this as “God’s play.” He may have been right. In the Finals, the Big J providentially won his only AFC crown as a head coach, defeating the Hotdogs, 3-1, in their series.
Video taken from YouTube
7. “If I didn’t score those two points, we wouldn’t have won the game.” – Purefoods import Rob Rose in the 1990 Reinforced Conference.
Just how sweet was Purefoods’ first championship? Consider this: Since Purefoods joined the league in 1988, they have entered the Finals 4 times out of 8 conferences and lost every single one of them. On their 5th appearance in their 9th conference, they had the venerable Baby Dalupan going up against Alaska and a young Tim Cone. The game stretched to the deciding 5th game, with the Hotdogs finally winning, 99-98, courtesy of an Al Solis triple with 14 seconds left. Purefoods import Dareen Queenan exploded with 40 points in the decider but his teammate, Rob Rose, only contributed two points. Yet, Rose jested in the post-game celebration that if it were not for those two points, the Hotdogs would have lost the game. From the Joaqui Trillo school of analysis, he’s actually correct!
Photo from Champ Magazine
6. “If this is the NBA, all Ginebra players will be thrown out in the first half!” – Swift’s Tony Harris after a bruising game against Ginebra in the 1992 season.
It’s interesting how Yeng Guiao is considered the principal believer of the physical game in the PBA today. Many have compared his teams (NLEX, ROS, Red Bull) to the old Ginebra team of Robert Jaworski, an opinion not without basis. But when the Big J was still around as coach for the Gins, it was actually Guiao’s players at Swift who were most vocal about their opponent’s physicality. The Mighty Meaties’ prolific import Tony Harris, owner of the league’s record for most points in a game with 105 points scored against Ginebra in Dumaguete, once quipped that Ginebra’s physical style bordered on illegal and that had they been playing in the NBA, the game would have been forfeited as everyone will be thrown out. True enough, the Big J utilized Larry Villanil, Bennett Palad, JV Gayoso, Dante Gonzalgo, Pido Jarencio, Nonoy Chuatico, and Macky De Joya to slow down the "Hurricane." They weren’t able to stop him, but Harris was black and blue after the game.
Photo from Classic Ginebra FB page
5. “Pag hindi kami mag-champion, tatakbo ako ng hubad sa Roxas Boulevard.” – Ginebra’s Mark Caguioa in 2006
We can’t have a Top 10 without Mark Caguioa being part of the list. Back in 2006, prior to the start of the Philippine Cup, Caguioa boldly predicted a repeat for the Kings, confident that they were going to defend their championship won the previous season, and even guaranteed that he'll run naked along the bayside if they lose. Unfortunately, the Kings crashed in their quarterfinals series, losing to the Red Bull Barakos, 3-2. Critics reminded the "Spark" after the game but MC47 wisely ignored this. It was a gambit he took to motivate his teammates in defending their crown. While they may not have been successful, this pledge only endeared Caguioa more to the millions of Ginebra fans nationwide.
Photo from Ginebra FB page
4. “One step backwards, two step forward.” – U/Tex’s Coach Tommy Manotoc in 1980.
In the 1980 Open Conference Best of Five Finals, U/Tex was ahead in the series, 2-1 but was trailing Toyota for practically the entire Game 4. Struggling to get their offense going, U/Tex Coach Tommy Manotoc searched for the right combination to overhaul the deficit in futility. With still six minutes left in the ballgame and the Tamaraws ahead by 11 points, Manotoc shocked everyone when he pulled out all his starters – imports Aaron James, Glenn McDonald, Bogs Adornado, Lim Eng Beng, and Fritz Gaston, and fielded in his benchwarmers, virtually surrendering the game. Manotoc was pilloried by media and the fans for the move but the astute mentor justified his action, stating the need to prepare ahead while following the adage, “one step backwards, two steps forward.” Manotoc understood that he had a shorter rotation compared to Toyota, and needed every minute of rest to get them ready for the deciding 5th game. In Game 5, in what may be billed as one of the best championship games in PBA history, the Wranglers came from behind 94-90 with 16 seconds left, tied the game to send it to overtime, and defeated the Tamaraws, 99-98 in a pulsating game. Manotoc’s “surrender” in Game 4 turned out to be a masterful move and his quote becoming his hallmark.
photo from the Toyota Tamaraws FB page
3. “But there’s also one more person I’d like to thank, who helped me through the sacrifice, who helped me through all the strength, gave me the strength to do this, to come back, to be strong even when I was down, and that one person of course…is MYSELF!!!...” – Ginebra’s Rudy Hatfield after winning the 2007 Philippine Cup championship.
When Rudy Hatfield came back from the United States after a brief hiatus to play for the Ginebra Kings, he was a different man. While in the US, he dabbled into wrestling, virtually changing his persona from a soft-spoken, unassuming and shy player to a gregarious, loud, outspoken, even funny, personality
But Hatfield remained to be the game’s most hardworking players, and this was clearly evident when Ginebra defeated San Miguel Beer in the 2007 Philippine Cup Finals, winning 4-2. During the championship celebrations on the court, reporter Eric Reyes went to Hatfield for an interview. Hatfield didn’t need any prodding from Reyes, as the H-Bomb came out with a one-minute monologue extolling his appreciation to the management, coaching staff and teammates for a job well done. But more than this, Hatfield mesmerized the viewers when he acknowledged himself for coming back to the game he loved. Reyes was caught off guard and couldn’t utter any other question after. It was a hilarious moment only seen in WWE episodes.
Video from YouTube
2. “We didn’t intend to win.” – Great Taste Coach Jimmy Mariano in 1983
It was the 1983 season and three teams loomed as the favorites to win the Open Conference – the Crispa Redmanizers, who previously won the first 2 conferences, the Toyota Silver Coronas, and the Great Taste Coffeemakers. Toyota bombed out in what turned out to be their last conference in the PBA, failing to make it to the quarterfinal round. On the other hand, Great Taste was on top of the heap, ahead by one game against the Crispa Redmanizers and assured of one of the two semifinals seat. In their last game in the eliminations, the Coffeemakers surprisingly lost to lowly Galerie Dominique, giving the Artistas the lift to dislodge Toyota for one of the QF seats. In the post-game interview, Great Taste Coach Jimmy Mariano was caught with his foot in his mouth, stating without thinking, “we didn’t intend to win the game.” It was a no-bearing game for the Coffeemakers and Mariano may have meant that it wouldn’t have mattered if the team lost. But his choice of words was questionable, and was lambasted all over media. As a result, Mariano had no recourse but to resign with Baby Dalupan, then consultant for Great Taste, taking over. It may have been an innocent statement sans malice but at a time when the PBA had genuine gentlemen as members of the Board who were protective with the league’s image, Mariano had to be sacrificed to ensure the league’s integrity.
Photo from Philippine Basketball Association Retro 80s & 90s
1. “Hindi Kami Por Kilo!” – Toyota’s Francis Arnaiz on “Tell The People” in 1984
The fabled Toyota franchise was just disbanded, and the team was sold to Basic Holdings, Inc., a company owned by Lucio Tan, Sr. Controversy erupted when Toyota stalwarts Robert Jaworski and Francis Arnaiz balked at the move, questioning why they weren’t informed beforehand of the sale. A greater controversy ensued when Beer Hausen said they plan to have the team revolve around their franchise player, Ramon Fernandez. Already involved in a deep internal turmoil when they were still at Toyota, this imploded on national television when the Big J and Arnaiz guested on Jullie Yap-Daza’s “Tell The People,” a late night talk show aired on RPN 9 at 10:30PM. In the show, Arnaiz criticized the Toyota management for selling the franchise and the players without the courtesy of being informed. Arnaiz described the sale as unprofessional and said “hindi kami por kilo,” referring to Toyota’s move of the players being packaged with the sale of the franchise. Also guesting on the show were Fernandez and Toyota team manager Jack Rodriguez, who struggled to justify management’s move. In the end, Jaworski and Arnaiz were taken in by Gilbey’s Gin’s team owner Carlos “Honeyboy” Palanca, III to avoid a public backlash on the league. Jaworski and Arnaiz found a niche with their new team and were primarily responsible for making the franchise the most popular in PBA history through their immortal “never-say-die” spirit.
Photo from Toyota Tamaraws FB page
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