I'm a Luigi Trillo Guy

Calvin Abueva. Luigi Trillo Guy.
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

Calvin Abueva. Gabby Espinas. Vic Manuel.

They're rough, they're not your typical, cookie-cutter, clean-cut Alaska Aces of past and present. They come with a certain level of self-assurance and air that rubs people the wrong way most of the time.

They're all Luigi Trillo guys (plus, maybe when he finally gets his minutes, Ryan Buenafe).

Only, what happens now that Trillo has opted to leave his post as Aces head coach (just a season removed from leading the team to a surprise PBA Commissioner's Cup championship)? Will the Aces' proud management opt to keep them in the fold? Or trade them elsewhere if only to fit the way the Aces' have been traditionally known for?

A Brand New Day

Ginebra? Running the Triangle? Ok...
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

I was a Ginebra die-hard.

From the moment I picked up the sport some time in 1995, during the 2nd of what would eventually become 3 Michael Jordan eras (although the last one was more of an irrelevant, yet nostalgic, time), I would ultimately learn about the Philippine Basketball Association and watch games until I was won over by a certain team and its passionate, charismatic approach to the game.

No, my parents weren't Ginebra fans. My mom was Alaska all the way, primarily because of Jojo Lastimosa and his sexy legs. My dad never had an inkling for the sport so yeah. I wasn't "born and bred" a Ginebra fan much like today's kids are or claim to be.

PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals: Texters vs Mixers

When was the last time in PBA Finals history wherein you felt that both teams, namely the Talk ‘n’ Text Tropang Texters and San Mig Coffee Mixers, were so evenly matched from coaching staff to players, that you sincerely felt that the series could go either way and no one would have a problem with the end result?

The Texters and Mixers both feature PBA Hall of Fame Coaches in Norman Black and Tim Cone, are led by some of the league’s “who’s who” when it comes to skills, talent and popularity (with the Mixers’ enjoying love from the average basketball fans and the Texters’ by way of the purists who don’t mind “ugly” wins) and could easily represent the country in any or all international meets right here, right now (an honor bestowed and earned by the core of the Texters’).

This series promises to be an intense basketball clinic, owing to both teams’ ability to play and guard both styles of fundamental basketball: run and gun and halfcourt.

Making the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals even more interesting is the fact that it’s a Best-of-Five affair—which forces both teams little to no time to execute and adjust their respective game planes. 

It’s a well-known fact that Black has mastered the art form of game plane execution probably and most likely built around advanced scouting while Cone is the King of pre/in/post game adjustments so that chess match should be quite entertaining and educational.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals!

The Cinderella Man

Air21's Cinderella Man
(Photo courtesy of Sports5)

If you were to tell us at the start of the PBA Commissioner's Cup that the Air21 Express would make a run to the PBA Finals, we'd just give you a dismissive look. Or whatever counts as one on whatever social media platform.

More so if you were to tell us that it would be journeyman Sean Anthony, leading the Express' to glory. Then we'd probably not give you the time of day. At all.

Nothing against the career "8 points, 5 rebounds in 23 minutes" averaging, energetic small/power forward, but he has always been more of what former PBA player and UAAP Most Valuable Player Rich Alvarez should've been had he opted to get stronger for the pros and maybe address some facets of his game.