For more than three decades, Yeng Guiao has devoted his time either coaching a team or managing a league.
Such longevity is a rarity, especially with the fast-pace transition in the game of basketball, but he was able to withstand the test of time.
The seven-time champion coach in the Philippine Basketball Association was able to share some of his secrets in staying in the game and even when he’s about to turn 65 less than two weeks from now, there’s no plans for him to slow down.
“Hindi ko naisip or na-anticipate na I will end up coaching this far and this long,” Guiao in his exclusive interview with Journey @PinoyStep.com. “I owe a lot to the people who gave me my first break, Swift team of RFM Corporation, sila Joey Concepcion and his family, for giving me my first break.”
“From then on, I never looked back. Hindi na ako umalis sa pagiging active sa basketball industry. I’ve been coaching for about 30 years, and another three years spent sa pagiging commissioner ng PBL. Almost 34 years of my life has really been around the game.”
RFM entered the PBA in 1990 as one of two expansion teams along with Pepsi and they were able to select players coming from the dispersal draft.
Guiao built the team from scratch, picking Andy de Guzman as the second overall selection that season and other rookies like Nap Hatton and Egay Macaraya.
But it would only take RFM, then carrying Pop Cola in the first year and then Diet Sarsi on its second season, just a year to become a title contender.
In the 1991 All-Filipino, Diet Sarsi made its way to the championship round, but lost to corporate rival Purefoods, in five games of their best-of-five finals series.
Guiao would lead the squad to three more finals runs, winning two titles in the 1992 Third Conference and the 1993 Commissioner’s Cup before moving on to Pepsi Cola/Mobiline, a team he coached for the next three seasons.
In 1997, Guiao assumed the position as commissioner of the Philippine Basketball League, a breeding ground of future PBA stars and served at the helm of this league until Year 2000.
He returned to coaching when Red Bull, another expansion club, joined the PBA in 2000, and quickly turned the Photokina franchise immediately to a contender.
Getting the concession of directly elevating six players from its amateur team to the PBA, Red Bull brought in Kerby Raymundo, Davonn Harp, Junthy Valenzuela, Lordy Tugade, Jimwell Torion and Bernard Tanpua.
From the expansion draft, Red Bull picked Ato Agustin, and the it took the team only a year to become a championship squad, ending the dynasty of San Miguel Beer when the Thunder defeated the Beermen, 4-2, in the 2001 Commissioner’s Cup.
Guiao would win two more titles with Red Bull — the 2002 Commissioner’s Cup and the 2006 Fiesta Conference — and later on added two more crowns which he captured while coaching Rain or Shine, to where he has returned and presently coaching.
The fiery mentor also had stints as coach of Burger King/Air21 and NLEX.
In between his coaching duties, Guiao managed to squeeze in some time being a public servant where he became Vice Governor of the province of Pampanga from 2004 to 2013 then as Representative of District 1 from 2013 to 2016.
But it is where in basketball his heart truly belongs.
“It’s either managing for three years as a career ko as commissioner, then another 31 years as a PBA head coach,” he added. “I’m very lucky and I never imagined ganung katagal yung magiging career ko. It’s a lifetime of coaching career.”
For Guiao, the secrets on his coaching longevity can be attributed to his constant learning — and a little bit of luck.
“I’m lucky and blessed. Kung hindi ka susuwertihin, hindi ka tatagal ng ganito. Kahit magaling ka, or if you have what it takes, you need to be very blessed and lucky. Sa suwerte, kailangan kong ipasalamat sa Diyos yun,” he added.
Guiao was able to handle some of the league’s best players and competed against some of the best coaches, yet he was able to endure the challenges. He had seen the game evolved, but he didn’t hesitate on adapting to those changes.
“Sa tagal ko na ito, you cannot stop learning,” he added. “Kailangan uhaw ka pa rin sa knowledge or wisdom. You cannot say na sapat na yung nalalaman mo. Hindi talaga dahil ang daming bagay mo pang kailangan matutunan.”
“Ang daming mga technology na naiimbento, mga strategies, mga philosophies. And you have to keep adjusting. Yung Yeng Guiao nung five, 10 years or especially, 15 years ago, marami nang nagiba. Even sa coaching philosophy, sa attitude, maybe even sa personality mo, medyo nami-mellow ka, that’s part of th adaptation.”
