Jong Uichico is one of the all-time greatest coaches who is currently not handling a team in the Philippine Basketball Association.
Winner of nine league championships, Uichico got the opportunity of actively calling the shots on Wednesday night and he led NLEX in snapping the three-game winning streak of erstwhile surprise leader Blackwater following the Road Warriors’ 103-97 win at the Philsports Arena.
Uichico was a pinch-hitting coach for the Road Warriors, who missed the services of injured head coach Frankie Lim.
“Nakakapanibago,” was Uichico’s response to PinoyStep.com when asked about his thoughts of returning to the PBA coaching scene even on a temporary basis.
Uichico last coached a PBA team, TNT, at the end of the 2016 PBA season.
His last coaching gig was handling the Tab Baldwin-mentored Gilas Pilipinas team in one of the window tournaments for the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers three years ago.
This season, Uichico made his return to the PBA circuit as an assistant coach to Frankie Lim.
The two-time PBA Coach of the Year spent the past few years as head of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas’ Coaches’ Commission where he led a group of coaches conducting basketball clinics from different parts of the country.
Being an assistant coach to Lim gave Uichico enough time to get his feet wet, but it felt different the moment he was given the chance to take over on the sidelines even on a temporary basis.
“The big difference is that you are making the final decision,” added Uichico. “But let’s put it this way, if we had lost the game, I wouldn’t have a good night sleep.”
How long will Uichico play such role depends on the recovery of Lim, who injured his thumb while hit by a ball during practice.
Uichico was a protege of the late great Ron Jacobs, who made his mark in the coaching circuit when he led San Miguel Beer to a dynasty in the early 2000s.
He also won championships as head coach of Barangay Ginebra before moving to the MVP Group of Companies as team consultant of Meralco in 2012.
In 2014, Uichico moved to TNT and led the Tropang Texters to winning the 2015 Commissioner’s Cup.
