If there’s anybody who knows how to deal with the pressure of winning the grand slam, it’s current TNT team manager Jojo Lastimosa.
One of Philippine Basketball Association’s all-time greatest players, Lastimosa experienced it first hand during the 1996 campaign of the Alaska Milkmen when they successfully completed the triple crown, back when the team was still being handled by Tim Cone, now head coach of the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings, who had been conquered by TNT for the third time in two years.
But Lastimosa knew how the pressure could mount, especially now that they’ve won the first two championships this season, putting them in the cusp of winning the grand slam.
How would the Tropang Giga, now known as the Tropang 5G, can deal with this growing adversity?
“The team should do a great job of not listening to what media says. The less you listen and pay attention to what people say, the more you focus on what’s in front of you,” wrote Lastimosa in a Viber message.
In 1996, Alaska’s biggest challenge was facing an unpredictable and Ronnie Magsanoc-less Shell team, which was able to push the Milkmen to the limit.
Reinforced by Kenny Redfield and led by veteran star player Benjie Paras, a vastly-improved Ritchie Ticzon and coached by Chito Narvasa, Shell forced Alaska to a sudden death Game 7 before losing to its more experienced rival.
But after overcoming its biggest challenge, Alaska stream rolled its way to the grand slam by easily dispatching Ginebra in the season-ending conference.
TNT is no stranger making a grand slam bid.
In 2011, the team, also coached by Chot Reyes, also came close of completing a triple crown, but lost in a grueling seven-game series against Petron of the old San Miguel franchise in the season-ending Governors’ Cup.
Reyes will have an other opportunity of doing it this season, but downplayed it and focused on the goal of trying to get better and stronger, especially with several key players still nursing injuries, including lead point guard Jayson Castro.
In TNT’s grand slam aspirations, the squad will be unveiling a new moniker and Lastimosa explained it’s part of the team’s Silver Anniversary.
“It’s a new tech and they want to introduce it during our 25th Anniversary,” added Lastimosa.
In Year 2000, the PBA franchise, shifted name from Mobiline to TNT and it had given the squad more success.
To date, TNT’s franchise has collected 11 championships, seven of them came from Reyes.
