PBA Hall of Famer and four-time Most Valuable Player Alvin Patrimonio couldn’t help but feel nostalgic when the league opened its golden season on Sunday.
As legends took center stage one by one, the one and only Captain of Asia’s pioneering professional league looked back at the great times of his career and paid tribute to the player he looked up to when he was dreaming of playing in the PBA. It didn’t come as a surprise that during the gathering of old timers, Patrimonio was still aching to see El Presidente, Ramon Fernandez, a four-time MVP winner like he was, but went on to retire as the all-time scoring leader and the player who has collected the most number of championships.
“Of course, Mr. El Presidente, Ramon Fernandez,” Patrimonio told Pinoystep.com in an exclusive interview. “Siya talaga eh. Nag-start ako sa PBA, siya yung playing coach namin. Thankful talaga ako sa kanya.”
Patrimonio took us back early 1988 when Purefoods, which acquired the old Tanduay franchise of Don Manalo Elizalde, just entered the PBA and part of the concession was for the Hotdogs to elevate the top four players from the amateur ranks, plus the top overall pick that year.
The former Mapua standout was among those selected by Purefoods along with his Philippine squad teammates, Jojo Lastimosa, Jerry Codiñera and Glenn Capacio. The Hotdogs then selected Jack Tanuan as the top overall pick of the Draft.
But what’s really flattering, according to Patrimonio, was the gesture shown by Fernandez, his boyhood idol, who went to their old residence in BF Resort, Las Piñas, to talk to him personally and convince him to join the Hotdogs.
“Pinuntahan pa talaga ako sa bahay.” added Patrimonio. “Talagang idol talaga.”
But there’s a hitch — Patrimonio had a live contract then with Purefoods’ corporate rival, Swift Hotdogs in the PABL, so Patrimonio couldn’t join the old Ayala franchise in its maiden conference of the 1988 season where it went all the way to the championship round before losing to San Miguel Beer in an epic seven-game duel.
Fernandez recalled meeting Patrimonio and advised him on coming up with a win-win situation between the two corporate rivals.
“I told him, hatiin mo na lang yung season, so he joined us midway of the PBA season,” added Fernandez. “What we offered Alvin is something that was not received by any other rookie player at that time, so we were able to persuade him.”
True enough, Patrimonio joined in the All-Filipino Conference (second conference), and although his partnership with Fernandez could barely last a conference, he relished the opportunity of playing alongside his hard court hero, who also became his teammate in the first ever professional squad sent to the Asian Games two years later.
Sunday’s season opener was also a great time to reunite and Patrimonio was also happy to see his former teammates at Purefoods like former MVP and league Hall of Famer Freddie Hubalde, Al Solis, Willie Generelao and Manny Victorino among others.
Alan Caidic, another Hall of Famer and one of the league’s all-time greatest players, just arrived from a family vacation on Sunday morning and missed some of the PBA’s activities in time for the 50th season, but he showed up on the league opener and thrilled to see players he grew up watching.
“I’m happy to see those players from U/Tex. Sina (Danny) Basilan, (Romeo) Frank, si (Jimmy) Noblezada, tapos andyan rin si (Orly) Castello, then JB Yango, then si Jerry Pingoy, siya ang MVP ngayon, naka-shorts eh, gusto pa yatang maglaro,” said Caidic.
“Then of course, andyan rin sina Coach Turo (Valenzona). Sila yung mga bibhira mong makita, then yung dati kong teammate si Boy Mora, si Ric Catacutan. Nakaktuwa. Inabutan ko kasi sila noong nasa UE ako, sila yung mga early generation. Pinapanood ko sila dati,” he added. “Tuwang-tuwa rin ako kasi andyan si Manny Paner, matagl ko na rin siyang hindi nakita. Then sa mga generation namin, sina Al Solis, buti andito rin si Calvin Tuadles, mga taga-Cebu, like Willie Generelao, dati kong kapit-bahay yan (sa Cainta). Sayang na-miss ko yung event ng saturday, kasi kadarating ko lang ng umaga (Sunday), so humabol lang talaga ako. Nakakatuwa kasi feel na feel mo na solid yung 50th season.”
Benie Paras, the only Rookie/MVP winner, who also won the highest individual plum twice, also felt nostalgic seeing his former fellow stars.
“I had fun seeing Gerry Esplana, Bong Hawkins, Kuya Atoy Co and Kuya Manny Victorino,” said Paras. “I played one year against Kuya Atoy, back when we were still playing in the PBA as a guest team for the national squad. I was lucky enough to play against him. But when I entered the PBA the following year, he was no longer playing.”
However, Paras and Co were among the former players who crossed over to the world of showbusiness and they did a movie together.
“My first movie, Dunkin’ Donato, I worked with him. After retiring naman, we always go out of town, out of the country, where we played exhibition games along with our fellow ex-PBA players,” added Paras.
Hubalde, MVP in 1977, recalled his most cherished years playing in the PBA and for obvious reasons, he picked the grand slam campaigns with Crispa as his most memorable ones.
“Siyempre yung sa Crispa, kasi grand slam yun, dalawang beses pa,” he added. “Pero memorable rin yung sa Tanduay, including yung naipanalo kong laro nung championship against Ginebra in 1986.”
That victory by Tanduay was probably one of his best games outside of Crispa where he nailed two pressure-packed free throws in the dying seconds of Game 4 of their best-of-five championship series in the All-Filipino Conference against the Robert Jaworski-led Ginebra squad.
But for Hubalde, teaming up with Jaworski , his bitter rival for many years, proved to be one of the most shocking moments of his PBA career.
Esplana credited the PBA for a great job gathering all the legends and fellow retired players who made the league as the premier sports entertainment for many years. He had goosebumps seeing the old timers, players whom he looked up to while he was still a budding cager.
“Excited ako syempre makita yung mga hinangaan ko nung araw, Don Ramon Fernandez. There was a time si Fritz Gaston, hinangaan ko rin yan noon. Manny Paner, the last time nagkasama kami niyan, 2009 pa sa Canada. Since then, hindi na kami nagkita,” said Esplana. “And of course, a lot of players. Very nostalgic itong event na ito kaya ang ganda. Tuwang-tuwa ako at nabigyan kami ng opportunity. Congratulations and good job, PBA.”
Generelao was the PBA’s Rookie of the Year in 1980 and picked his journey at Tanduay as the great times of his playing career.
“Championships namin sa Tanduay with Mon, Freddie, Padim Israel, JB Yango. Talagang yun ang memorable sa akin,” added Generelao.
Denis Abbatuan may be known as a PBA enforcer throughout his career, but he set the most points scored by a rookie with 51 points in 1984 while playing for Tanduay.
But Abbatuan also relished the moments playing alongside some of the greatest players ever.
“Bogs Adornado, Philip Cezar, Bernie Fabiosa, Bai Cristobal, pati na rin yung mga rookies namin noon sina Leo Austria, Aldo Perez, Menardo Jubinal, Sonny Cabatu. Lumaban kami sa championship agad noon nung naglalaro pa ako sa Shell against Great Taste, sina Ricky Brown yun, Manny Victorino, malakas talaga sila, pero at least first season pa lang lumaban kami sa finals,” said Abbatuan.
“Masaya ako, nakita ko ulit sila, yung mga dati kong teammates, mga dait kong nakalaban.”
