When Adelaide 36ers head coach Joey Wright stepped onto the stage during Gilas Pilipinas’ send-off press conference held at the Meralco Multipurpose Hall in Pasig, he couldn’t help being sentimental.
“Great memories of being here in the Philippines,” said the now-50-year-old American tactician, who is here to coach Adelaide for a couple of tune-ups with Gilas this weekend.
Twenty-seven years ago, Wright played for the Presto Ice Cream Kings in the PBA. And he scintillated in his very first game, dropping 52 points in his very first game while Allan Caidic added 47 markers.
“The first game I arrived, I played with Allan Caidic and I could not believe how well a shooter he was. I had 52 points and he had 47,” he recalled.
“It was a lot of fun.”
Wright – a point guard who ended up as the 50th overall pick in the NBA Draft – decided to play five more years overseas after his stint with Presto.
But at the young age of 29 years old, he decided to hang up his boots and change careers. Wright then turned to coaching.
Compared to his playing career, Wright had a much more successful career as a tactician. He won three NBL Coach of the Year plums while taking the Australian league’s 2007 season.
“I just love the passion for the game. I’m passionate about the game of basketball,” Wright shared.
The Illinois-born strategist – who loves the taste of balut – hopes that he could one day coach in the Philippines. But for the meantime, he is out here for a mission.
“Now, with some of the fans in Australia think that one incident is who Filipino basketball is [sic],” said Wright, referring to the infamous Gilas-Boomers brawl back in July of 2018. “It’s not!
“So we wanted to come over here and show them that we can play a game here and we’ll be treated well – we have been treated exceptionally – and nothing like that will happen. It’s just one incident and to let it go.”
