ANTIPOLO – It felt all the more special for Arvin Tolentino that two of his dearest mentors personally witnessed his coronation as the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup Best Player of the Conference Friday.
After receiving the coveted plaque, the NorthPort main man received congratulatory messages from his former Ginebra teammates as the rites took place prior to Game 4 of the Finals featuring the Kings and TNT.
And all the Barangay faithful in attendance at the Ynares Center here made sure to show love as well by showering him with cheers and adoration.
“Of course, karamihan naman sa kanila, ang tagal ko na nakasama. ‘Yung brotherhood na na-build namin, even off the court, nandoon,” he said.
But before leaving the court, Tolentino received a dap from assistant Olsen Racela, and then another from no less than head coach Tim Cone.
Those moments made his BPC triumph even more memorable, as those coaches helped the 29-year-old become the star that he is now.
Racela, without a doubt one of the PBA’s best floor generals of all time, was his coach during his stint with Far Eastern University in the UAAP.
At the time, Racela was already serving as a deputy for Ginebra, and so for some, it no longer came as a surprise that the league’s most popular franchise used its no. 10 pick to select the talented winger during the 2019 Draft.
“Of course, I’ve played for that team, and played for Coach Tim–I started my career with him. I learned so much from him,” said Tolentino.
“And Coach O was my college coach, my ninong. Ninong namin sa kasal nung wife ko. I said good luck lang and I saw them very, very happy.”
In joining the Kings, Tolentino would reach the pinnacle of PBA success twice as they won the 2020 Philippine Cup and 2021-22 Governors’ Cup titles.
But individually, there should be no denying that it’s with the Batang Pier where he’s thrived the most, rising as one of the PBA’s top wingers to now becoming a bona fide star after nabbing the first-ever BPC award of his career.
“Hindi ko inexpect na makukuha ko ‘to,” said Tolentino, who was traded to his present team in 2022. “The whole time I was just trying to be better, trying to improve myself everyday. Ito ‘yung naging reward.”
Still, Ginebra will always have a special place in his heart, for it is where he realized his pro dream — and learned so much that led to where he is presently.
“That was a big blessing for me, to be able to start my career sa ganiyang team,” said the Angono-native. “Marami na rin kaming pinagsamahan.”
No one is prouder over at the Barangay than Cone, and the league’s winningest mentor made sure to let Tolentino know as much.
“He’s proud, sabi niya,” the two-time Mythical Team member said, recalling that brief moment he shared with Cone on the court. “So, I thanked him.”
Soon, he’ll be celebrating his latest success with his Batang Pier brothers, all of which helped the franchise to a historic Commissioner’s Cup campaign where they finished as the no. 1 seed for the first time to eventually reach the semis.
But for now, all that Tolentino will do is head back to Boracay first and rejoin his family to go back to vacation — and celebrate with them, of course.
#WATCH: “The whole time, I’m just trying to be better”
Arvin Tolentino admits he was surprised to be named the #PBA2025 Commissioner’s Cup Best Player of the Conference 🏀
📹 @justinebacnis/ Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/02hT42Lviw
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) March 21, 2025
