One can only imagine how Bong Alvarez would’ve filled up the online stratosphere had social media been a thing during the time he wowed the crowd through his high-leaping, slam-dunking acts.
Thankfully, YouTube allows sports fans to revisit some of the best moments of the yesteryears, and that includes a few of the highlights “Mr. Excitement” had produced during his heydays.
But it’s too unfortunate that the dunk which Alvarez calls his most memorable is nowhere to be found on the internet.
“Actually ngayon, hindi na makita sa YouTube, ‘yung dinakdakan ko si Kenny Redfield,” he said in the Hoop Coaches International Webinar by Blackwater alternate governor Ariel Vanguardia.
“‘Yun masasabi kong pinakamagandang dunk ko, ‘yung kay Kenny Redfield.”
Alvarez was with San Miguel then, when he faced Redfield and Shell. Although he doesn’t remember exactly when that PBA game happened, he can still recall vividly how that sequence played out.
He recounted that he stole the basketball from Redfield and looked to finish strong with a dunk. But he noticed the former Best Import going after him, looking to swat his shot away.
Instead of getting intimidated with the defense, though, Alvarez pulled off what became an unforgettable jam for him.
“Naagawan ko kasi siya eh. Pa-dunk na ‘ko, tapos nakita ko nasa likod ko. Talagang bablangkahin akong ganun eh. Kaya sinandalan ko, kinaliwa ko,” Alvarez proudly shared.
That dunk was so impressive that San Miguel even made a TV commercial out of it. “Yun talaga ang pinakamaganda. ‘Di ba, ginawa pang commercial ng San Miguel ‘yun?” Alvarez said.
Even Redfield was left amazed, giving props to Alvarez post-game. And that then started a friendship between them.
“Actually, after that game, si Kenny Redfield pumasok sa dugout ng San Miguel. ‘Hey, it’s the best dunk I’ve ever seen,’ sabing ganun sa ‘kin. Kasi nga, talagang sinandalan ko siya,” said the one-time Mythical First Team member and two-time Comeback Player of the Year.
“Simula nun, naging kaibigan ko pa siya dahil nga hindi rin siya makapaniwala dahil six-foot-six si Kenny, o six-foot-five eh — ang laki niya sa’kin,” continued Alvarez, who stands six-foot tall.
For Alvarez, he can still remember some of his best dunks, especially those against foreign reinforcements. But unfortunately, like his dunk on Redfield, they aren’t anywhere on the web.
“Sayang ano, kasi wala na ‘yung mga tape nung ULTRA days eh,” said Alvarez, who played for eight PBA ball clubs. “Ang dami actually, eh. Ang dami kong dunk na maganda against sa mga imports.
“Ang dami kong magandang dunk sa imports diyan sa ULTRA. Nawala na eh.”
Had social media been such a big deal — like it is today — during his time in the 1990s, then things might have gone differently. More of his highlights would’ve been online for millions to see, perhaps.
Even Alvarez, the fourth overall pick by Alaska Milk in the 1989 PBA Draft, acknowledges that.
“Oo nga. Sayang nga eh.
“Sabi ko nga, ‘yung followers ko isang libo lang mahigit. Sabi ko, nung 1989 siguro, baka marami-rami,” added the 51-year-old, who has over 1,800 followers on Instagram, with a smile.
