By: Ohmer Bautista
Respect begets respect
Adamson University head coach Franz Pumaren and Ateneo de Manila University mentor Tab Bladwin both had their cunning minds on full display, Sunday evening, as they tried to outwit and outsmart the other in the season opening tiff between the Soaring Falcons and the Blue Eagles. It was a virtual chess match.
In the end, though, Pumaren came out on top.
As Adamson took home a satisfying 74-70 win over the defending champions, the Soaring Falcons’ bench strategist confided that it had taken him everything he’s got to outlast the ever-brilliant Baldwin.
“Of course, I love coaching against Tab Baldwin.
“Talagang parang he’s a juice extractor. Talagang he squeezes whatever knowledge that I have in Basketball. You know, in a good way, he pushes to be thinking one step or a half step ahead of him,” the former De La Salle chief tactician, who won five UAAP championship, shared.
Over the past year, Baldwin and the Blue Eagles have been the gold standard. And it’s not just the way they play, but also the preparations they do for the season.
“You really have to prepare every game because everybody wants to pull you down,” Pumaren pointed out, about Ateneo being the team to beat.
“I guess if that’s the case, probably I appreciate that comment. Kahit papano medyo worried siya sa akin. Kahit nilampaso kami,” the Adamson coach quipped, as Ateneo lambasted them in the BBI Finals.
But he was not the only one who bore lingering feelings from the recently-concluded game, as the former Gilas Pilipinas head coach also echoed similar thoughts, singing praises for Pumaren and his team.
“Got to give credit to Adamson,” the multi-titled coach said.
“Doesn’t make me the all-time expert in coaching but it was fairly obvious today that his team was extremely well prepared today, they played their hearts out. And they got the results we were looking for, and we didn’t.”
As a fellow coach in one of the most challenging professions in the sports industry, Baldwin also did not shy away from lauding Pumaren as a strategist, and for a job well done.
“Look, he’s got so much experience, he’s a successful coach,” reminded Baldwin, referring to Pumaren.
“It’s foolish for anybody to think that he isn’t gonna do a good job preparing his team, and they’re not gonna come out and play well.”
Baldwin also confessed that he personally paid his respects for his “comrade-in-arms.”
“And you ask me how I feel about coach Franz, he’s a good guy and he’a a good coach. And you all know how much love I have for the coaching profession. When I go up against guys like Franz, that’s why you saw me smiling right at him after the game because it hurts to lose, it always hurts to lose,” he shared.
“I compliment him, I acknowledge what he did. And I think I’d be dishonest in the coaching profession if I didn’t compliment him for his job as a coach.”
At the end of the day, they both know full well that they are eyeing the same ultimate prize, and as coach Baldwin put it, “I mean I can only congratulate Franz and his team [for now].
“Say we’ll see them in the second round.”
