Jericho Cruz’s first eight years in the PBA weren’t exactly what he envisioned.
But everything changed when he joined San Miguel.
Though a key contributor during Rain or Shine’s championship run in the 2016 Commissioner’s Cup, the 6-foot-1 Fil-Guamanian guard spent the next few years bouncing from team to team.
In 2018, he was traded to TNT before getting moved to NLEX a year later. Across four seasons under the MVP Group banner, Cruz failed to win a single championship.
That changed on March 1, 2022. As an unrestricted free agent, he was finally able to take control of his career — and he chose to go back home to his second father, Coach Leo Austria, and join San Miguel.
“Gusto ko lang mag-thank you kay Boss RSA (Ramon S. Ang) at kay Boss Al (Chua) dahil kinuha nila ako sa NLEX, at gumanda buhay ko dahil napunta ako sa San Miguel.”
(C) PBA Images
Before the 2025 Philippine Cup, Cruz had already added two championships with the Beermen — winning the 2022 Philippine Cup under Austria and the 2023-24 Commissioner’s Cup with Coach Jorge Gallent.
But San Miguel hit a rough patch, culminating in a disappointing non-playoff finish in the 2024-25 Commissioner’s Cup.
That setback prompted the team to bring Austria back to the sidelines — a decision that reinvigorated Cruz, who’s been fiercely loyal to his longtime coach since their days at Adamson University.
“Ang nangyari sa amin hindi kami nakapag-playoffs. Tapos bumalik si Coach Leo. Actually, hindi pa nga kami halos nakapahinga. Kay coach, kahit may baha, pinapapunta pa rin kami sa ensayo. Pero worth it naman. Tignan mo, nasan kami ngayon,” Cruz quipped.
“Simula pa lang ng off-season namin, talagang tutok na si coach sa amin. From day one talaga. Nagbunga lahat ng pinapagawa niya, ginawa namin. Kami mga players, sumusunod lang kami sa pinapagawa ng coaches.”
Throughout the six-game Finals series, Cruz found himself in the spotlight.
He struggled early in Games 1 and 2 but found his rhythm as the series progressed.
Game 4, however, brought an emotional test. Harsh words from TNT team manager Jojo Lastimosa — his former boss at NLEX — were thrown his way. But Cruz chose to respond through his performance on the court.
His calm demeanor came from the steady guidance of SMC Sports Director Alfrancis Chua.
“Si Boss Al. Yung ginagawa sa akin ni Boss Al, iba e. Mino-motivate niya ako every time na nagkikita kami na, ‘Laruin mo lang laro mo, hayaan mo mga haters mo diyan. It’s just basketball lang naman at hindi ka nananakit.’
“Emotional ako na tao at doon ko nakukuha yung lakas ko. Halimbawa, pag nag-celebrate, dun ko nakukuha yung power at lakas ng loob ko,” he shared.
Heading into Game 6, Cruz made sure Austria knew he was ready to deliver.
“Kagabi, nag-text pa ako kay Coach Leo. Sabi ko, ‘Coach, kung kailangan mo ako, nandito lang ako.’”
He came through. In the title-clinching 107-96 win over TNT, Cruz tallied 13 points, six assists, and four rebounds — leading San Miguel to its 30th championship.
His efforts didn’t go unnoticed, as he was named Finals MVP for the first time in his career.
“Yung championship na ito, sobrang sarap kasi kakabalik lang ni Coach Leo ulit tapos nanalo pa ko ng award, Finals MVP, which is bonus. Sobrang hindi ko maipinta yung words na sasabihin ko ngayon,” said Cruz, who averaged 13.83 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.33 assists in the Finals.
But there won’t be much time to savor the moment.
Cruz is now headed to Guam to resume training for the upcoming FIBA Asia Cup 2025.
“I’m just happy na nakapag-champion kami ngayon at makapagpahinga ng konte,” he said.
“Pero may FIBA pa pala ako!”
After years of moving from team to team, Cruz has finally found stability — and success — with San Miguel.
