The Ginebra mystique

What made Barangay Ginebra click?

From the start, it was the go-getter, devil-may-care-attitude of its most prized cager, now Senator Robert "Sonny" Jaworski that catapulted the team on top of the popularity charts. But even after the Living Legend left the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) to dabble in politics, fans remained loyal to this team that carried that never-say-die attitude in every game.

The Gordon’s Gin victory parade was one of my early assignments in the PBA. I was then a junior in college and not much into sports. But that experience opened my eyes and made me realize that indeed, so many Pinoys are crazy over basketball! And when one refers to Philippine basketball, you talk about the Ginebra squad. Fans lined up the major roads and side streets to catch a glimpse of their heroes. And when the coaster drove by too fast, they boldly lay in the middle of the street in an attempt to slow it down or immobilize it completely.

Fans love it! Filipinos are suckers for underdogs who fight until the end and eventually overcome their adversaries. Through the many changes, the franchise has somehow managed to steal the hearts of many Filipino basketball fans. From Añejo-Gordon’s Gin-Ginebra, players came and went. Despite the losses, hope sprung eternal that someday, one day, the old Ginebra glory will be back.

To the delight of many, that wish seemed attainable at the start of this 2003 PBA All-Filipino Cup. Coach Allan Caidic was able to put together a promising triumvirate in the frontcourt. Through a trade deal, they acquired Eric Menk who has impressive scoring prowess in the paint as well as grabbing the boards. Ex-Archer Jun Limpot also started the pre-season with renewed strength in offense. Second wind? He once said that he was very pumped up to enter the season because for the first time in his long injury-plagued basketball career, he was in perfect condition. He even went on to say that after his rookie year, he was looking forward to this season as his next best because of his good health. And then there was the second pick of the 2003 draft that landed them Rommel Adducul, once referred to as the "best big man outside the PBA."

The backcourt isn’t lacking either. Veteran pointguard Bal David still delivers during crunch time. So does Mark "The Spark" Caguioa. And then there’s the reinforcement from rookie sniper Sunday Salvacion.

But despite the stellar lineup, the team can’t seem to get over the hump. What gives?

The game at Ynares last Saturday was terrible. I felt for the fans who traveled all the way to Antipolo, expecting a good fight only to be met with an all-time low scoring in one quarter, a measly two points in the third. During the huddle, I saw the faces of the players, they all looked bewildered! As if they didn’t know what hit them. It was so sad for the Gin Kings.

A reliable source narrated how the team spent an hour or so in the dugout after suffering a blowout from Coca-Cola. He said coach Caidic began an open forum with his boys by admitting that though he was confident that he was a great player, it seems that he can’t make it work now that he’s calling the shots. He admitted that he is lacking when it comes to motivating his players.

I saw how he did it during breaks. He was trying his best to talk to his boys. But I also noticed how the players weren’t responding. There was no fire in their eyes. It was obvious that they were just going through the motions. Menk just looked at the floor the whole time during time outs. But it’s not to say that he wasn’t cooperating. He grabbed 23 or so boards in that game. Major Pain was working hard, as usual. But it wasn’t enough.

Players knew this. During the open forum after the game, our reliable source said team captain David spoke up to apologize to his teammates. He said he felt he wasn’t effective in orchestrating the plays. He ended by saying he’ll try harder next time. But the fault of other players is exactly that! They try too hard. They want to win badly that they take everything in their own hands. They may want to be heroes but basketball is a team sport. One can’t do it alone.

Mark Caguioa’s attention was called. The coaching staff felt that he wasn’t following the plays. He wasn’t able to execute well. We know what a Caguioa is capable of. But it was obvious that he was not in its usual element last Saturday. Why?

Fans can only ask "Why?" What is happening to Ginebra? And they shouldn’t be blamed for speculating, either. They support their team day in and day out, cheering their lungs out. They deserve a better game than that.

Apparently, there are factions in the Ginebra team. It seems there is no jelling among the players outside the court and it shows in their game. During practice, sources say the veterans only talk to each other. Bonding is only between the likes of David, Limpot and Caguioa. Rookies are left to hang-out with each other. And then, the Fil-Ams have their own camp, too.

The source said the open forum ended with the resolve of the players to work together as a team. Well, they have already taken the first step — admit to each other his own faults. Now they better shape up. With five games left in the eliminations, we’ll find out soon if the open forum did the team good.

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