The Jacobs legacy

For over two decades, Philippine basketball was blessed by the influential presence of a man whose genius and passion for the game blazed a trail for others to follow.

When Ron Jacobs was invited to coach in the Philippines, he didn’t know what to expect.

It was in 1980 and Jacobs was fresh from being named West Coast Athletic Association Coach of the Year for piloting the Loyola Marymount University basketball varsity to the NCAA Tournament.

Jacobs became an overnight hero at the Loyola campus in Los Angeles. He turned the program around in just a season from a lowly 5-21 pushover to a legitimate contender. Jacobs’ star shone so brightly that there emerged a popular clamor for him to take over as Loyola athletic director, a turn of events that didn’t sit well with some old fogeys in the school’s Board of Trustees.

Jacobs eventually left Loyola, exasperated by the politics that smeared his climb to fame. He wanted no part of the campus intrigue.

Fate had other plans for Jacobs.

As Jacobs reassessed his future, an invitation to visit Manila fell on his laps. Ambassador Eduardo (Danding) Cojuangco, then project director for basketball, sent an emissary to the US to look for an American coach who could bring life back to the sport here. The emissary was Basketball Association of the Philippines secretary-general Honesto Mayoralgo, an Ateneo graduate who tapped his contacts in Jesuit schools to ask around for recommendations. Mayoralgo, who has since passed away, was pointed at Jacobs’ direction.

Jacobs had nothing to lose in accepting the free round-trip ticket to Manila. He took it as an opportunity to get away from campus politics and enjoy a brief vacation.

When the plane was about to land on the Manila runway, Jacobs looked out the window and saw ricefields, carabaos, thatched roofs and goats. It was a strange portrait of what was supposed to be a tropical paradise.

From the airport, Jacobs was whisked to a Makati office where he was introduced to Mr. Cojuangco. Jacobs had absolutely no idea of what was in store. He didn’t know if Filipinos even played basketball. And he surely had never met anyone quite like Mr. Cojuangco.

When he met Mr. Cojuangco, Jacobs knew this was no ordinary man. They hit it off. They talked about a vision for basketball. They shared a common view of sports as a source of national pride and a unifying factor to galvanize a fragmented society. They shook hands and began an enduring relationship that today, remains as strong as ever.

I met Jacobs during the Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) championships in Calcutta, India, in 1981. I will never forget the moment because it changed the course of my own life. It was during the trip to Calcutta where I also met Mr. Cojuangco.

How I got to Calcutta was a story in itself but that will be for another column.

Jacobs fell in love with the Philippines. He staked his future here. He found himself slowly breaking away from the American way of life and becoming a Filipino at heart.

As a basketball coach, Jacobs revolutionized the way the game was played here. He showed how to win with science, hard work, team play and discipline. He raised the level of technology in playing the game and turned every contest into a learning experience.

Philippine basketball got a major boost when Jacobs arrived. He brought the Philippines back to prominence and was the only man feared by the Chinese powers in Asian hoops.

Who can forget Jacobs’ feat of sticking it to China in leading the Philippines to a 74-63 win for the Asian Youth championship before an overflow crowd of 25,000 at the Araneta Coliseum in 1982? Three of the players on the title team are now Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) coaches — Ginebra San Miguel’s Joseph Uichico, Talk ‘N’ Text’s Derick Pumaren and Welcoat’s Leo Austria.

Who can forget Jacobs’ feat of leading the Philippines back on the Asian throne via an 82-72 thrashing of China in Kuala Lumpur in 1986? Who can forget Jacobs’ feat of coaching Northern Cement to the 1981 Jones Cup crown and San Miguel Corp. to the 1985 title? Who can forget Jacobs piloting Northern Consolidated, an amateur guest club, to the 1985 PBA Third Conference championship?

Today, several Jacobs disciples are coaching or occupying front office jobs in basketball. Binky Favis coaches Coca-Cola. Eric Altamirano runs the successful Coach E basketball academy and is in charge of the San Miguel All-Stars project where retired players tour the country in promotional exhibitions. Hector Calma is San Miguel Beer team manager. Samboy Lim is Ginebra team manager and Allan Caidic, the Coca-Cola team manager. Elmer Reyes, Jun Tan and Tonichi Yturri are coaches, too.

His imprint in Philippine basketball is a legacy that will live forever.

On Dec. 22, 2001, Jacobs suffered a stroke while driving home to his Pasig apartment. He had just been renamed national coach and was on the verge of laying the groundwork for the country’s big comeback as an Asian cage power.

Jacobs is now confined to a wheelchair, unable to speak and walk. But his mind is alert. He motions with his fingers and smiles to show his appreciation for those who care. From the moment he suffered the stroke, his loving companion Menen has not left his side. She has been a solid rock for Jacobs in his time of need. Mr. Cojuangco has never left his side, too. And the millions whose lives have been touched by Jacobs in one way or the other continue to pray for his recovery.

Jacobs turns 64 today. On his birthday, let us thank the Lord for the gift of life and pray for his complete recovery.