Ron knew it all along

Believe it or not, PBA Hall of Fame coach Ron Jacobs foresaw Barangay Ginebra winning the Fiesta Conference title before the first game of the season’s last tournament was even played last March.

To top it all, Jacobs picked Air21 as the team that would play Ginebra in the finals.

“Ron knew it all along,” said his wife Menen yesterday. “No doubt about it. Even with all those injuries, Ron stuck to his prediction although I got worried watching Game 7 on TV at home when he started breathing heavily.”

Jacobs, who suffered a stroke in December 2001 and is convalescing in his Makati home, took Ginebra coach Joseph Uichico under his wing as chief assistant when he called the shots for San Miguel Beer in the PBA. Uichico was in Jacobs’ staff when the former Loyola at Marymount mentor was voted Coach of the Year by the PBA Press Corps in 1997.

Uichico wasn’t the only coach Jacobs nurtured. From his revered factory came the likes of the Pumaren brothers - Derick, Franz and Dindo, Binky Favis, Eric Altamirano, Leo Austria, Jun Tan, Allan Caidic, Hector Calma, Samboy Lim, Jerry Codiñera and Siot Tangquingcen.

Uichico also played for Jacobs on the Philippine team that beat China in the Asian Youth Championship finals at the Araneta Coliseum in 1982.

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The day before Game 7, Uichico and Paul Howard visited Jacobs in his home. Howard, a former NCAA Division I scoring star and one of Jacobs’ closest friends from way back, flew in from Los Angeles for a holiday.

“You could almost hear Ron assure Joseph that Ginebra would win,” said Menen. “Play hard, coach hard - that’s what he would’ve told Joseph. For Joseph, it’s a ritual for him to visit Ron before a game and if he can’t come over, he calls on the phone.”

The day of Game 7, Uichico had a cold and couldn’t visit Jacobs whose doctors strictly prohibit anyone coming close with transmittable germs because of possible contamination.

“Joseph called to update Ron on what was happening and I put the phone close to Ron’s ear so he could hear him speak,” said Menen. “Ron gave a thumbs up to Joseph which I communicated.”

On TV, Jacobs watched Game 7, following the action like a hawk-eyed scout taking down notes.

“In the third quarter, I got a little worried when Ron started breathing heavily,” said Menen. “I guess he got a bit nervous because it was such a close game. When it was all over, he had a big smile. He was confident Joseph would pull through.”

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Uichico was Jacobs’ assistant in 1997 and 1998 at San Miguel. Then, Uichico was named San Miguel head coach with Jacobs as consultant. Jacobs was brought back to active duty as national coach in 2001 but in the process of preparing for the 2002 Asian Games, suffered a stroke.

“Ron is always an inspiration to me,” said Uichico who moved from San Miguel to Ginebra in 2006. “In fact, when I visit, I still consult him on what to do in preparing for a game. I ask him questions that are answerable by yes or no. I make it a point to visit at least once a week. Before a game, I drop by to talk to him. It doesn’t have to be a big game. When I can’t come to visit, I call on the phone and talk for about two to three minutes. He can’t speak so I do all the talking, telling him what things I have in mind.”

Uichico said he phoned Jacobs yesterday - the morning after Game 7.

“I told him it was incredible how we won, that we did it with a lot of heart and energy because we just wouldn’t lose,” said Uichico. “I really don’t know how we did it. That’s the never-say-die spirit. When Jay-Jay (Helterbrand) went down, it was tough to bounce back. Reactivating Ronald (Tubid) was the first step.”

Tubid sat out nine games due to a dislocated ankle and hadn’t played since July 6. An e-mail to Dr. George Canlas, who’s supervising the medical team for basketball in the Beijing Olympics, gave Uichico the go-signal to test Tubid at practice.

“Dr. Canlas told us to check out Ronald at practice and see how he feels,” said Uichico. “His assistants at Moro Lorenzo checked him out, too, and declared him good to go. At first, Ronald’s timing was a little off but that was okay because we needed him more for defense than offense. Then he started to get back his confidence which came at the right time.”

Tubid was reactivated for Game 4 and played the rest of the series. In Game 7 last Wednesday, Tubid erupted for 22 points off the bench as Ginebra beat Air21, 97-84, to claim the Fiesta Conference crown.

Uichico said he often thought of Jacobs as the contest wore on.

“I imagine what Ron would’ve done in this or that situation,” said Uichico. “I think my coaching style is 90 percent influenced by Ron, the other 10 percent by experience going up against other coaches. I guess you’ll always see big similarities in the way I coach and the way Ron coached.”

Menen said Jacobs, 65, is stable and continues to undergo rehab therapy. There is always a glow in his face when one of his coaching protégés, like Uichico, wins a championship. Basketball is still very much a part of Jacobs’ life and he remains an enduring source of inspiration for those who embrace the game.