A rookie team, with four of its top players sidelined by injury, does not stand a chance of winning the championship in a league as fiercely competitive as the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Even the players’ own families were doubt-ful.
But nothing could deter the spirit of a tiger. And so it came to pass that last December 25, the team that nobody expected to make it to the finals, burdened with injuries and hounded by skepticism, fought its way through the series to clinch victory in the Selecta-PBA All Filipino Cup and claim a glorious spot in the country’s history.
In what many people describe as the biggest upset in PBA history, the Coca-Cola Tigers showed everyone what hard work and determination could achieve.
Pitted against the Alaska Aces, the Tigers did initally appear to be neophytes. The team had barely completed its first year in the league while all the other teams were veterans in the PBA. The Tigers, however, had already showed its untapped prowess in an earlier conference, baring their claws and battling the San Miguel Beermen to clinch third place during the Governor’s Cup. People took notice of the rookie team, since not many teams have managed to climb so high and so fast.
Rallying inexperienced players to victory is no mean feat. But with Coach Chot Reyes, there was little doubt this former Ateneo Blue Eagle could do the job.
Coach Reyes declared, "We take pride in being a great defensive team. The best defense we know against failure is our formula for success: Commitment and Teamwork. I do not think it is any coincidence that these initials also stand for Coca-Cola Tigers."
Assistant Coach Biboy Ravanes, a seasoned player of the PBA before hanging up his jersey to become a full-time coach, was all praises for Reyes. "He is truly inspiring. He is the lifeblood of the team. He has taught each one of us a lot."
Things almost went sour for Reyes. Many thought that it was the end of the line for him, since his last victory came in 1994, with the Purefoods team.
Work towards one goal–to be the first rookie team to win a championship. This was the game plan of Coach Reyes: "From Day 1, we set our goal to win the championship in our first year. Before we even started our first practice, we agreed on a goal. We wanted to be the first team in history to win in our rookie year. "
This collective dream drove the players and intensified their play. It was more than a battle of skills and talents; it was a war of the spirit. He with the strongest conviction and determination wins.
Triumphs never come without obstacles and roadblocks, and more than a handful were thrown into the path of the Tigers.
One by one, the players fell. First was Jeffrey Cariaso, declared best player of the Conference. In the third game of the semi-finals, he went down with a very painful injury that sidelined him for the rest of the conference. The Tigers were now without somebody to pit against Kenneth Duremdes of the Alaska Aces.
Next to fall was Johnny Abarientos, another powerful player. In the first game of the finals, he performed well. Then, barely two minutes after the start of the third quarter an elbow hit him in the face that fractured his right cheek. The Tigers knew that they had lost another player.
Chris Bolado and Estong Ballesteros were earlier decommissioned due to knee injuries. The team was now left with rookies.
The Christmas day game was a first in the history of the PBA. In the past, organizers avoided the Christmas holidays. But a game was scheduled on December 25.
Despite the holiday rush, Coach Reyes ordered the Tigers to keep their focus. They could only relax and enjoy the holiday after the games.
"The boys were fired up because of our motto. Even when we were down, we did not lose hope. The efforts paid off," Coach Reyes said. When the key players had to take the back seat, Rudy Hatfield, Ato Morano, Poch Juinio, Rafi Reavies, Freddie Abuda, Will Antonio and rookies Leo Avenido and Jojo Manalo rose to the challenge and played a good game, propelling the Tigers to victory.
With their key players injured, the Tigers went to the Araneta Coliseum armed only with determination. The Alaska Aces had been known to spring surprises. As in any game of chance, anything goes. Letting your guard down gives the opponent an opportunity to knock you down.
The first quarter was tight. Each time one team scored, the other came up with a basket and narrowed down the lead. The Tigers outscored the Aces 27-22 in the first quarter.
The second quarter was much like the first. The Aces were more intense and peaked with a tie at 33. But the Tigers did not relent. The quarter ended with the Tigers still on top by four, 37-33.
Nothing was certain in the third quarter. The gap widened. Things could have changed for the worse. A few three-point shots from the opponent could have easily evened up the score. Fortunately, the shots never came. Hatfield, who was voted by the PBA Press Corps as the Finals MVP, took the lead and kicked off the widening of the Tiger’s lead. Reavies backed up Hatfield and proved to be the biggest surprise in the finals. The 6-foot-and-9-inch Fil-American shot 0- out of 1 in the three-point range. Two more attempts boosted his average. By the end of the third quarter, his twin three-pointers gave the Tigers the 12-point lead, 59-47.
The fourth quarter started much like the rest. With five minutes and 12 seconds left, the Tigers were ahead 70—52. It was time for the final push. With two minutes 43 seconds left in the ball game, they led by 18 points, 75-57. The situation pushed the Aces to fight frantically and to catch up before the game was over. Tim Cone’s last time-out did not help though. The Tigers continuously devoured their opponents until the buzzer sounded the end of the game and the end of the series. The Tigers won, 78-63.
I always believed that if you keep knocking long enough, the door will eventually open," Coach Reyes said in a post-victory interview. The Tigers’ victory secured them a place in history of the PBA. Other franchises had bidded to claim the honor: Filmanbank in 1978, Shell in 1985; Purefoods in 1988 and Tanduay in 1999. But it was the team of Coach Reyes which captured the title.
"I’m overwhelmed. The first champion-ship I won was probably the sweetest. But this was the most special because we were under-manned," he said.
"I hope our victory would inspire our countrymen who are experiencing difficulties and who feel that things are going against them. I think that what this team had shown was that the little guy could stage a come- back. That the little guy could do it. They just have to push on."