The Thunder felt winning the title via a hard, treacherous way made it sweeter than their first championship in the same tournament last year. But the team was sorry it had to part ways with Lang in midstream of the finals and it would savor the fruit of its labor without its former prized import.
"Iyun lang ang nakakalungkot, we had to part ways. But we’re convinced that had to be done," said Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao amidst din of fans and supporters at the Café Provencal at SM Mega Mall in Mandaluyong moments after they beat out Talk N Text in the deciding Game Seven of their title playoff at the Araneta Coliseum Friday night.
But Guiao hardly considered their victory as vindication in their move to oust Lang.
He said: "This is not vindication. Kung natalo kami hindi rin ibig sabihin mali kami. It was an issue of principle. We’re ready to lose the championship rather than lose our principle."
Guiao reiterated they were lucky Sean Lampley was ready to come over when they got in touch with him after Game Three with the team falling behind one-game-to-two.
"We started having doubts as early as in the first game. It’s good after Game Three, we had time to find a new import. We knew if we picked the wrong import, patay kami," said Guiao.
The Pampangueno mentor said Lampley put in his share but commended all his players in completing a tough task of having to overcome a 2-3 deficit in what turned out to be a classic title playoff.
Guiao refused to take credit in the winner-take-all duel. He said: "In a seven-game series ending in Game Seven, it’s not about coaching anymore but the heart of the players. It’s not about coaching but the desire of the guys to play and win. The guys showed they have that."
Curiously, the Thunder utterly dominated the eliminations that, at some point, they thought they would win the title in a breeze.
They had that thinking until the Lang of old was nowhere to be found in the finals.
But the Thunder survived all the troubles they’d gone through and they thought it made the championship extra sweeter.
"Of course, laging masarap ang first championship. But this one has a different flavor. Iba iyung pinagdaanan namin. Sabi nga ni coach Baby (Dalupan) ‘the harder it is, the sweeter,’" said Guiao, now having four PBA championships tucked under his belt.
"Surely, mas masarap ito sa dami at hirap ng pinagdaanan namin ngayon," said team manager Tony Chua, who promised a US holiday trip to the team in January for the title-repeat.
Julius Nwosu experienced an entirely different high, winning his very first PBA championship. During the frenzied Red Bull celebration after the final buzzer Friday, the Nigerian import, who played four conferences in the league, was yelling: "Manila, I came through."
In an interview later on, he said: "I’ve never been this happy in my life."
Lampley likewise gained a sweet personal victory after rescuing a team from imminent danger and helping it salvage a championship. He was to leave the country last night to rejoin the Miami Heat camp.
How about Lang?
Guiao and Chua didn’t close the door on the player but said they doubt if they would ever sign him up again.