Winning All-Filipino sweetest thing to happen to Red Bull

For all their past accomplishments and triumphs, coach Yeng Guiao and his Red Bull Thunder haven’t lost any bit of desire to win another Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) title.

What more if it happens to be the All-Filipino Cup.

"That’s what’s motivating us right now, to be the All-Filipino champions," admitted Guiao in the PSA Forum yesterday at the Holiday Inn Hotel.

In its three seasons in Asia’s first ever play-for-pay league, the Photokina franchise has so far won back-to-back Commissioner’s Cup crowns but hardly ever contended for the title many considered as the most prestigious of the three league conferences.

The pursuit of such objective has also become a personal goal as far as Guiao is concerned.

"Wala pa kasi ‘yung team nun (All-Filipino title). "At tsaka ako," he said just within hearing distance of team consultant Andy Jao and team manager Tony Chua who also guested in the same forum sponsored by Agfa Color, Red Bull and Pioneer Insurance.

Yes, in his more than a decade of coaching in the league, Guiao hasn’t won an All-Filipino crown yet – the closest he ever get to achieving such feat came in the 1991 season when he piloted the Sarsi ballclub to a runner-up finish behind Purefoods.

So far, Guiao and his Thunder are right on track in their title bid for the season-ending tournament, having already snared one of two automatic seats in the best-of-five semifinals after being assured of the best record by the time the eliminations come to a close today.

In the Final Four, the Thunder will meet the winner of the quarterfinal playoff between Alaska and Talk ‘N Text.

Guiao said either of the two teams will definitely pose a big threat to the Thunder although for him the Pals enjoy a slight edge over the Aces, an observation which Jao does agree.