‘The Jet’ still flying high

Alaska has been knocked out of title contention in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) All-Filipino conference but Aces guard Jeffrey (The Jet) Cariaso is far from being grounded.

Cariaso, 34, is one of the league’s senior statesmen.  On the court, he hardly acts his age.

This conference, Cariaso averaged 15.1 points and shot .855 from the line (second in the league, behind only Willie Wilson’s .865). The Jet logged 34.8 minutes an outing, No. 8 in the standings. Last season, he hit at a 12.5 clip and connected .797 from the stripe.

Clearly, Cariaso’s engine is still on full power. He’s become a model of longevity, showing how clean living can lead to a long career in pro sports. Cariaso was Rookie of the Year in 1995 as Alaska’s first round draft pick and has played on six PBA title squads, including Alaska’s Grand Slam team in 1996.

Cariaso’s Alaska contract expires in December this year. An extension is definitely in the offing.

"As long as I still have the desire to play, I’ll continue playing," said Cariaso. "My moniker is a challenge to me. I’m called The Jet. If I think I can’t live up to that moniker anymore, then that’ll be the time to quit. I’m not going to hang around while fans are waiting for me to retire. I’ll know when it’s time to go."

Cariaso said once his contract expires, he’s hoping for a one or two year renewal.

What’s fueling Cariaso’s engine is a burning desire to win another championship for Alaska.

"When Alaska won a Grand Slam in 1996, I was a role player and didn’t really contribute much," said Cariaso. "Now, I’m a veteran, one of the leaders on the team. So I’d like to win one for Alaska with me playing a major role."

Cariaso said he can’t complain about how his career has turned out.

"I’ve played in 10 finals and won six titles so that’s not a bad batting average," said Cariaso. "One of my previous teams Mobiline won a title in 1998 but I wasn’t on the team as I was with the Centennial team at the time. I don’t count that title as one of the six."

The biggest thing that ever happened to Cariaso during his career was meeting his wife Michelle.

"She was Mobiline’s physical therapist for one conference and we joined the team the same time in 1997," said Cariaso.

The Jet and Michelle are now proud parents of Javy, 14, Jay, 11, Aya, 7, and Joachim or King, 1. Javy and Jay are his stepsons.

When his playing days are over, Cariaso said it’s likely he’ll stay in Manila with his family.

"Of course, living in the US will always be an option," said Cariaso whose all-time PBA idol is Johnny Abarrientos. "We’ve got a house which we’re renting out about 45 minutes northeast of San Francisco so we’ll always have a place to stay in the US. But our friends are all here. For six years, we ran a beauty salon called Angles and Tangles on Pioneer. We’re now looking to open some other business."

Cariaso was conceived in Manila but was born in the US after his parents Alfredo (of Sampaloc) and Gloria (of Batac, Ilocos Norte) migrated in 1972. The oldest of three children (sister Jenny, 33, brother Gil, 22), he was seven when he came to Manila for his first visit.  His next visit was in 1992 as a player for a Bay Area team sponsored by Atlanta Pipes in the Philippine Basketball League (PBL).

"I’ve lived in Manila since coming in 1992," said Cariaso who played for Sonoma State. "My mother died in 1997 and my father, who used to work at the Army and Air Force Exchange in Oakland, moved to Manila a year later. My father now spends part of the year here and part of the year in the US."

Cariaso is a movie buff and his all-time No. 1 film is "Remember The Titans" with his favorite actor Denzel Washington. His favorite actress is Julia Roberts. His favorite singer is Brian McKnight who, by the way, plays competitive hoops.

Cariaso’s PBA career has gone full circle. He started with Alaska, moved to Mobiline then to Coca-Cola (where he played on championship teams in 2002 and 2003) before rejoining the Aces two seasons ago.

With starting point guard Mike Cortez in the injured list, Cariaso said the team has had to make major adjustments.

"I’m a two-guard but sometimes coach Tim (Cone) wants me to bring up the ball as an option," said Cariaso. "Willie (Miller) and Tony (de la Cruz) are playing a lot more point now that Mike is out. I’m an all-around type of player, I guess."

The proof of Cariaso’s consistency is his streak of double figure scoring in the last 16 games. He was Alaska’s top scorer in the Aces’ last two games of the conference.

Alaska started the season on a sour note, slipping to 1-6. The Aces stormed back to win four of their next five assignments, including back-to-back victories over top contenders Talk ‘N’ Text and Red Bull. A three-game losing skid followed before Alaska finished the double-round eliminations with three straight wins. Two losses in three wildcard games sealed Alaska’s fate.

What’s particularly painful in Alaska’s early elimination was there were several losses that could’ve easily been wins. The Aces’ average losing margin was only 5.3 points with six setbacks decided by four points or less.

No doubt, Alaska will be back next conference with a grim determination to redeem itself. And Cariaso will once again be at the forefront of the Aces’ attack.