Pinoy connection to Spurs

SAN ANTONIO – Chip Engelland isn’t the only Filipino connection to the San Antonio Spurs. There are five others with Filipino links working for the NBA franchise which is owned by businessman Peter Holt.

Two are full-blooded Filipinos but Tanya Navalta of International Communications and Gretchen Luistro of Game Operations were born and raised in the US. The three others are Fil-Am Jackie Bretoi of Group Sales, Filipino-Spanish mestizo Carlos Manzanillo Jr. of Corporate Communications and Fil-Chinese Christine Lim of Community Responsibility.

Holt, 65, owns the largest Caterpillar dealership in the US and aside from the Spurs, has majority interest in the WNBA’s Silver Stars, hockey’s Rampage and the NBA D-League’s Austin Toros. He bought into the Spurs in 1993 and introduced a values-based philosophy that is the hallmark of his management. Holt served in the Vietnam War with the US Army and was honored with the Silver Star, three Bronze Stars for valor and the Purple Heart for wounds inflicted in action.

Holt’s commitment to principles is evident in the way the Spurs never compromise their finances to go over the league’s luxury tax threshold. San Antonio keeps within the salary cap and is a model of a successful franchise. The Spurs have won NBA titles in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007. They were a free throw shy of capturing a fifth crown in Game 6 of the NBA Finals last season, lost it in overtime and bowed to Miami in Game 7.

Navalta, 28, said it’s a blessing to be involved with the Spurs. “There are three core values which guide us in our work,” said Navalta whose parents Rufino and Tess trace their roots to Pangasinan. “First is integrity, doing the right thing and that’s about being honest, respecting self and others, demonstrating trust and providing fair treatment. Second is success, achieving targeted goals and that’s about working together as a team, achieving personal and professional growth, being creative and innovative and having fun and enjoying the journey. And third is caring, consideration of others and that’s about demonstrating commitment and responsibility, being supportive and compassionate, being responsive and acting with sincerity.”

Navalta was a high school gymnast and cheerdancer with St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. She used to perform as a tumbler at halftime and timeouts of Spurs games before graduating. A marketing degree holder, Navalta was hired by the Spurs to join Internal Communications as a coordinator. On Sundays, she does volunteer work with special children, refusing pay to teach gymnastics as her Church advocacy. Navalta, the third of four children, is well-liked and respected in the Spurs organization.

“I’m looking forward to visiting the Philippines for the first time and getting to know my relatives,” she said. “My parents often go home but because of my work, I’m not able to get too much vacation time. I grew up in a military base as my parents were in the service. My father joined the US Air Force at Clark Air Base in 1975 then took his basic training at San Antonio. He met my mother, a nurse, in the US. When my father was assigned to Germany, we all moved there. Now, they’re retired and very much involved in Church work. My father was recently in Guatemala with a Church group, digging wells for poor people. I also try to give back to others as my own thanks to the Lord for His blessings.”

Navalta’s father Rufino was a UST soccer player and took up engineering before enlisting with the US Air Force where he worked in maintenance of communications equipment.. Her mother Tess is an FEU alumna. “We’re very proud of all of our children,” said Tess. “Tanya has now worked five years with the Spurs and she’s very dedicated to her work. She’s never been to the Philippines so she only hears how basketball is so popular back home. We watch TFC at home and often eat at our favorite Filipino restaurant Me-Ke-Ni owned by Yong Dawsey and Merle Rivera near the Randolph Air Base.”

The Spurs’ executive and administrative offices are located at the AT&T Center which is the team’s home building. Navalta said the organization also stages concerts and shows at the facility. A recent sell-out was Bon Jovi’s one-night stand. Lady Gaga was another artist who sold out the arena.

Manzanillo, 34, was born in Baguio and his father Caloy was deputy secretary-general of the Basketball Association of the Philippines until he migrated to the US with his family in the late 1980s. Manzanillo took up broadcasting and communications at San Diego State. He said working with the Spurs is a dream come true.

“I played basketball in high school but was never any good,” said Manzanillo. “I’ve always loved sports, particularly basketball. When the opportunity came to work with the Spurs, I had no hesitation. I’ve relocated from San Diego to Los Angeles and now to San Antonio. This is just my second season with the Spurs which is a really top-class organization. I’m fortunate to be working with (senior director of communications) Tom James.”

Engelland is the longest-tenured Spurs assistant coach. He lived at the Avalon on Ortigas for nearly three years and played on the San Miguel Beer team that won the Jones Cup in Taipei in 1985. “I’ll never forget my life in the Philippines,” he said. “Filipinos are the best fans in the world. When the EDSA Revolution happened in 1986, I was in the US. I expected to go back to Manila but the basketball program took a different direction without Boss Danding (Ambassador Eduardo Cojuangco). I’ll always be grateful to Boss and up to this day, I’ll do what I can for him. I’m hoping that in 2015, with Boss’ blessings, I could go back to Manila and celebrate the 30th anniversary of our Jones Cup victory with Jeff Moore, Dennis Still, Hector Calma and the two guys who took us to a higher level, Samboy Lim and Allan Caidic.”