Vanguardia true to his name

Phoenix coach Ariel Vanguardia has been a guardian angel for former PBA cager Nic Belasco twice in his career. And Belasco said he’ll always be grateful to Vanguardia for bringing him back “from the dead.”

The first time Vanguardia came to Belasco’s rescue was when he invited the 6-6 forward to play as an Asian import with the Westports Malaysia Dragons in the ABL in 2012. Belasco was then at his wit’s end, trying to make a living in the Bay Area after 14 years in the PBA. He had moved his family from Manila back to the US two years before. A knee injury triggered Belasco’s exit from the PBA in 2010.

Belasco said his work experience as a PBA player didn’t impress prospective employers in the US. His wife Mafae had better luck landing jobs. Belasco finally got a job at a mental health home, applying what he learned as a psychology major in college. But the work was depressing. Then from out of the blue, came a call from Vanguardia.

When Belasco graduated from Notre Dame de Namur in Belmont in 1996, basketball was farthest from his mind although he was a four-year star with the varsity. He had a comfortable job with Visa in San Francisco but former Ateneo player and import recruiter Bobby Rius opened his eyes to a new adventure in the PBA. Rius convinced Sunkist to take a chance on the Fil-Am version of Scottie Pippen. Belasco was picked second overall in the 1997 PBA draft after Andy Seigle. To this day, Belasco said Rius is like a second father and he’ll always be grateful for the opportunity to play the game at a high level.

Vanguardia’s call to join Westports was like Rius’ call to join the PBA. Belasco said Vanguardia unlocked a new door for him. But the move to Malaysia wasn’t easy. Belasco lived alone for seven months on his ABL tour of duty and even as his wife visited twice, it was difficulty being apart from family. Belasco’s showing in the ABL led to an offer to return to the PBA with Powerade under coach Bo Perasol and assistant Alex Compton. After a conference, Compton jumped to Alaska as coach Luigi Trillo’s assistant and brought Belasco along. Under Trillo, Belasco won his eighth PBA title.

Belasco was left unprotected by Alaska for the 2014 dispersal draft and was picked by Kia. But Belasco wasn’t signed and became a unrestricted free agent. Without a team, Belasco decided to take control of his destiny. He set up the Belasco Unlimited Skills Academy (BUSA) and conducted camps with other PBA players like Ali Peek and Vaughn Canta. When Vanguardia was tapped to coach Phoenix in the PBA, he had only one man in mind as a big man’s coach. Vanguardia contacted Belasco and offered the job. That’s twice Vanguardia has brought Belasco back to life.

Today, Belasco remains an assistant coach with Phoenix. He attends practice four days a week and is still in charge of the bigs. He won’t ever leave Vanguardia’s side as a loyal ally. But Belasco is even more focused on his “main” job as general manager of City Club, a Makati business and leisure organization that offers three hectares of space over three floors of the Alphaland Building for business meetings, conferences, dining (with eight restaurants and a ninth on the way) and sports. 

Belasco, 43, was introduced to City Club by a friend who invited him to conduct his BUSA camps in the building. From conducting camps, Belasco became the City Club’s sports director then assistant general manager and now, general manager. He’s been with City Club for over three years.

“I actually tried to resign from Alphaland twice to pursue a coaching career,” he said. “I thought with my degree and PBA experience, it would be a more relevant job. I explored the possibility of coaching at the collegiate level. But things happened so quickly at City Club. I realized I could apply a lot of my motivational techniques when I became general manager. As a coach, you put your players in a position to be successful, whether they’re posting up down low or protecting the rim or hitting the open shot. It’s exactly the same in management. You put your staff in a position where they can contribute positively to the growth of the organization.”

Belasco said as a player, hard work was his only way to succeed. As a coach, he said he admires the style and leadership skills of Pat Riley, Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich. As a family man, Belasco is hands-on. His wife runs her own PR and marketing consultancy outfit. His five children are home-schooled and they’re maturing as independent thinkers. His oldest Nico, 17, has a found a calling in photography.