In fine losing company

NLEX coach Jong Uichico was the only higher seed victim in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals as the No. 1 Road Warriors blew a twice-to-beat advantage to bow out of contention in losing two games in a row to No. 8 TNT coach Chot Reyes. The other higher seed coaches – No. 2 Ginebra’s Tim Cone, No. 3 Rain or Shine’s Yeng Guiao and No. 4 Meralco’s Luigi Trillo/Nenad Vucinic – advanced to the semifinals which begin today.

If it’s any consolation to Uichico, two of the four surviving coaches were once in his shoes. In the 2011-12 Philippine Cup, No. 8 Powerade, coached by Bo Perasol, upset No. 1 B-Meg, coached by Cone. In the 2019 Governors’ Cup, No. 8 NorthPort, coached by Pido Jarencio, stunned No. 1 NLEX, coached by Guiao. The other No. 1 seed coaches who fell in the first round of the playoffs were Tommy Manotoc with Mobiline in the 1998 All-Filipino Cup and Bill Bayno with TNT in the 2002 Governors’ Cup. Throwing the book at Mobiline was No. 8 Ginebra coach Rino Salazar while upending TNT was No. 8 San Miguel Beer coach Siot Tanquingcen.

In PBA history, only five No. 8 seeds defied a twice-to-win disadvantage to shock the top seeds in the first round of the playoffs. In NBA history, there have been six No. 8 seeds to turn back No. 1s, two in a best-of-five series and four in a best-of-seven.

Denver was the first to achieve the feat at Seattle’s expense in 1994 with coach Dan Issel doing it over the Sonics’ George Karl in a best-of-five series that went the distance. Then, New York followed with coach Jeff Van Gundy surprising Miami coach Pat Riley in a best-of-five duel that also went the full route in 1999. The Knicks went on to the NBA Finals but lost to San Antonio. In 2007, Golden State coach Don Nelson overcame the odds to oust top-seed Dallas, whose president of basketball operations was his son Donnie, 4-2. Losing Mavs coach was Avery Johnson. In 2011, Memphis stuck it to No. 1 San Antonio, 4-2, with coach Lionel Hollins outwitting coach Gregg Popovich. In 2012, it was Philadelphia’s turn to enter the record books with a 4-2 decision over No. 1 Chicago as coach Doug Collins took out coach Tom Thibodeau. Finally, in 2023, No. 8 Miami crushed No. 1 Milwaukee, 4-1, with coach Erik Spoelstra piloting the Heat all the way to the Finals only to lose to Denver. Mike Budenholzer was the Bucks losing coach in the series where Giannis Antetokounmpo missed four games and Jimmy Butler averaged 37.6 points.

The six losing No. 1 seed coaches were all decorated in their NBA careers, every one an awardee of at least one Coach of the Year trophy. So bowing out of the first round as the top seed is just a hiccup in the journey and isn’t an indication of an ominous sign of an irreversible crash. If you look at PBA and NBA history, Uichico is in fine company.