By REYNALD MAGALLON
For Jojo Lastimosa, the transition from being the team manager the first time he joined TNT to becoming the head coach was not a smooth one as everybody expected.
From just doing the paper works and dealing with negotiations and player contracts, Lastimosa eventually called the shots and became a champion coach in his very first conference.
Was it a wonderful feeling? Of course, no ifs and buts.
Though it was quite a wild ride the past four months, the end result was unbelievable. The rough ride became sweetest ride for Lastimosa who went up against his former coach at Alaska in Tim Cone and a crowd darling in Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.
He even admitted that it actually took some time for the feelings to sink in and for the euphoria of winning the title to settle in him.
“It’s incredible. It’s unbelievable even nung nanalo na nung nag buzzer na like ‘my God this is really happening’,” said Lastimosa recalling the moment when the confetti exploded in the air as the final buzzer sounded in Game 6 of the finals of the season-ending conference following TNT’s 97-93 win over Ginebra.
What Lastimosa felt was very understandable though.
Who would have really thought that he could be the coach that will steer TNT to its first title in the season-ending conference – a feat that numerous Tropang Giga coaches failed to achieve in the franchise’s 27 years in the league.
“Can you imagine paulit ulit ko na sinasabi, I am not supposed to be here. I’m not supposed to be coaching this,” said Lastimosa.
And it only even all started when he was asked to take over for former TNT head coach now consultant Chot Reyes who decided to devote all his time for the Gilas Pilipinas’ preparation for the 2023 World Cup.
“There’s no one else. They wanted a senior coach to step in. I was the most senior sabi ko sige let’s give it a go,” recalled Lastimosa when he was asked to take the mantle as the next TNT head coach.
Gutsy as he has been even during his playing days in Alaska, Lastimosa accepted the job on the condition that he will actually run the team and not just be a head coach on paper.
He proved himself by giving TNT its ninth title, tied with the legendary Toyota team as the sixth winningest franchises in the league history. Lastimosa, however, admitted that none of this would happen if not also for the coaching wits of his supporting cast on the TNT bench.
“My deal was if I’m gonna coach it, I’m not gonna be just a mouthpiece and they agreed to it. The good team about that setup is that sila Josh (Reyes), sila Sandy (Arespacochaga), sila Yuri (Escueta), alam na alam nila yung system which is running the same system as Chot,” said Lastimosa
“Nagkakaiba lang yung substitution pattern ko mga timeouts ko but generally it was an incredible job for the coaches,” he added.
