By MARK MONTEJO
Jimmy Alapag is set to make another milestone into coaching career.
The former Gilas Pilipinas captain and PBA great is set to call the shots for the Sacramento Kings when they take on defending champion and Nikola Jokic-led Denver Nuggets on Sunday, Dec. 3 (Manila time).
Serving as an assistant coach for the Kings this season, Alapag is set to temporarily coach the team in lieu of head coach Mike Brown according to a social media post from NBA Philippines on Saturday, Dec. 2.
The 5-foot-11 floor general will guide De’Aaron Fox and Co. on the sidelines, who are now currently holding a 10-7 win-loss record at fifth place in the Western Conference standings.
It is Alapag’s first foray in coaching an actual NBA game since he was hired by former Sacramento Kings general manager Vlade Divac as an assistant coach in the NBA Summer League in 2019, where he became part of their championship in 2021.
The Southern California born and raised cager was promoted as a player development coach after serving two years as an assistant tactician of Stockton Kings, a G League affiliation of NBA’s Sacramento Kings.
Before entering to his coaching career, Alapag has myriad accolades and achievements in his playing time in the PBA and international stints, including a Rookie of the Year Award (2003), MVP award (2011), six championship with TNT, 2 gold medals in SEA Games (2015, 2017), a bronze and a silver medal in Jones Cup (2007, 2015) and 2 silver medals in FIBA Asia Championship (2013, 2015).
He was also a member of Gilas in the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Seville, Spain, where they won in overtime against Senegal, 81-79, ending the country’s 40-year winless drought in the global showpiece.
