By Jonas Terrado
Magnolia’s Chito Victolero and Alaska’s Alex Compton will set aside their friendship that began 20 years ago when they seek their first championship as pro coaches in the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals which opens on Dec. 5 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Victolero and Compton were once teammates and rivals during their heydays in the defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association before becoming pro coaches.
“There will come a point where you’ll face your friend, relative or a former player,” Victolero said in Filipino during Tuesday’s press conference at the Sambokojin restaurant in Eastwood City, Libis.
“The good thing about it is we’ll do our best to prepare so we can our opponent a good fight in the Finals,” added Victolero.
The two coaches played their first MBA season in 1998 as teammates of the Manila Metrostars, with Compton recalling how he and Victolero ended up suffering a concussion in a game in Laguna.
Compton and Victolero felt the blow that year as the Metrostars were beaten in the Northern Conference Finals by the Pampanga Dragons.
Both would eventually won the MBA crown, with Compton claiming two with Manila in 1999 and Batangas in 2001 and Victolero for San Juan in 2000.
The two would cross paths again, this time for a shot at finally ending their heartbreaking runs as coaches.
“One of us is coming to win his first championship after this,” said Compton.
Alaska is aiming to end years of frustration after losing its last four finals appearances while Magnolia tries to bounce back from falling to San Miguel Beer in the Philippine Cup.
BLESSING FOR TENG
Alaska rookie Jeron Teng feels blessed to be playing in the Finals of the PBA Governors’ Cup, nearly half a year after he figured in a wild skirmish that almost endangered his life.
“It’s a blessing for me that – as a rookie – I’ll be playing in the Finals,” said Teng during Tuesday’s press conference of the PBA Finals at the Sambokojin Restaurant in Eastwood Libis, Quezon City.
The 6-foot-2 Teng, the fifth overall pick in last year’s PBA Rookie Draft, sustained stab wounds when a group of men attacked him and former De La Salle teammates Norbert Torres and Thomas Torres.
