BY REY C. LACHICA
Like many certified PBA superstars before and after him, Kenneth Duremdes has had his own share of ups and downs.
After playing second fiddle to the flamboyant Vergel Meneses at the now defunct Sunkist Juice team (later renamed Pop Cola) in his first two years in the pro league, the sweet-shooting and high-leaping Duremdes got the break he wanted when he was traded to Alaska Milk in late 1997.
There he was welcomed with open arms by no less than coach Tim Cone who just a year before helped guide the Aces to a rare Grand Slam, becoming the third team to accomplish the feat after the fabled Crispa Redmanizers (1976 and 1983) and the San Miguel Beermen (1989).
His addition to an already loaded squad made Cone’s job a lot easier as the pride of Marbel, South Cotabato adjusted quickly to his system – the triangle offense.
In a recent coaching webinar, Cone admitted that Duremdes has a natural feel to the intricate system unlike some other players.
“For Kenneth, it just came easy,” said Cone, who won his second Grand Slam with San Mig Super Coffee Mixers six years ago before moving to the crowd favorite Ginebra San Miguel.
With Cone’s trust and confidence on him, Duremdes found Alaska to be a perfect launching pad to what many believed to be a promising career, and he worked doubly hard to be more effective and versatile to the system that was used successfully by the Michael Jordan-led Chicago Bulls.
His impact was immediately felt when the Aces won three straight championships starting in the 1997 Governors’ Cup.
With his numbers steadily improving each game – not to mention his good looks and demeanor – Duremdes became one of the recognizable sports stars in the country during that time.
His rise to stardom was almost meteoric.
Duremdes reached the pinnacle of success when won the highest accolade given to an outstanding player – the MVP – in 1998 at the young age of 24. He won several more awards, emerging as the Best Player of the Conference in the 2000 All-Filipino Conference.
He continued to dazzle his legion of fans and awe his defenders with his devastating mix of jumpers that he was fondly called “Captain Marbel.”
When his contract was to expire in 2001, Duremdes was pursued and courted passionately by Mobiline (now TNT KaTropa).
The offer was mind-boggling, but the Alaska Aces management grudgingly matched it to keep its star player.
Apart from the P48 million contract spread over eight years, his perks and other bonuses schemes were likewise mouth-watering.
He did not detail those, but he could have a more comfortable life now.
“Yun ang napalalaking sayang, mas mahaba sana ang pisi ko ngayon,” said Duremdes.
But to his horror, two years after he signed a new contract with the Aces in 2001, he was traded to Sta. Lucia.
“That was my biggest disappointment in my PBA career,” said Duremdes in a text message. “I was still at the prime of my career then.”
“Hindi pa naman ako palaos noon,” he added.
While he remained perplexed, Duremdes holds no grudges against Alaska owner Wilfred Uytengsu, saying: “They might have a great plan for the team then and besides, they gave me the break.”
Though he formed a triumvirate with Dennis Espino and Marlou Aquino, he had little success in a Sta. Lucia uniform.
And a year after he was shipped to Coca Cola (its franchise was later sold) in 2007, he was installed interim coach albeit unprepared – no thanks to the prodding of several teammates.
That ended his once glittering career as a player – unhappy.
“Hindi maayos ang exit ko as a player,” said Duremdes who is now the Commissioner of the Manny Pacquiao-funded MPBL.
But he’s now thrilled with the thought that his sons – 6-foot-2 Kinji and 6-foot Kylle are following his footsteps.
Kinji is part of the National University Bullpups in the coming UAAP season while Kylle plays point guard at Marina High School in California.
“I am hoping and praying that they can also play in the PBA,” said one of the greatest players to ever grace the country’s foremost sporting event.