PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA – Eric Samson doesn't find it odd seeing himself on the opposing end each time the Philippine national teams compete in the Southeast Asian Games.

As early as the 2011 SEA Games, Samson has been coaching rival countries, calling the shots on the Vietnam's men's basketball team, before he was succeeded by another Filipino mentor, Jojo Castillo.

In this year's edition of men's basketball competition in the biennial meet, Vietnam was handled by another mentor who had linkage to Filipino basketball – American Todd Purves, who served as an active coaching consultant for San Miguel Beer in the Philippine Basketball Association.

As for Samson, he was able to crack a spot as an assistant coach in Thailand's women's basketball team, which was defeated by Gilas Pilipinas, 70-82, on 14 May and the Thais missed the opportunity of cracking the podium.

"I started getting involved with the Thailand team in its under-19 squad for the FIBA World tournament and in under-18 tournament of the FIBA Asia in September last year,"  Samson replied via Messenger to Daily Tribune.

Samson, who coached the Paranaque Patriots in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League in 2019, started coaching overseas as early as 2004 in Oman, coaching Al-Nasr.

For Samson, coaching against any Philippine squad feels strange as he has to go up against his compatriots.

"We have to be professional no matter how strange it feels," he added.