Wounded pride

Tempers flared in the aftermath of Rain or Shine’s 91-82 victory over Magnolia in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup last Saturday.

Elasto Painters coach Yeng Guiao and Hotshots consultant Erick Arejola were seen having a shouting match at the sidelines after import Jaylen Johnson delivered a thunderous dunk with Rain or Shine comfortably ahead, 87-80, in the final 1:21 of the game.

Well, it wasn’t actually the dunk that triggered Arejola. What drew his ire was Johnson’s reaction as he was spotted pointing at Magnolia head coach LA Tenorio while making his way back to the Rain or Shine bench.

Arejola — one of the most amiable personalities in the league — didn’t take it sitting down. He jumped off their bench and confronted Johnson like a true leader protecting the wounded morale of his wards, especially his young coach.

Of course, Guiao also reacted and defended his import. When the game ended, there was no customary handshake between Guiao and Arejola. The veteran mentor just quietly shook the hand of Tenorio before disappearing into the tunnel to call it a night.

Look, it’s easy to hate Arejola. But branding him as a troublemaker or a sore loser isn’t fair.

Let’s understand that Magnolia is having a tough campaign. When Tenorio was appointed for the bench role last August, San Miguel Corporation practically hit the reset button as it surrounded him with other fresh faces like team governor Jayson Webb, assistant coaches Monch Gavieres and Kirk Collier and, yes, Arejola, who came from the defunct NorthPort franchise.

Tenorio’s very first conference as a PBA coach wasn’t smooth. Sure, he won his very first game against his former team, Barangay Ginebra, but the unforgiving nature of professional basketball soon reared its ugly head as the 41-year-old mentor finished the Philippine Cup with a forgettable 6-5 record in the eliminations before being ousted by TNT Tropang 5G in the quarterfinals.

This conference, the Hotshots again started slow, losing three straight games to Phoenix, NLEX and Blackwater before finally winning over lowly teams Macau and Terrafirma then losing again to Ginebra.

Right now, the Hotshots are tied with San Miguel at the sixth spot with a 4-5 win-loss card, putting them in a tough position to win twice in the quarterfinals if they want to advance to the next round.

In short, for the Hotshots, every game counts. They are not just playing for a winning record; they are fighting for pride, for validation that this young group with a young coach can be successful in a league that is greatly dominated by the most brilliant minds in Philippine basketball.

That’s where Arejola was coming from when he erupted after that Johnson dunk.

When I saw Arejola storming into the court to confront Johnson, I didn’t notice an angry executive trying to intimidate the best player from the opposing team. What I witnessed was a brave leader standing up to defend the wounded pride of his wards and the historic franchise that they represent in the face of adversity.

The PBA was built on passion. Fans love to see that raw, unpolished emotions among players and coaches as it give them an idea that they care about winning. As Guiao said in his post-game interview: We are friends, but on the court, we are there to protect our own interests.

Yes, Arejola’s action may lead to a trip to the Commissioner’s Office. But it doesn’t matter. What matters most is that Arejola was able to send a strong message that his young team is not a pushover and they are ready to fight back if their pride is already being trampled.

For as long as an executive like Arejola is willing to storm the court to defend his players, the passion where the PBA was built will remain intact and the soul of the game will forever burn bright.