There is an old belief in sports that the best players automatically become the best coaches.

History, however, tells us otherwise.

In the Philippine Basketball Association’s (PBA) 51-year history, only four champion coaches were genuine superstars or great cagers during their playing days — Sonny Jaworski, Norman Black, Ato Agustin and Jojo Lastimosa.

Jaworski and Agustin were league Most Valuable Players in 1978 and 1992, respectively. Jaworski, Agustin and Lastimosa are members of the PBA’s 50 Greatest Players. Black, meanwhile, was a two-time Best Import, one of only two recipients of the Mr. 100% Performance Award and is widely regarded as one of the greatest imports in league history.

Lastimosa’s lone title as head coach came in the 2023 Governors’ Cup, although TNT essentially continued running Chot Reyes’ system.

Agustin was Petron Blaze champion coach in the 2011 Governors Cup.

These four are among only 31 champion coaches in PBA history. Even more telling, they are four of just 17 of those champion coaches who ever played in the PBA.

Most of the others were role players, reserves or career bench contributors.

Far from being a disadvantage, that may have been their biggest edge.

While stars carried the scoring load and made game-changing plays, role players often absorbed the finer details of coaching. They spent years studying game plans, substitutions, matchups, clock management and in-game adjustments. They learned to view the game from the bench long before they occupied it.

Many of the PBA’s champion coaches fit that mold — Leo Austria, Siot Tanquingcen, Boyet Fernandez, Joel Banal, Ely Capacio, Jorge Gallent, Rino Salazar, Chito Victolero, Ed Ocampo and Fort Acuña.

Reyes, Yeng Guiao, Jong Uichico and Derrick Pumaren, meanwhile, built their reputations through coaching after their collegiate playing careers.

Tim Cone, the PBA’s coaching GOAT, never played collegiate or pro ball. He was a longtime basketball fan in the country and became a PBA television analyst before Wilfred Steven Uytengsu handed him the Alaska coaching job that launched a Hall of Fame career.

The NBA tells the same story.

Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas, Jerry West, Kevin McHale, Jason Kidd and Steve Nash were all legendary players, yet none has won an NBA championship as a head coach.

Meanwhile, Phil Jackson won 11 titles, Pat Riley five and Steve Kerr four. All were outstanding players, but none was the defining superstar of his generation. Bill Russell remains one of the rare exceptions who achieved championship success as both player and coach.

Why is this so?

Superstars often rely on extraordinary instincts and talent that are difficult to teach. Coaching demands something different — teaching, communicating, managing personalities, preparing game plans and making decisions for an entire roster, not just yourself.

Playing and coaching are simply different professions.

That is why the coaching journeys of LA Tenorio with Magnolia and Jimmy Alapag with NLEX will be worth watching as both of them were exceptional players.

A six-time champion, Alapag was Best Player of the Conference in the 2011 Commissioner’s Cup en route to winning the MVP award that season. The former Sacramento Kings assistant coach is also among the PBA’s 50 Greatest Players list.

Tenorio was Best Player of the Conference in the 2013 Commissioner’s Cup and was a four-time Finals MVP in the eight times he led his teams to a PBA title.

Now comes the greater, perhaps ultimate challenge for them — not proving they are still stars, but proving they can become championship coaches, too.

The good thing is their respective managements are all out in supporting them — and that could already spell a huge difference.