San Miguel Beer head coach Leo Austria is taking it easy after undergoing an angioplasty procedure following a health scare that caused his continued absence in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Governors’ Cup.

Austria made his first appearance on Sunday, but on the sidelines, as his deputies call the shots for the Beermen.

The 68-year-old mentor revealed that he had to undergo the procedure last 6 July after a routine checkup discovered blockages in his arteries.

No timetable for his return has been set and even the management advised the 11-time champion mentor to rest and prioritize his health first.

“It’s a matter of a few games before I go back to coaching,” Austria said in his visit to the game that the Beermen dropped, 96-110, against NLEX at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Austria revealed that his heart issue was discovered during a medical checkup requirement for a renewal of his Games and Amusement Board license.

“Last June 18, we had a medical check-up to comply for the renewal of my GAB license. And then, the result, we found out that there’s something wrong with my ECG,” Austria said.

“After a week, we got the result, and then immediately, I showed it to my cardiologists (Dr. Tony Leachon and Dr. Rommel Galvez),” Austria added.

He was advised to undergo more tests, including a stress test and angiogram.

“My angiogram results confirmed that my arteries are blocked,” Austria added.

The four-time PBA Coach of the Year was shocked about the findings as he thought he was healthy.

“I’m so lucky because the doctor told me, ‘You are a walking bomb.’ Good thing I didn’t collapse. My friend Tony Leachon, he has a team at the Manila Doctors, they arranged everything, and then all of a sudden, I underwent an angioplasty (procedure),” Austria said.