EDDIE G. ALINEA
ished more, he confided to this writer, was when he was named “Coach of the Century” by the Manila Times for his coaching genius, his unmatched achievements and contributions to the country’s most popular sport.
Combining self- developed mentoring skills, an uncanny ability to cultivate potential in young, raw aspirants, and a masterful understanding of each player’s strength and weaknesses, Baby Dalupan developed top-caliber players, novel plays and tactics, and won over 50 championships in all levels of Philippine basketball, was how the Times described Baby’s accomplishments, earning for him, too, the sobriquet: The Maestro of Philippine Basketball in its issue of January 13, 2000.
Baby would have turned 94 last October 19. A little less than two months earlier last August 17, wife Maria Lourdes “Nenang” and children observed his first death anniversary. Reason why I am writing this tribute to the man who I befriended from the time I was reading law books borrowed from the UE library in the late 50s at the school’s open court, who started his coaching profession temporarily as pahiyang to reach a position where others failed.
Today, Baby, whose team manager-coach partnership with Floro was the longest and most successful in the history of the sport here, is remembered by coaches who aim not only to win the PBA Press Corps Coach of the Year Award named in honor, but to surpass his record no matter how impossible it seems.
Baby is the ultimate basketball virtuoso, an artist with an unconventional creative genius, a master tactician deserving to be called “The Maestro.” He had his detractors, too, who said Baby D always managed to direct his teams to success because of the players talents and strength, without realizing that they were able to possess those talents through his guidance.
As I wrote in a separate article in another newspaper: “Dalupan’s extraordinary knack for spotting talented and potential superstars out of young, raw and untested talents gave him the edge over his coaching peers. He plucked out of nowhere, for instance, Filomeno Pumaren, father of the now coaching teachers Derek, Franz and Dindo, and Constancio Ortiz Jr. heroes in UE’s triumphs in the late 50s.
He was also credited with discovering then future national standouts and then PBA greats Roehl Nadurata, Jimmy Marino, Robert Jaworski, Rudolf Kutch, Rudy Soriano, Johnny Revilla, Rey Franco, Rey Alcantara, Virgilio Abarrientos, among others who gifted the UE Warriors seven straight UAAP titles.
And during his stint as UE athletic director, Baby was also responsible for polishing the talents of Allan Caidic, Toto Varela, Ramon Cruz, Rudy Distrito and others.
He changed many lives. And perhaps even more than everyone else because of his longevity of excellence, he became bigger than life. He turned into symbol of success for most aficionados and fans of the dash- and dribble sport. He was more than Mr. Basketball. He was the “Maestro.”