Insulting remarks
What he said was a big insult to our local coaches
Benjie Paras joins the list of basketball personalities condemning Tab Baldwin for his remarks on the ability of Filipino coaches and the way the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is being organized.
Paras, whose son — Kobe — faced Baldwin and Ateneo de Manila University in the University Athletic Association of the Philippines last year, said Baldwin’s remarks are massive insult not just to certain personalities or institution, but to Philippine basketball in general.
Paras, the 1989 PBA Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player awardee who had colorful stints with Formula Shell and San Miguel Beer, said he is backing up local coaches in condemning what he claims as “insulting” remarks made by the outspoken KiwiAmerican mentor.
“For me, there are a lot of issues in his (Baldwin) statement,” Paras told Daily Tribune in a telephone conversation.
“But the main issue is that what he said was a big insult to our local coaches, PBA board of governors and the PBA commissioner.”
The Basketball Coaches Association of the Philippines (BCAP) also condemns Baldwin’s statement, saying that insulting Filipino coaches is like insulting all Filipino citizens.
“We are being underestimated as Filipinos here — that is the issue,” said BCAP president Louie Gonzales in a statement.
“We are here to protect not just the welfare of local coaches, butr also of Filipino citizens.”
In a shocking statement made in a public forum, Baldwin stressed that he was surprised that Filipino coaches are “significantly unaware of the tactical advancements and the systemic advancements of coaching systems coming out of Europe in particular, which you know, are built on the backs of player development.”
Barangay Ginebra governor Alfrancis Chua, a long-time mentor, refused to take his scathing comment sitting down, claiming that by saying that Filipino coaches are “tactically immature” only shows that he has some growing up to do.
NLEX head coach Yeng Guiao also wasn’t amused.
“We take pride in our work,” said Guiao, who steered the Nationals in the 18th Asian Games and the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2018 and 2019.
Chua and Guiao are both former BCAP presidents. Baldwin also created rift with the PBA when he stressed that the one-import format stalls the growth of Philippine basketball since “the rules latitude that the imports are given here by the referee and by the administration of the PBA.”
He added that the league is favoring imports over local players. With that, PBA commissioner Willie Marcial slapped him with a fine, which, according to league sources, is tipped to be pegged around P50,000 on top of the unpaid P10,000 penalty he incurred during his stint in the PBA D-league last year.
He’s part of the PBA so, yes, I agree with giving him a penalty.
Marcial said Baldwin is covered by their jurisdiction since he is part of the coaching staff of TNT KaTropa, which is being mentored by Bong Ravena.
He added that the league would strictly impose the penalty regardless of Baldwin’s decision to issue an apology to the league, the coaches and other stakeholders.
“It’s like when someone committed murder; that person can’t just say ‘sorry’ without being penalized,” Marcial said, adding that he will confer with his technical staff on Monday to decide on the exact amount of fine.
“For me, the damage has been done and he has to face the penalty.”
Marcial reiterated that Baldwin, the program director of Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas who is charting the country’s roadmap to the FIBA World Cup, could have easily relayed his sentiment to TNT KaTropa governor Ricky Vargas or Ravena, but he still opted to blast the league in a public forum like the Coaches Unfiltered podcast. “That comment was uncalled for,” Marcial said.
“The timing is not right because we want to give the coaches and players something that will lift their morale in this time of pandemic.” Paras strongly agreed.
“Alfrancis is right; this is too much negativity,” said Paras, who is now serving as assistant coach of Boyet Fernandez at San Beda University.
“What we all need now is to be positive. But with what he said, it’s like putting the PBA down.”
“He’s part of the PBA so, yes, I agree with giving him a penalty.”