LA TENORIO will soon be in a position he has never been before. He will coach the Gilas Youth in the FIBA Asia Cup U16 SEABA Qualifiers which kicks off in two weeks in Pampanga.
Thankfully, he will not be groping in the dark in his coaching debut. He will be brimming with ideas and tactics not just derived from his years as a brilliant point guard in the PBA but he will go into battle after picking the brain of another wily sentinel in the person of friend and former teammate Jimmy Alapag.
The two met several weeks ago when Tenorio travelled to Sacramento, California, where he laid down his purpose and unhesitatingly asked his former teammate all the tricks Jimmy has learned as part of player development with the Sacramento Kings, the NBA team which reached the play-in stage this season.
READ LA Tenorio links up with Jimmy Alapag in Sacramento
The 40-year-old Tenorio said he was impressed with Alapag's candor and unselfishness as the US-based Fil-Am laid out to him the various aspects of coaching and team strategy.
“Kausap ko na siya as soon as I was appointed as head coach,” Tenorio told SPIN.ph. “He is doing well naman. Marami rin siyang natutunan. Shinare niya sa akin ‘yung mga natutunan niya doon. Everything na ginawa niya, pinakita niya sa akin.”
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Tenorio and Alapag go a long way being Gilas Pilipinas teammates, most notably during the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship where the national squad booked a ticket to the 2014 FIBA World Cup following an epic semifinal victory over Korea.
Fulfilling trip for LA
When the job fell to his lap, Tenorio had no second thoughts and took it as a challenge and perhaps also as a first step to what his future will look like. To illustrate that he is treating the job with utmost importance, Tenorio has taken a leave of absence from Barangay Ginebra which in turn threw its support by letting him continue to receive his salary after the team made him an unrestricted free agent.
Recalling his meeting with Alapag, Tenorio said he was given access to how the Kings approach and prepare for games and how they study and scout their opponents.
“That’s the NBA. Wala tayong ibang comparison. Makikita mo ‘yung difference ng NBA, and how ‘yung sistema nila, paano sila mag-scout, paano sila mag-prepare sa game. Iba talaga,” said Tenorio, whose task is to capture one of two slots in the SEABA Qualifiers.
“It was a fulfilling meet-up with Jimmy. Marami rin siyang sinabi sa akin. Maraming tinuro. Hopefully, magamit ko especially sa mga bata.”
“It was a great experience for me going into sa ganitong klaseng responsibility. Kailangan mo talagang pag-aralan o mag-aral ng kailangang gawin. Sana magamit ko sa mga bata,” Tenorio said.
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