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    Tab bares he got text from Panlilio: 'Process of communication is underway'

    Will Baldwin make it back to Gilas staff?
    Sep 17, 2022
    Tab Baldwin Gilas CJ Perez
    Will Tab Baldwin make it back to the Gilas coaching staff?
    PHOTO: Jerome AscaƱo

    TAB Baldwin clarified he has no ill-feelings towards the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas after he was relieved of his post as Gilas Pilipinas head coach last January.

    Baldwin said the SBP understands its decision to make a coaching change with the national team even with his total commitment to the Gilas program until the 2023 Fiba Basketball World Cup and his role as head coach of the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP.

    The Ateneo coach said the SBP wanted stability in the coaching side after Baldwin was about to reach a conflict between Gilas and his job with Ateneo during the February window.

    “The SBP had their reasons,” said Baldwin in an interview with Noli Eala during his Power and Play program. “Let’s not just throw stones at the SBP and say that, just for no reason at all, that they decided that I wasn’t the right guy. They had their reasons. And when you look at it in the surface, those reasons are reasonable – wanting stability, wanting to make sure that we didn’t have conflicting situation. Because the Philippine basketball landscape has a lot of conflict, I guess, by design almost. And working through that isn’t always easy. And so that’s what they are trying to do.”

    Baldwin said he was already anticipating problems for the February window with the unavailability of the players and the upcoming resumption of the UAAP season. Still, Baldwin said he remained focused with Gilas, with plans of hiring a foreign coach in his capacity as program director, and relieving some of his responsibilities as Ateneo head coach when the World Cup draw near.

    But the SBP took a different direction, which he truly understands.

    “I thought I would be part of Gilas and I took that job very seriously. I really believed that part of my role as program director was to make sure that we have the best coach available for the World Cup. And I was thinking that we would be potentially bringing foreign coaches in, that I would put myself in that role probably again when it fit the schedule, then ultimately if I was going to be decided to be the head coach, and that wasn’t my decision as it played out. But if I was in that role, I would probably would have to step back in the Ateneo role later in 2022.”

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    “But at that point of 2022 in February, I wasn’t thinking that way. And so my thought was I’ll be part of Gilas in some capacity heading into the World Cup in 2023. Decisions were made that I wasn’t to be part of it,” said Baldwin.

    Baldwin admitted his relationship with the SBP has been affected by the recent events when Chot Reyes took over as the head coach and the performance of the national team following the change in the coaching ranks.

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      But the American-New Zealander coach said he also wanted to help in his way through speaking publicly and clarifying the events that led to his Gilas exit.

      “I would say strained over the last six months,” said Baldwin on his relationship with the SBP. “But I think the point for me speaking out is that there has to be a coming together and if the fans weren’t interested in me, there won’t be any need for me to speak. But seemingly, they have been and I want to do my part to help for the World Cup.”

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      “I’m not antagonistic to the SBP. I kinda left them alone to do their job and they’ve left me alone to do my job. But because of the angst that is out there on social media in particular, I think we all need to take steps to try and heal our basketball landscape and I don’t think I’m the main cog in that wheel. But I think that there is a part that I should play."

      "I want to play that part. There’s no reason for me to be offside with the SBP or the personalities there. There’s no reason to be offside with me. Let’s put it back together and acknowledge the fact that we want to succeed and we want the Gilas basketball program to work. That’s why I’m speaking now,” said Baldwin.

      Tab Baldwin gets call from Panlilio

      Baldwin’s public statements could have a positive effect on repairing the relationship between him and the SBP, revealing that he received a message from president Al Panlilio on Friday.

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      “I received a text message, I’m grateful for, from boss Al last night. Obviously, I don’t want to call it a healing process. But obviously, the process of communication is underway,” said Baldwin.

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      Will Tab Baldwin make it back to the Gilas coaching staff?
      PHOTO: Jerome AscaƱo
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