IF there is a definitive blueprint on how a team in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) can be rebuilt from scratch and driven by a singular purpose, it is the remarkable renaissance of the Cebu Greats.
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Just a year ago, they were a lost franchise, saddled by crippling controversies including unresolved issues of non-payment of players' salaries by the previous owner that reportedly resulted in the power and water supplies being cut in the team’s quarters and in some of the players' homes.
These days, the Cebuano squad has completely flipped the script and is now turning heads across the league. Languishing in the cellar during the previous conference, the Greats have officially arrived as legitimate contenders.
The Greats are truly playing great.
They are currently positioned in the Top 2 of the Southern Division standings, boasting an impressive 16-5 win-loss record and breathing down the neck of the division leader, the Biñan Beast (16-4), trailing by just half a game.
The Greats sent shockwaves around the league by dealing the perennial Southern Division champion Quezon Huskers a stunning 80-79 defeat last Monday. The upset was spearheaded by the clutch heroics of Al Francis Tamsi, who haunted his former team by knocking down seven three-pointers for a total of 25 points.
“Cebu is playing super inspired basketball. How Tamsi played last night against his former team is exactly how you would describe the season of the Greats. Talagang inspired basketball, patay kung patay sa laro,” said MPBL commentator and veteran sportswriter Cedelf Tupas.
“Actually, ang dami nagugulat sa ipinapakita nilang puso sa bawat laro. Nung una akala ng marami parang flash in the pan lang mga early wins nila, until they continued racking up wins and proved they are no fluke. Sobrang exciting sila panoorin,” he added.
At a time when the MPBL is buffeted by a fresh game-fixing cortroversy and lingering issues on non-payment of players' salaries, the Cebu Greats are giving fans - especially those from the South's basketball hotbed - reasons to tune in.
So, what is the secret behind the Greats' renaissance?
The anchor of this turnaround is team owner Samson Lato, the visionary businessman who courageously salvaged the team from misery last year when the franchise faced internal strife and a mass exodus of players.
In a chat with SPIN.ph, Lato bared management deliberately built a squad of predominantly Cebuano and Visayan players to tap into the authentic fighting spirit of the region and instill deep ties with the community.
To complement this core, they added a strategic mix of battle-tested veterans and hungry youngsters that they knew would fight until the final buzzer.
This gritty roster is guided by a coaching staff made up of tough former players, led by former PBL guard Aldrin Morante, backed by legends including former PBA superstar and now playing deputy coach Dondon Hontiveros, and former PBA guard Willie Generalao.
Anchoring the team's strategic direction is former coach Junthy Valenzuela, who now serves as the team’s consultant.
Cebu pride
“Iba kasi pag may pride na kasama. Lalo na yan, ilan ang Cebuano sa team namin. Kaya pagsuot pa lang ng jersey ng mga yun, lalaban na agad,” the soft-spoken Lato explained.
He expounded on the giant-slayer culture they are building in the locker room, saying, “Ang mindset na gusto namin sa players is, 'Prove them wrong, kayo ang giant slayer dito sa MPBL.' Iba ang pakiramdam if tatalunin nyo ang mga teams na hindi inaasahang matatalo.”
Owner of the MJAS Zenith Talisay team that finished runner-up in the now-defunct Pilipinas Vis-Min Cup, Lato bared that before this MPBL season started, management had to resort to approaching various friends and sponsors for help just to keep the team afloat and properly funded.
But through all the challenges, the new Cebu management made sure the players are paid their wages on time.
“Mabigat ang maintenance ng team because hindi ka dapat ma-delay sa sweldo at needs ng players. Hirap kami noon mag-cope, pero sabi ko let’s do it the right way, laban tayo ng patas. Awa naman ng Diyos, nakaka-survive kami,” he said.
Reflecting on the Greats' late-season surge following a painfully slow start caused by the financial woes left by their former backer, Lato remains optimistic about their trajectory.
“Sana mag tuloy-tuloy kasi last year bigo kami sa aim naming na Cinderella run, sana ngayon magawa namin,” Lato added.
For now, Lato and the rest of the management can only hope that their surge will be sustained and that Cebu will continue to give this controversy-riddled regional league the inspiring story that it deserves.
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