HOW time flies.
It’s been almost a decade since Rain or Shine won its first-ever PBA championship in franchise history when it ruled the 2012 Governors’ Cup.
The Elasto Painters back then were handled by a stern father figure mentor in coach Yeng Guiao and made up of a young, talented, and wacky bunch led by a rising rookie in Paul Lee.
[See Rain or Shine wins first-ever PBA title]
Now a veteran who’s in his 11th season in the league, Lee always remembered the bond and friendship forged by the group which he said will always be a huge part of his basketball career.
It was no surprise when the group had a mini-reunion when Season 47 of the league tipped off a week ago at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Memories and fun times were the order of the day, according to Lee.
“Nag-start lang yun nagkuwentuhan kami ni JR (Quinahan) kasi nauna kaming lumabas (Magnolia), tapos sila JR (NLEX) sumunod sa amin, tapos nagkuwentuhan lang kami,” recalled the Magnolia guard.
Then from just the two of them, the circle began to grow.
“Tapos sumunod sila Beau (Belga). Ayun nagkuwentuhan na. Tapos sabi namin puntahan natin si coach Yeng,” said Lee.
The group eventually caught up with Guiao and had their photo taken together.
Aside from Lee, Quinahan, Belga, and Guiao, also with them were Jeff Chan (Barangay Ginebra), Jewel Ponferada (Rain or Shine), Jervy Cruz (NorthPort), Gabe Norwood (Rain or Shine), and Raymond Almazan (Meralco).
Lee, Quinahan, Chan, Cruz, and Norwood were part of the first-ever Rain or Shine team that won its breakthrough championship, while Ponferada and Almazan later joined them when it bagged the 2016 Commissioner’s Cup title.
Chan was Finals MVP in that first championship, while Lee won the award in the Elasto Painters’ second title run.
“Yung buong team namin ng Rain or Shine na yun, no question ang samahan namin dun,” said Lee, who was the youngest in the team back then.
“Sila coach Caloy (Garcia), coach Yeng. I mean lahat ng members (ng team), makukulit,” he added. “Kaya nung opening (day), ang dami naming napag-kuwentuhan. Bumalik lahat yung memories.”
Part of the narrative too, was the heartbreak the team went through during those years.
After their 2012 championship stint, the Elasto Painters made the finals four more times but ended up as bridesmaid each time.
In 2013, the franchise was in its first ever Philippine Cup title series, but was swept by Talk ‘N Text.
“Ang hina ng mga nakasabay namin noon,” said Lee in jest. “Yung team namin na yun unang championship namin sa all-Filipino, Talk N Text ang nakalaban namin.”
Heartaches
TNT was in transition then as coach Chot Reyes was pulled out of the team to focus on his job as Gilas Pilipinas coach, with Norman Black eventually taking over the coaching job.
Lee thought Rain or Shine was on the rise back then, and was expecting to have its own title run once Talk ‘N Text went past its prime.
“So nung palipas na yung panahon ng TNT kasi parang pababa na sila dahil karamihan sa kanila galing ng national team (Gilas). So sabi namin ito na yung time namin,” he said.
Lo and behold, the Purefoods franchise, then carrying the banner of San Mig Coffee, was not on their radar.
“Ang malas naman, nag-peak yung San Mig Coffee after nila manalo ng Governors Cup (2013). Nag sunud-sunod yun, four straight (championships).”
That stretch included San Mig Coffee’s grand slam under coach Tim Cone in which it beat Rain or Shine twice in the finals – 2014 Philippine Cup and Governors’ Cup.
“Dalawang beses namin silang nakalaban so dun namin nasabi grabe rin yung peak nitong (team na ito),” Lee added.
The Elasto Painters would have one last title run in the 2016 Commissioner’s Cup, beating the Alaska Aces in six games for their second league championship.
Shortly after, the core of the team was broken apart, with Lee and Guiao the first two to be let go by the franchise.
Only Norwood, Belga, and Ponferrada remain with that batch.
But certainly the memories of those good old days will remain with the franchise and the players forever.
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