Rank Country Gold Silver Bronze Total
    View Today
    Sun, Nov 5

    How a Guiao outburst nearly sent Arwind packing his bags and heading home

    Guiao is Arwind's wedding godfather. But their relationship got off on the wrong foot
    Jul 14, 2020

    LIKE everyone else who played under coach Yeng Guiao, Arwind Santos came at the receiving end of scathing remarks from the outspoken mentor.

    It even almost led him to leave the national team.

    The incident took place in Tianjin, China during the 2009 FIBA-Asia Men’s Championship. The Filipinos were coming off a tough loss and shortly after the game, Guiao was naturally steaming inside the dugout.

    Santos, playing for Guiao for the first time and in only his third year in the PBA, incurred the ire of the temperamental coach, who told him a, shall we say, not-so nice word.

    Shaken, the wiry forward, who was with Air21 back then, said he came on the verge of quitting the Powerade Team Pilipinas in the middle of the tournament.

    “Gusto ko ng umuwi nun. Gusto ko ng umuwi ng Pilipinas,” Santos recalled in the Kamustahan episode of the PBA. “Tinawagan ko na nga 'yung asawa ko, e.”

    Good friends Ranidel De Ocampo and Willie Miller consoled Santos and gave him timely, comforting words.

    “Nakakatuwa naman, sabi nila, ‘Hindi, ganyan lang si coach Yeng,’” Santos added.

    De Ocampo, a teammate of Santos at Air21, remembered talking Santos out of his plan as soon as they got back to their hotel room.

    ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓

    “Sabi ko sa kanya, ‘Kalma ka lang, kalma ka lang,’” the now TnT Katropa assistant coach recalled telling the San Miguel forward.

    If there’s one positive thing that came out of it, Santos had gotten to know Guiao more as a coach and as a person.

    “Si coach Yeng pag kilala mo na pala, masasabihan ka ng masakit pero hindi naman personal talaga, dala lang ng game,” said the 2013 league MVP.

    CONTINUE READING BELOW ↓
    Watch Now

    “Doon ko siya talaga nakilala nang husto.”

    Both player and coach forged a stronger bond from then on, with Arwind even getting Guiao as his wedding godfather.

    MORE FROM SPIN
    MORE FROM SPIN

      As a testament to how much he respects the playing ability of Santos, Guiao would tap the services anew of the lanky, 6-foot-4 forward when he became head coach of Gilas Pilipinas in 2018 by making him part of the pool that played during the qualifiers for the FIBA World Cup.

      A common thing that also bonded them is the fact Santos and Guiao are cabalens.

      Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph

      Read Next
      Watch Now
      Sorry, no results found for
    • POLL

      • Quiz

        Quiz Result