MULTI-TITLED coach Leo Austria knows he won’t be where he is right now if not for a kind man who gambled on him two decades ago.
“Malaki ang utang na loob ko sa kanya at sa Chowking dahil sila ang nagbigay ng break sa akin to become a coach,” said Austria, paying tribute to businessman Robert Kuan who died last Sept. 15 at the age of 70.
Kuan, the founder of Chowking and former chairman of the board of trustees of St. Luke's Medical Center, gave Austria his coaching break in the defunct Philippine Basketball League (PBL).
“February 3, 1998, nag-report ako as an assistant coach, and then after three games, ini-elevate nila ako as head coach,” said Austria.
The former PBA Rookie of the Year took over the reins from Bai Cristobal after a slow start by the Food Masters and then turned things around by eventually leading the team to a third place finish.
During the off-season PBL VisMin Cup, Austria also steered the franchise to the championship with a team that had the likes of Roger Yap, Chris Calaguio, Ronald Magtulis, Egay Echavez, Joel Co, Allen Patrimonio, Marc Victoria, Christopher Abellana, and Cesar Aying, among others.
Unfortunately, the partnership didn’t last that long as the Chowking fast-food chain was sold to Jollibee Foods Corp. in 2000.
“Yung Jollibee ayaw nila ng basketball team,” he said of the events that led to Chowking finally bowing out of the local basketball scene.
Now a six-time PBA champion coach and a three-time PBA Press Corps Coach of the Year awardee, Austria paid his last respect to his former patron during the wake and was left teary-eyed when told that Kuan kept track of his coaching career.
“Habang nasa hospital bed siya, nanonood pa rin ng PBA and he keeps on asking friends, ‘How is coach Leo?’” said Austria. “I’m so happy na naging coach ako ng Chowking dahil minahal nila ako doon. Talagang hindi ko malilimutan yan, utang na loob ko sa kanila yan.”
Former PBL commissioner and founder of Hoops School Charlie Favis also has good memories of the former Chowking team owner, who he described as simple and humble despite his stature.
“Napakabait ng tao na yan, very concerned siya talaga sa team niya,” said Favis of Kuan, who later on served as PBL chairman.
Favis, the former team manager of Formula Shell in the PBA, recalled the generosity of Kuan, who was quick to accept the offer for Chowking to play in an official PBL game in Brunei back then, and answered an invitation to participate in one tournament held in Johor Segamat, Malaysia.
For Austria, it was Kuan’s own life lessons that really struck him the most.
“He would always share kung papaano siya nakarating sa kinaroroonan niya. Doon pa lang magiging inspirasyon mo na siya,” said the 60-year-old native of Sariaya, Quezon.
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