JEFF Cariaso looked back at his early playing days with Alaska as the time that taught him to become a leader, a value which he later brought with him playing for three other PBA teams.
The new member of the PBA 50 Greatest Players credited his stint with the franchise for the winning culture that was ingrained within his system and eventually, played with the same mentality when he suited up for Mobiline (TNT), Tanduay, and Coca-Cola.
“I brought up my first two seasons at Alaska because that prepared me for what happened after,” Cariaso said.
“The leadership that I learned from Jojo [Lastimosa], Johnny [Abarrientos], and Bong [Hawkins] were tremendous. And being under coach Tim [Cone] also, and other assistant coaches like coach Joel Banal, Aric del Rosario. Just learning from them gave me the chance to be a Johnny, to be a Bong, or to be a Jojo.”
Shortly after winning a Grand Slam with the Alaska franchise in 1996 - and his fourth straight championship in two seasons with the team – Cariaso got on the radar of several ball clubs, eventually landing at Mobiline via an offer sheet made by the telecommunication franchise.
The 1995 Rookie of the Year and first round pick of the Milkmen was coming off a sensational stint with Alaska, having played in a total of six finals in all his two-year stay with the franchise.
“I for sure used that memory or used that experience to help. When youre young and you’re going to your prime, you just try to challenge yourself playing at a high level, and that’s all I tried to do,” said Cariaso about leaving an Alaska team that was on a high.
At Mobiline, the Fil-Am guard became the focal point of offense and partnered with former No. 1 overall pick Andy Seigle, and later on, with future MVP in Asi Taulava.
The Phone Pals won a championship with Cariaso around during the 1998 Centennial Cup, a special side event that was held in celebration of the country’s Centennial Year of Independence.
But somehow, the success he earned at Alaska eluded him at Mobiline.
“Maybe at Mobiline, we didn’t have a team yet to really go far. We started to have Asi, and (earlier) we have Andy,” said Cariaso, who was with the top-seeded Mobiline team that was ambushed by eight-seed Barangay Ginbera, 82-81, in the 1999 Philippine Cup playoffs.
After the season, the 6-foot-2 guard was traded by Mobiline to Tanduay for Mark Telan and a draft pick.
Unfortunately, the Rhum Masters couldn’t approximate the talent they had in their roster and at most, could only go as far as two semifinals stints in the 2000 season.
“When I moved to Tanduay, you’ve gone to a very talented team with Eric Menk, Rudy Hatfield. But then you had the issue with the Fil-Ams at the time, so medyo magulo yung time na yun,” said Cariaso of the team that also had the likes of Dondon Hontiveros, Pido Jarencio, and Chris Cantonjos, among others.
After Tanduay folded in 2001, Cariaso found himself leaning to Coca-Cola where he eventually got reunited with his former Alaska teammates, including Abarrientos and Hawkins.
“I think it all came together when we’re back together at Coke. I’m at my prime, Johnny was a veteran, but I came back to play with him and Bong,” he recalled, as another former Milkman joined them in Poch Juinio.
“Of course you have Rafi Reavies, Rudy Hatfield, the young guys Ato Morano, Reynel Hugnatan. So that kind of brought us together, and of course we’re coached by coach Chot [Reyes].”
The Tigers were a consistent contender during that stretch, making the finals four times and winning two championships.
Entering the next decade of his career, Cariaso returned from where it all started after being traded back to Alaska along with Hugnatan for the Fil-Am pair of John Arigo and Ali Peek.
Back in the same franchise that selected him No. 6 overall in the 1995 Draft, the former national team member would win the final two championships of his career during the 2007 and 2010 Fiesta Cups behind two separate teams that had the likes of Willie Miller, Sonny Thoss, Mike Cortez, LA Tenorio, Cyrus Baguio, Joe Devance, and Larry Fonacier, among others for his teammates.
“That’s when I think I grew up, little bit mature,” said Cariaso about the opportunity to spread his wings after his first Alaska stint. “I think (that) was where I was given an opportunity to be one of the main men.
“So it really was the timing. My goal in my career is just try to be consistent,” he added.
“I didn’t have to score 24 points every game. But you know, if you’re gonna get 15 from me, 14 and then on a given night, I would be in the 20s, then that’s good,” said the now-head coach of Blackwater. “You’ll know what you’re getting and that’s how I really liked to be remembered. When you play me, you know what you’re getting.”
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