CHOT Reyes and Ranidel de Ocampo have been together for a long time, and for the multi-titled coach, it's only right for him to give his former player and now-assistant his flowers.
Reyes paid tribute to the 44-year-old De Ocampo when the power forward from Cavite had his TNT jersey officially retired over the weekend during a brief, special ceremony in the PBA Philippine Cup semifinals.
De Ocampo spent more than half of his career in the league playing under Reyes, both with the Tropang 5G and the Gilas Pilipinas men’s team.
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And the outspoken mentor didn’t put it any other way - he knows he owes a lot to De Ocampo during their time together as coach and player.
“Ang laki ng utang na loob ko sa kanya, not only sa TNT but even sa Gilas,” Reyes said.
“Every time tinawag, not most of the time, all the time, every time, Ranidel made himself available (for the national team).”
De Ocampo was a key cog of Reyes when the national team bagged the silver during the 2013 FIBA Asia Men’s Championship in Manila, a stint that will be best remembered when the country finally ended the ‘Korean curse’ when the Filipinos beat the South Koreans, 86-79, to advance in the finals.
The runner up finish also paved the way for the Filipinos to earn a berth in the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Seville, Spain, as it returned to the world’s grandest basketball stage after a 36-year absence.
De Ocampo, who began his career with the national team during the 2003 Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam, ended his 13-year stint as a national player in 2016 when he played for a Gilas side coached by Tab Baldwin during the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament here.
In the PBA, he won his first four championships playing for Reyes, while his final two came under coaches Norman Black and Jong Uichico, respectively.
Upon retiring in 2020, De Ocampo shifted to coaching and was taken by Reyes as part of his coaching staff, winning four championships together so far.
“Mahaba ang pinag-samahan namin ni Ranidel. Hanggan ngayon nga magkakasama pa kami araw-araw. Sabi ko nga sa kanya, sawa na ako sa pag-mumukha niya,” said a smiling Reyes.
“But kidding aside, a stellar career, great player, and an even greater person,” Reyes added.
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