ANDRE Caracut and Anton Assistio were among the players who impressed former player and Yeng Guiao protégé Celino Cruz when he watched his first PBA game live in five years.
And how fortunate the two young guards are, according to Cruz, that they’re playing under the guidance of one of the best coaches in the history of Asia’s pioneering pro league.
“Sila Caracut, si Asistio. Magagaling tsaka mabibilis. Alam mo naman si coach Yeng, magaling mag-develop ng players yan. The best yan,” said the 47-year-old Cruz when SPIN.ph caught up with him at the Philsports Arena during Rain or Shine’s 106-96 win over TNT.
READ Guiao on Red Bull teams: ‘It was like family, walang superstar’
Caracut finished with nine points on 4-of-6 shooting and added six assists while Asistio was on fire that night, finishing with a career-high 6-of-7 from beyond the three-point arc and ended up with 21 points, three rebounds, and two assists.
No wonder, the two Rain or Shine playmakers were high on Cruz’s list of players that caught his attention.
'Nice to be back'
“It’s nice to be back. First time ko ulit manood. Na-miss ko, e. Iba pa ring talaga ang PBA,” said the playmaker out of Far Eastern University, where he won a UAAP men’s basketball title.
Now based in California, Cruz moved to the US five years ago along with his family.
He arrived here in the country two weeks ago and is scheduled to return on Feb. 6.
While in the Philippines, Cruz made sure to meet up with former teammates, coaches, and friends, eventually leading to a reunion of the Batang Red Bull team where Guiao opened his home to his former players.
“Nagkita-kita kami nila coach Yeng, yung mga dating Red Bull (players). So yun, sobrang happy kasi nagkita-kita ulit. Alam mo naman na pamilya kami dito,” said Cruz.
Originally picked by TNT in the 2002 PBA draft, Cruz didn’t get to play for the telecommunication franchise and instead, ended up playing for Formula Shell during his rookie season.
But it was his stint with Red Bull that proved to be the highlight of his pro career as he won a championship with the Photokina franchise during the 2005-06 Fiesta Conference.
The run to the championship, according to Cruz, served as the most memorable in his career.
He vividly remembered hitting the go-ahead three pointer in the homestretch of Game 7 of the semifinals between Red Bull and Barangay Ginebra to put his side on top, 76-75, before a jampacked crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Import James Penny then hit another clutch three as Barako wrapped up the series, 83-79, to reach the finals against Purefoods.
The Barakos beat the Giants in six games to win their third - and last - PBA championships.
“Game 7 against Ginebra. Last minute naka-shoot ako ng three points that’s my most memorable,” he said. “Tapos nag-champion pa kami.”
The lefty guard would later play for Air21 after his stint with Red Bull, then transferred to Purefoods, Barangay Ginebra, Powerade, and finally Barako Bull before calling it a career.
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