LA Tenorio having a shot at supplanting Allan Caidic and Jimmy Alapag in the PBA all-time list for most number of career three-pointers was so surprising that it came as a total surprise even to Tenorio himself.
The Barangay Ginebra guard said he never really kept track of the number of three-point shots he made in his career, and didn't put much into it until being made aware that he was close to overtaking Ronnie Magsanoc for No. 4 on the all-time list.
"Baka ang assists at steals ko pa [ang binabantayan ko]," LA says with a laugh. "Pero ang mga three-points ko, hindi."
Now, LA and the whole basketball world know that the 16-year veteran is at No. 3 on the three-point scoring list with 1,186 made, enough to move him past Shell great Magsanoc and the currently inactive James Yap.
[READ: Alapag expects pal Tenorio to break his record]
Still playing at a high level at age 38, the 'Gin-eral' is expected to leapfrog both Caidic (1,242) and Alapag (1,401) before he's done playing - not bad, really, for someone known more as a playmaker\slasher than a three-point threat his entire career.
Even Tenorio's shooting motion is far from sound technically, looking more like it was polished in a YMCA gym, which he actually played during his grade school days at Don Bosco, than perfected in a Chip Engelland shooting camp.
He admitted rarely working on his shooting in grade school and even during high school at San Beda; well perhaps because he was so gifted athletically and so mature compared to the other boys that he easily got by even without a dependable outside shot.
"High school nga, di ka pa marunong mag-dribble ng kaliwa, di ba?" he laughs.
Tenorio never fancied himself as a three-point shooter. But he turned himself into one out of necessity, after getting an advice from an idol at Ateneo who became his teammate when he was drafted No. 4 overall by San Miguel in 2006.
Olsen Racela, who preceded Tenorio as backcourt star at Ateneo, told the youngster that he can't rely on skills alone in the pro ranks; that he needs to keep adding to his arsenal to stay relevant in an ultra-competitive environment.
It was, Tenorio says, the best advice he ever got.
"Si Olsen idol ko yan, ang sabi n'ya kailangan 'wag kang maging kampante," Tenorio says. "[Sabi n'ya] dapat every year, may dinadagdag ka na skill, whether it be outside shooting, dribbling. Basta you must keep improving."
Extra shooting practice
Although he started doing extra shooting practice in college, it became much more rigorous once he reached the PBA. By rigorous, meaning 300-plus made three-point shots before team practice, another 300-plus after practice, or a total of between 600 to 700 treys per practice, not counting the misses.
Tenorio stuck to that routine throughout his career, scaling down a bit only in 2018 after undergoing surgery to remove bone spurs in his elbow. Instead of declining, his shooting percentage ironically improved post surgery, going up from .335 to .361 in the 2019 season before hitting a high of .400 during the 2020 bubble.
Tenorio may have reached his current three-point total in far more games (732) compared to Caidic (598) and Alapag (601), but his career percentage of .331 isn't too far off Alapag's .371 average or Caidic's .368 clip.
There's one other thing about Tenorio's three-point shooting; he usually makes his three-point shots when he has to.
Just ask Ginebra coach Tim Cone.
"He's a big-moment shooter," says Cone, who first coached Tenorio at Alaska. "He shoots at big moments. Remember when he was with Ateneo, he was not known to be a three-point shooter but he knocked down three-point shots [when needed].
"Early in his career, when he was with Alaska, same thing. He wasn’t really known as a three-point shooter, but when it came time to hit a three, he would always hit the big three. And he just continued that throughout his career."
Going for the all-time record
If he continues at his current pace, rough estimates see Tenorio surpassing Alapag's total before he turns 40. But the evergreen guard hopes to do it faster, especially now that Cone has deployed a switch in the Ginebra backcourt that has seen Scottie Thompson handling the ball more, and Tenorio given more freedom to roam the perimeter.
The gambit, Cone says, was meant to develop Thompson's leadership qualities in a team that he is expected to inherit from Tenorio; it was in a way also meant to preserve the current team captain's 38-year old legs.
"We kinda tried to change his role a bit in terms of putting the ball more in Scottie’s hands, allowing him to dictate the offense a little bit more, and moving LA to the off guard position and allowing him to develop his three-point shot.
[READ: Don Bosco game video takes Tenorio on trip down memory lane]
"Now, it’s lights out. He’s work and work and work throughout his career. Now, it’s a lights-out three-point shot. We feel that if we can get him down the floor and in the corners, getting open looks, he is going to damage the other team.
"So far, the plan has worked. He is fresh. He is healthy. He feels good. His shot is there. He is looking for his three-point shot more than he did in the past."
Tenorio is feeling better than ever in his late 30s and quite comfortable with the new normal in the Ginebra backcourt, so much so that he is confident that he can add the three-point title to his Ironman record for most consecutive games played in about a year.
That would be quite a feat. But the way the game has evolved the past few years, Tenorio doesn't expect to hold on to the record for long, assuming he gets there.
"Iba na ang laro ngayon, lahat may three-point shooting na. Pati nga si June Mar [Fajardo], tumitira na sa tres," says Tenorio. "So kahit makuha ko 'yan, di rin tatagal [sa akin] yan. Marami ng bata d'yan na magagaling."
Whether Tenorio ends up as a brief caretaker or long-term owner of the PBA all-time three-point record, Alapag says he can't find a better heir than his friend and former backcourt partner at Gilas Pilipinas.
"I think it just speaks of his work ethic and professionalism," Alapag says of his pal. "Maybe he's not recognized as a three-point shooter early in his career, but he's showing what all his hard work has done for his game and his career.
"Hopefully, I'll have the opportunity to be there when he breaks the record." - with reports from Reuben Terrado
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