JOJO Lastimosa is on pace to do something perhaps no one in the PBA had done – win two Grand Slams in different capacities.
Lastimosa was part of the 1996 Alaska team that won the triple crown as a player with the Milkmen being coached by Tim Cone.
Now, Lastimosa could win another Grand Slam of his career, but this time as an executive, if the Tropang Giga find a way to capture the season-ending Philippine Cup.
READ: TNT looking to add another point guard ahead of Grand Slam bid
The TNT team manager, responsible is not aware if there was something who was able to pull off that feat. Admittedly, winning a Grand Slam will be a difficult feat, just like what he experienced 29 years ago.
But Lastimosa said he already felt that the team is bound to do something big early in the season.
“I think in the beginning of the season, bago kami nanalo ng una, I was kind of floating the idea that we have the group of guys na can be special because ‘yung mga nanalo ng Grand Slam, they are a special team. You have Crispa, you have San Miguel, you have Alaska before and San Mig Coffee kay Tim (Cone).”
“’Yung grupo na ganun, parang I see a little bit of semblance dito sa group namin,” said Lastimosa.
Knowing what it takes to win a Grand Slam, the 61-year-old Lastimosa, however, also feels that, aside from the play on the court, winning such feat also require a little bit of luck as well.
The TNT team manager who won the PBA Press Corps Executive of the Year during the 2022-23 season said one of the things with the team that must work in order to win a Grand Slam is their search for an additional point guard with Jayson Castro out for the rest of the season due to a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee.
“Now that we’ve won two in a row, lahat pag-uusapan na ‘to on what’s next. And winning a Grand Slam is not easy. Chot has been there before and lost Game 7 so it’s the third conference na. It’s not easy," he said.
“Everything has to fall into place. But the dream is still there. It’s still alive. So I pray that guys can come in and contribute right away, whoever we’re going to pick up. Hopefully, they can fill in the void of missing Jayson."
On what it takes to win a Grand Slam, Lastimosa said it’s a mix of having talented players as well as role players who make winning plays especially in crucial situations.
“Of course, you have to have talent first and then the talent has to mesh together,” said Lastimosa. “They have to have some sort of teamwork, togetherness na iba.”
“Kasi isipin mo, kumpara mo ‘yung line-up namin sa Ginebra, pagkatapos na ng lima, mag-susub na si Chot, naghahanap na siya kung sino pa ang pupulutin niya. You see that. But the other guys, Glenn [Khobuntin] was huge (in Game 7), ‘yun ‘yung mga kailangan namin,” he added.
In order to have a chance at the Philippine Cup, Lastimosa said TNT must make moves to improve.
“We need to upgrade our line-up, and that’s the immediate plan,” Lastimosa said.
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