BACOLOD – From champion mentor to All-Star coach.
That’s exactly what Jorge Gallent has achieved in just a month’s span after guiding San Miguel to the PBA Commissioner’s Cup championship and now with a chance at leading Team Mark to victory in his first ever All-Star game appearance.
Gallent says success is a blessing
Gallent refers to his new-found success as ‘a blessing.’
“It’s really a great blessing for me at the start of the year. I’m very happy for it especially after winning a championship and then I get to coach in an All-Star game. I just hope it continues,” said the former FEU Tamaraw.
Despite giving the Beermen their first title in an import-spiced conference by beating Magnolia Hotshots in six games in the finals, Gallent didn’t expect to be coaching in the the All-Star showcase.
“No, definitely not,” he said of the opportunity to coach in the weekend festivities that came by after he finished second behind Barangay Ginebra’s Tim Cone in the fan voting.
“I’m very happy that I was chosen by the fans to coach the team of Mark [Barroca]. So we will see. I’m sure they’re going to play hard and we’re going to try to win 100 percent.”
Gallent and the Beermen swept Cone and Ginebra during the semifinals of the Commissioner’s Cup.
But the All-Stars is definitely an entirely different ballgame.
“I’m sure we’re gonna make it very competitive,” said Gallent, noting how good the composition of Team Mark based on the players picked by captain Barroca during the draft.
“Mark chose a lot of the players on our side, and I was telling him that he chose players that are very active and very energetic. So I think we’re gonna have a good chance of winning this game.”
Making up the roster of Team Mark are Jason Perkins, CJ Perez, Robert Bolick, Jio Jalalon, Ian Sangalang, James Yap, Calvin Abueva, Jayson Castro, Gabe Norwood, Ricci Rivero, Cliff Hodge, Juami Tiongson, Nards Pinto, and seven-time MVP June Mar Fajaro.
And being his first All-Star game, Gallent said his focus is really only on the game and with no other distraction.
Gallent declines Sugar Tee invite
Not even an invitation for a round of golf at the nearby Marapara Golf and Country Club (now Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club) can lure him away from the task at hand.
“I really cancelled my golf plans to coach in an All-Star game,” said Gallent, a former junior golfer.
The 55-year-old coach admitted there was an invitation for him to play in the Sugar Tee golf tournament, but declined to play.
“I said no. I’ll just concentrate first on the All-Star,” said Gallent.
In order to avoid the lure of playing in the fairway, the first time All-Star coach decided not to bring his personal clubs.
“I made sure na wala akong dala so I won’t play,” he said with a smile.
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