THERE are some wins a coach can enjoy without reservation. Then there are the ones that come with a little more weight.
For FEU head coach Sean Chambers, Saturday’s 90-79 victory over UP was one of the latter.
Across the court was Veejay Pre, a former Tamaraw whom Chambers once welcomed as a rookie and spent two years molding into a player he came to regard as one of his own sons.
READ: Cone's words ring inside Chambers' head as FEU downs UP
Chambers had already experienced that kind of pain once before, only as a player.
Years ago in the PBA, he found himself suiting up against Jojo Lastimosa after his former Alaska teammate moved to Pop Cola.
Lastimosa was his brother, Chambers recalled, and facing him across the floor made him realize he could no longer do it.
“When I decided to retire from the PBA is when I had to play against Jojo Lastimosa. He was my brother. And so when I played against him one game, I was like, that was the worst feeling in the world,” Chambers said.
So when Pre left FEU for UP and eventually stood on the opposite side of the court, Chambers knew exactly what that feeling could look like.
Only this time, there was no walking away.
“I'm sure it was difficult for them, although it's a different era, but just for me, having Veejay for two years was like—he's one of my sons. So coaching against him was one of the toughest things I've experienced,” Chambers said.
The circumstances were different, but the emotion was familiar.
And on this night, Chambers had to put that aside.
Pre was now a Fighting Maroon. Chambers was now trying to steer FEU deeper into UAAP Season 89. For all the history between them, there was still a game to win.
The Tamaraws did just that, beating up on UP, 90-79, as Chambers finally got through the game he once feared he could not handle.
“I know things are different now, things have changed, and I know I don't want him to do bad, but I want to make sure we win,” he said.
Chambers admitted the thought of what could have been still crossed his mind, but there was little room for sentiment once the ball went up.
“I don't wish ill on Veejay, but I mean, imagine if he was still here, my goodness," Chambers said.
“We've moved on, it's a different era. You know, these guys are different now than when we were back when I was growing up in that era.”
And perhaps that is the part Chambers has learned since his playing days: sometimes, moving forward does not mean forgetting what someone meant to you.
It simply means being able to beat them when you have to.
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