Don't call him Maimai. Gone are the days you'll call him Joel, even.
What you can do, however, is to recognize him as a two-time champion.
JD Cagulangan, already an immortal in Diliman for "The Shot," claimed another feather in his maroon and green cap by helping the University of the Philippines to a second title in four seasons.
READ: UP fights off La Salle for second title in four seasons
And lest you forget the context here, the Fighting Maroons once only had 13 wins to show in 126 games from 2007 to 2015.
Nearly a decade later, they are once more kings of the UAAP - forever erasing the tag stamped upon them as shortest-reigning champions, no thanks to the lessened seven-month gap between Seasons 84 and 85 in 2022.
There in the middle of it all was Cagulangan, embraced by teammates and opponents alike, dapped up by reporters and broadcasters, showered with endless whoops from the UP community inside the Araneta Coliseum, and for sure, Iskos all over.
"Fighter," he answered when asked by SPIN.ph how he hoped the UP community would remember him by.
"I'm always ready na ipaglaban ang UP. Kahit anong mangyari, kaya kong magpakamatay para sa UP."
Indeed, he was at the forefront of the UP Fight all season long, and capped off his last collegiate campaign with celebrating a team trophy as well as Finals MVP honors.
And when he took his final bow in the UAAP, the green and white crowd was right there with their new-age rivals applauding.
After all, aside from being an immortal in Diliman, Cagulangan also has the Animo spirit right at his core.
Green-and-white
The talent harvested from the lush fields of Butuan once led La Salle Green Hills to its first-ever championship in the NCAA juniors. Alongside that, he also won MVP during his years-long stint as a Greenie.
Following his high school graduation, he wasted no time committing to keeping his arrows up and was projected to be La Salle's point guard of the future, the heir apparent to Aljun Melecio and Andrei Caracut.
That, unfortunately, didn't go according to plan, as Cagulangan put up just per game counts of 0.8 points, 0.8 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.0 steals in eight and a half minutes of play as a rookie.
Not long after, he made a decision that changed his life - and changed the trajectory of UP as well as the UAAP. He took his talents to Diliman, but not without doubt, disillusionment, and denial.
"Masakit talaga. Hanggang ngayon, masakit pa rin sa akin yung nangyari. Hinding-hindi mangyayaring wala na lang sa akin yun," he said in a previous interview back in 2022, exactly two years since his transfer.
"Mas ginusto ko talaga pumuntang La Salle kaysa ibang school, pero ganun pala ang mangyayari. Hindi man lang ako nagkaroon ng chance i-prove na dapat nga, sa La Salle ako."
That chance he was wishing for was granted right away in Diliman, and he made the most of it in the pandemic-shortened Season 84.
With the weight of a 36-year title wait on his shoulders, he took it upon himself to have the ball in his hands, Game Three all even at 69-all, 12 ticks to go, with Ateneo's defensive stopper Gian Mamuyac in front of him.
You know what happened next. "The Shot," that's what. And after that? Three decades of dejection, frustration, and humiliation let loose as State U could celebrate once more, at long last.
Maroon-and-green
The feeling wasn't as freeing in Season 87.
UP was in its fourth straight finals. It was now a perennial title contender. The dark days were long past.
And yet, Cagulangan was just as ecstatic - finally letting his emotions show on his face now two years into keeping to himself for the most part.
Part of it was all because of the Fighting Maroons' fulfillment of their redemption tour, getting back at the very same Green Archers who frustrated them a year ago.
Part of it was all because of a fitting end to an amateur career that was colored green, white, and maroon, littered with titles and individual accolades all over.
And of course, part of it was all because of how he can finally relish and cherish where he is now, deep inside the UP community that likewise relishes and cherishes his person.
That, among all, was his toughest, but truest takeaway from his journey from Greenhills to Taft and then Diliman: fight for your right to prove yourself.
"May darating at darating na problema sa buhay mo. 'Di mo alam kung kailan, pero ang point is paano mo i-overcome yun. Thankful ako na natutunan ko yun na kasama ko si coach Gold [Monteverde]," he said.
"'Di naman lahat, ibibigay ng Diyos ko, so kailangan mo pagtrabahuan. May mga times talaga na wala kang sagot sa mga problema, pero yung paniniwalang kaya mong i-overcome ang mga yun, kakayanin mo talaga."
To be exact, for UP, Cagulangan, the onetime primetime playmaker that was promised to the Green Archers is worth two titles - and truth be told, those back-to-back silver medals weren't so bad, either.
Even more, his worth lies in the validation for the rise of the Fighting Maroons. They may no longer be a feel-good story, yes, but that's just what it takes to get to the top, and stay on top.
And so, in turn, the UP community has no qualms whatsoever granting the now-24-year-old point guard the validation he so clearly deserves.
It's undeniable and inarguable that Cagulangan once wanted to go to La Salle.
Unfortunately, the feeling wasn't mutual.
With two championships and two runner-up finishes, though, UP was never left wanting when Cagulangan was at the controls.
The alphabet may not say so, but it's also undeniable and inarguable that now, the two letters closest to JD is UP.
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