WITHOUT a doubt, JD Cagulangan wanted nothing more than to leave the University of the Philippines with another championship.
With his name already etched in the maroon-and-green history books as the fearless, undaunted, courageous hero who slayed the demon of a 36-year title wait, he still desired to give the UP community that welcomed him with open arms after a painful exit from La Salle one more reason to come together and celebrate.
And without a doubt, he did just that.
READ: At former team's expense, Cagulangan doubles down on becoming UP legend
The 5-foot-11 playmaker is now a two-time champion, as well as one-time Finals MVP - humble as always yet still holding a resume that not a lot of Fighting Maroons can compare to.
A call to retire his jersey No. 12 has even been sent out in the ether, with former State U star Mikee Reyes anointing him as 'Greatest Maroon Ever.'
However, alongside all he has done for Diliman - and let's be clear about this again, bringing home a title to a raucous Sunken Garden bonfire was always his first and foremost purpose - Cagulangan hoped to take his talents onto a bigger stage and even brighter lights.
He already traveled 1,200km from Butuan, Agusan del Norte to Manila to deliver rains to a field barren of championships in La Salle Green Hills and then UP. He can do more.
Field of dreams
From the very start, Joel Cagulangan believed.
No, we're not talking about JD now. We're talking about Joel Sr., the proud father of the UAAP Season 87 Finals MVP.
"Sobrang nakaka-proud kasi nag-entry siya (sa UP) na champion, nag-exit siya na champion," he told SPIN.ph. "Yung laruan niya, yun ang hinahanap ng UP. Kailangan nila ng legitimate point guard."
The elder Cagulangan is a coach who has long spearheaded a grassroots program in their province. His top student, of course, had to be his own son who proved from a young age he had both the capability and confidence to become an elite point guard.
"Nung bata pa siya, from six years old, marunong na talaga siya mag-point guard. Kahit mga 20 years old mga kalaban niya, mataas ang IQ niya, matapang siya," he said.
JD - which stands for Joel Diomar and which undoubtedly makes him his father's son - then opened eyes in the 2013 Palarong Pambansa where he led Northern Mindanao to the championship, even upsetting traditional powers NCR and CALABARZON.
With opened eyes came open doors, and LSGH gave him his biggest break yet.
Cagulangan, the younger, made the most of it and shot the Greenies to their first - and thus far, only - NCAA juniors crown before committing to remaining in green-and-white.
This, even though he was the only one within his circle who hoped to move up to La Salle. Everybody else, including Joel Sr. and longtime personal patron Frank Lao, saw greener pastures in UP.
A lot has already been said about the former NCAA juniors MVP's time as a Green Archer. What isn't widely known, however, is that his father actually saw that as just another chance for his child to prove himself - providing extra ammunition to a talent who already has so much firepower.
"Nung pag-graduate pa lang niya ng high school, sinabi na namin na mag-UP na siya, pero nandun talaga sa dugo niya ang green. Kaya pinaalala ko lang na magtrabaho lang siya," he said.
"Ginawa naman niya, kahit hindi naging maganda ang tapos sa La Salle. Yun pala, talagang destiny na napunta si Maimai (JD's nickname in the family) sa UP para mag-iwan ng legacy."
Fast forward to now, and JD's wrong turn and eventual detour turned out for the best.
Maroon-and-greener pastures
That path colored maroon ultimately led to two titles and lifelong love from the UP community.
That's not to say it wasn't long and winding, though.
In fact, Cagulangan and his teammates and coaches had to power through back-to-back close-but-not-quites, first at the hands of Ateneo in Season 85 and then no thanks to Kevin Quiambao and La Salle in Season 86.
And so, he took it upon himself to lead the Fighting Maroons in moving on
By example, he stayed the longest after practices, finetuning his already souped up motor. Right when the calendar turned to this year, he spent most of his time on the court, from running head coach Goldwin Monteverde's system to giving his all during his extra work with Better Basketball and coach Patrick Tancioco.
"Siya ang pinakamasipag this year," shared a member of the Fighting Maroons staff with SPIN.ph.
He wanted one more. He wanted one last. And it didn't hurt either that in doing so, his spotlight would shine the brightest it has ever been.
The PBA is each and every young Filipino baller's dream. But in a rare occurrence this season, Cagulangan actually overshot it - with his per game counts of 11.7 points, 5.0 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.6 steals drawing the attention of the Korean Basketball League.
Last Tuesday, he signed his name on the dotted line, becoming the latest Filipino import in a league where he will lock horns anew with Quiambao and SJ Belangel. It was yet another feather to his maroon-and-green cap.
READ: UP Finals MVP JD Cagulangan takes talents to Korea
Make no mistake, though, Cagulangan is far from satisfied. He knows full well all he has to keep working on. And in the off chance he forgets it, his father - his No. 1 fan and No. 1 critic - will be there to remind him.
"Kailangang mag-observe lang siya sa unang taon niya. Skills-wise, andyan na naman, pero siyempre, trabaho pa rin," he said.
From Butuan to Greenhills to Diliman, JD Cagulangan worked himself into becoming a champion. And you can bet he'll continue to do so with Suwon KT Sonicboom, a franchise that is still waiting on its first championship celebration since joining the KBL 27 years ago.
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