AT this point, Jacob Cortez has already made his case as one of La Salle’s rock-steady crunch-time anchors.
Time and time again, he delivers when it matters most — seemingly ever-cool, calm, and collected despite the storm of emotions churning in his head.
And on Wednesday night, he did it again, sealing the Green Archers’ return to the Final Four at the expense of archrival Ateneo, 78–72, at the Big Dome. The young guard dug deep for 20 points, seven assists, and three rebounds.
READ: Cortez shoots La Salle to Final Four while also shooing away Ateneo, FEU
This, though, isn’t exactly his first rodeo.
Beyond his NCAA championship run with San Beda, he carries a heart-strong backing from his father, Mike, a man who stood on the exact same spot 25 years ago.
Mike was the first to wear the Cortez name in green and white, the first to navigate rookie jitters under La Salle’s bright lights. In his time, those nerves eventually translated into a three-peat from 2000 to 2002, with several clutch plays through it all.
After all, Mike's monicker is 'Cool Cat.'
Jacob knows he’s lucky to have his dad keeping him afloat, as his current Green Archers crew walks a tighter, more unforgiving path. In fact, the Season 86 champions and Season 87 runners-up found themselves in the unlikely position of being the last team to clinch a semifinal slot.
“I always tell him you have to remember the feeling of struggling because that’s part of the journey. It can’t always go your way, but how you deal with it, how you get back up and get your game back, that’s the challenge,” Mike told SPIN.ph.
Jacob admitted he leaned on his father when consecutive losses - and consecutive bad nights - began to shake him.
“He’s been in this position, nothing new to us and to him. He’s been doing it since he was young,” Mike added.
Acknowledge the Cortez bloodline
Those conversations often unfolded over the dinner table, where dream and doubt sit side by side - both very much welcome.
Reflecting on the journey father and son are taking together, the older Cortez admitted it took time to process that it’s now Jacob serving as 'Cool Cat' for La Salle and heartbreaker for Ateneo - roles the former played to a tee in his heyday.
“At first, it was surreal; it made me feel old. But once I got over that, I just love watching him play. He does things on the court that always amaze me, that’s the father part,” he said.
“The coach in me is always looking for things he can improve on, whether it’s offense or defense, and whether I’m sitting on the bench or guiding others on the bench.”
Mike, who has never missed one of Jacob’s games, can’t help but feel the full-circle feeling of it all.
“For him to be able to fulfill his dream, that’s an indescribable feeling for me. We’ll always be supportive of him,” he said.
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