YENG Guiao wore many hats in his friendship with Chino Trinidad.
The current Rain or Shine coach was often Trinidad’s partner when he became a part-time analyst for Vintage Sports during the PBA TV coverage of the late 1990s.
It was also Trinidad who succeeded Guiao as commissioner of the now-defunct Philippine Basketball League in 2000.
READ Chino Trinidad, crusading sports journalist, dies aged 56
So when Guiao learned that Trinidad had passed away at the age of 56 on Saturday night, he was shocked and could not believe it.
“I’m surprised that it happened so sudden,” said Guiao on Sunday during the PBA Season 49 Draft.
Guiao said he and Trinidad became very close when they teamed up in the TV panel with Vintage Sports, where they discovered several similarities in values and beliefs.
“Chino and I have been very close. Magkasama kami nung nag-start ako sa broadcasting. Side career lang naman ‘yun,” said Guiao.
“We actually believe in the same things, the same wave length, and same advocacies. Nung magkasama kami, we talked about a lot of things in sports, a lot of things in basketball, and although hindi kami magkatugma 100 percent, siguro 90 percent, magkatugma ‘yung mga ideas namin at opinions. That’s why it was really good to be conversing with him,” said Guiao.
Guiao said he likes Trinidad’s personality of never being afraid to speak his mind.
“Alam mo naman si Chino, madaldal ‘yun tapos very expressive siya doon sa mga ideas niya. Passionate siya and that’s one thing I like. Hindi siya takot magsabi ng nasa isip niya. Again, pareho kami ng attitude in that aspect,” said Guiao.
Guiao said Trinidad’s qualities made him believe that his broadcast partner was the right man for the job when he was about to leave the PBL to accept a head coaching job with expansion team Red Bull in 2000.
Guiao recommendation
Guiao said Trinidad loved the challenge of taking over the premier amateur basketball league at that time.
“Nung PBL commissioner ako and I had to go back to the PBA, siya ‘yung naisipan ko na i-recommend ko sa board, kila Boss Dioceldo (Sy). Kinausap ko siya, gusto mo ba ‘tong posisyon na ‘to. Kung gusto mo, I can recommend you because I’m stepping down and going back to coaching,” said Guiao.
“Sabi niya, bigyan mo ako ng oras, iisipin ko, pero very interesting ‘yang proposal mo. After that, sige I’ll take my chances with that. It’s a challenge. From there, lalo pa kaming napalapit sa isa’t isa. Kaya si Recah (Trinidad) at ‘yung Mommy niya, kasama rin natin. Hindi lang si Chino ang ka-close natin, ‘yung pamilya niya.”
“To me, it’s a big loss,” said Guiao.
Guiao said that Trinidad may have passed away early, but he believed that he lived a full life with his passion for sports and standing by what his conscience told him.
“One thing na puwede kong ikatuwa sa pagkakilala ko kay Chino, he did what he wanted to do with boldness,” said Guiao.
“Minsan, mali siya pero kahit mali siya, basta sinabi niya na ‘yun ang gusto niya, derecho pa rin siya. Pero ‘yun ang hindi mo maalis kay Chino. Kapag nag-desisyon siya, I think it’s in his character na paninidigan niya.”
“In that aspect, hahanga ka doon sa beliefs and passions niya na pinandigan niya. Nabigla ako. Nakakalungkot. Pero I think the consolation is this is the way he wanted to go. He lived a good life. Even at 56, sabihin natin bata pero it could have been two or three lifetimes for somebody else,” said Guiao.
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