No other individual has served the national team longer than Jong Uichico.
The man has practically spent half of his life serving the Philippine basketball squad in different capacities beginning in the 1982 Asian Youth Basketball Championship won by the Filipinos. When the core of the youth squad was elevated to form the nucleus of the men’s basketball program, Uichico was among those elevated to join the Northern Consolidated-backed squad coached by Ron Jacobs.
Of course, genetically, Uichico comes from a breed of sportsmen.
His dad, Tony, was the athletic director of the fabled Crispa Redmanizers and eventually became Danny Floro’s nephew when the former became the husband of the late team manager’s sister, Elena.
When Uichico embarked on a career in coaching, he continued to serve the national team as an assistant coach to Norman Black in the 1994 Hiroshima Asian Games.
In 2001, when Jacobs was appointed as head coach, Uichico was among those tapped to become his deputy, but the latter had to take over the head coaching job while they’re preparing for the Busan Asian Games set the following year after the late great American mentor suffered a stroke.
When Chot Reyes assumed the head coaching post of the national team program all the way to the 2007 FIBA Asia Championship in Tokushima, Uichico was also there. Yeng Guiao, Uichico’s former high school teammate at La Salle Greenhills, was tapped as the new coach of the Philippine men’s basketball team for the 2009 FIBA Asia Championship and Jong helped out his young pal in an unofficial capacity serving as his scout in the William Jones Cup tournament.
Uichico was also there with Reyes during the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship, the World Cup in 2014 and the FIBA World Cup window events until the unforgettable bench-clearing incident that saw the veteran coach getting involved in the fracas, an incident he regretted in his colorful basketball career that saw him winning nine PBA championships and a last head coaching gig with the national team in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games, leading the squad to a gold-medal finish.
When Uichico took a sabbatical in mainstream coaching, he devoted his time sharing his knowledge to people from all walks of life. He would go to different provinces, teaching the game to aspiring players and coaches. It was a path he needed to redeem himself, not minding sharing what transpired in the darkest moment of his life. For Jong, he is a living proof that fighting has no place in basketball and he has learned the ultimate lesson.
Uichico is now the current head of the SBP Coaches Commission, coaching the coaches from different parts of the country. It appeared that he is really destined for basketball and it wouldn’t take long to see him back on mainstream coaching.
Last year, he was included as one of the assistant coaches of Tim Cone and became a part of the gold medal winning squad in the Southeast Asian Games basketball men’s tournament. Just recently, he was tasked by Gilas Pilipinas management to take over as head coach of the second window of the FIBA Asia Qualifier in Bahrain.
It was a different situation for Uichico as he was used to coaching experienced players from the PBA. Here, he was tasked to coach a group of young men, mostly PBA aspirants, but the veteran bench tactician made the most out of the lack time to prepare by bringing out the best from his team under a difficult situation playing under a “bubble” set up arranged by FIBA.
Uichico delivered just as expected and although there’s no clear plan yet as far as the future of the Gilas team for the next window is concerned, the former PBA Coach of the Year made it clear that the arrangement with Gilas was just for the second window.
I would love to see Uichico being given the opportunity to coach Gilas Pilipinas for a long stretch. He was tasked to take over the head coaching chores since there was no available coach to handle the national team for the second window.
What Gilas Pilipinas needs is to choose the right man at the wheel and Uichico fits that billing. He has been with the national team longer than any other coach out there. What the Philippine men’s basketball team needs is a coach who can work with Gilas Pilipinas full time. Tab Baldwin, an Olympian and a World Cup veteran, has to worry about Ateneo, while Mark Dickel is very much busy with TNT.
Uichico has served the national team, didn’t turn his back at any given opportunity and made it known to everyone that a Filipino coach can deliver and ready to take on the challenge. It’s time we saw a Philippine squad mentor who would devote to the preparation of the team full time.