Brilliant, a disciplinarian, a leader of men, a great coach and yet so humble.
That’s how former PBA commisioneer Chito Salud, present-day coaches Tim Cone and Norman Black. former coaching arch-rival Dante Silverio and former players describe legendary caoch Virgilio “Baby” Dalupan, who will celebrate his 92nd birthday on Monday.
“How can someone be so self effacing yet loom so large in the consciousness and esteem of the Philippine basketball community? How can someone who seemingly operated largely on the basis of feel, touch diskarte and intuition be so successful in such a highly competitive sport?” Salud, now the president and CEO of the country’s only professional league said in a text message.
“The answer is because he is Baby Dalupan,” Salud added. “His understated ways, his uncanny feel for the sport and for the players as well as his enduring humility will always serve as a reminder and lesson to all of us that the sport of basketball need not be complicated. Thank you, coach Baby.”
Barangay Ginebra coach Cone, who broke Dalupan’s 15-title reign in the PBA, believes the man they call “The Maestro” could have been a great coach in any era “because he is just a great leader of man. What a great man … what great daughters he raised. such loving family.“
Cone, who spent his first 20 yeras on the bench with Alaska Milk and the only coach, so far, to capture two Grandslams, was referring to Baby’s and Nenang’s angels Louie, Binky, Ebing, Tina, Ann, Joe and Cecille who pooled their efforts and resources to publish a book in honor of their father, to be launched in a meaningful ceremony on Oct. 19, which will be the highlight of Dalupan’s 92d birthday.
“Nenang,” of course, is Baby’s wife Lourdes (nee Gaston) sister of former Ateneo teammate Jose Maria (Pepet).
“Rarely a day goes by that I don’t think about him. I’m excited for his book and for his legacy being revisited by a younger generation,” Cone said of the man he idolizes.
“Coach Dalupan is a good, decent person,” Robert Jaworski, Dalupan’s pupil while playing for the UE Warriors in the 60s, for his part, said. “He’s someone worth playing for, because of his passion to win was always on high mode.”
“Moreover, he was also humble. May God Bless him wih great love from whose relations he treasures. I wish him peace of mind and heart and better health on his birthday onward to many more birthdays,” Jaworski, “the Big-J,” or “Jawo” to his fans and local basketball’s living legend, said.
“Baby was always a gentleman and is deserving of everyone’s respect, considering his unparalelled skill and record as a basketball coach, “ said Domeng Cepeda, a one-time assistant manager of Crispa’s arch-rival Toyota during the PBA’s infant years, even as he, likewise, relayed Silverio’s birthday greetings.
Silverio, on the opposite bench of Dalupan in their many battles for PBA supremacy in the early years of he pro-league, incidentally, celebrated his 78th birthday last Oct. 17.
Other former players such as William “Bogs” Adornado, Atoy Co, Ramon Fernandez, Jimmy Mariano and Alvin Parimonio also paid tribute to Dalupan’s greatness.
“Like many other players who played under Coach Baby, I consider him very brilliant in all aspects of basketball,” said Adonado, who won three of his PBA MVP awards under Dalupan, “Ang galing bumasa ng situwasyon at dumiskarte lalo sa pagpaasok at pagpalit ng tao.”
“We at Crispa then, didn’t have a regular starting five. Pipili na lang si coach ng starters nya pag nakita ang first five ng kalaban,” he attested. “For several times nga, he started me as a point-guard and I couldn’t do anything but to play well in that position.”
Black agreed, saying Coach Baby is a master of players’ substitution. “His high standard of coaching is what all he present coaches like myself are trying to achieve.”
“I played for coach Baby in 1983 and he, not only was so good of motivating players, but was also solid with the X and Os as well.”added Black, who coaches the Meralco Bolts.
Co, Patrimonio, Mariano and Patrimonio, a Purefoods mainstay in Baby’s last year in coaching, on the other hand, swore to have been witnesses to their Dalupan’s strict disciplines.
“Coach Baby is no. 1 on my list (as coach),” Fernandez, Jaworski’slong-ime teammate at Toyota, said.