(4th of nine parts)
The University of the Philippines Diliman community was as fragmented as the Philippine archipelago regarding school spirit. This was probably due to the volume of cerebral students and radical thought leaders who roamed the Quezon City campus, past and present.
Traditionally, college athletics were just a footnote to the State U which produced the most Philippine presidents.
On coach Joe Lipa’s fifth year as head coach of the Fighting Maroons, with a pair of future PBA Hall of Famers in Venancio “Benjie” Paras and Ronald “Ronnie” Magsanoc, pooled their talents with former San Beda Red Cubs, Eric Altamirano, former NCAA Juniors’ MVP Duane Salvaterra, Joey and Jigs Mendoza, Herbert Wenceslao, then with holdovers (+) Ramil Cruz, Bobby Noriega (+), Chris Somera, Primo Rodriguez, Rey Madrid, Joey Guanio, and Erwin Guttierez.
With great breaks in crucial games against Adamson and FEU along the way, the 47-year-long wait was finally over. State U was the champion of UAAP Season 49. Then UP Chancellor and future Senator, Atty. Eduardo Angara was moved to say;
“Basketball lang pala ang magiging dahilan ng pagkakaisa ng buong community.”
CJL shared his fondest memories when he led a homegrown team that won the golden bronze in the Seoul Asian Games in 1986, featuring the future second wave of PBA superstars which included Alvin Patrimonio, Ronnie Magsanoc, Jojo Lastimosa, Elmer Reyes, Allan Caidic, Samboy Lim, Dindo Pumaren, Eric Altamirano, Glenn Capacio, Jojo Villpando, brothers Harmon and Jerry Codiñera and the late Jack Tanuan. In an interview with the Manila Standard’s Designated Kitman, Erel Cabatbat, CJL intimated.
“’Yung team na ‘yun parang nasa penitensya kami araw-araw. Araw-araw nasa Rizal Memorial Coliseum kami noon from 6 to 8 a.m. Ang init-init. Tapos marami pa ang nagsabi noon na ang team na ‘yan wag na papuntahin sa Asian Games. Labing dalawa ang maglalaban, pang labing tatlo ang mga yan. Araw-araw bugbog kami ng mga batikos at mga negative comments,” he recalled.
Character-building experiences that implied transformation for every ward entrusted to him, were CJL’s imprimatur.
Essentially, it is the reason why his legacy is still relevant and will endure into the next generation.
This led netizen, Ramon Coronel to post a comment on Facebook about CJL’s 1986 Asian Games RPNMBT;
“Most of these players later became coaches and team managers in various basketball leagues. Thanks to Coach Joe Lipa’s guidance in molding them to become better examples of being best players in their younger years and being responsible persons after their playing days.”
(To be continued)
(Sonny “Peter” Regalado Lopez, is currently a player development coach, marketing communications consultant, and book author. He collaborated with coach Joe Lipa in publishing Basketball 101, a book that aims to coach the coaches and provide reference material for Physical Education teachers in the K to 12 curricula. The 53-year-old Lopez is a San Beda College, Manila, BSC Marketing Management graduate, and is currently working on publishing the memoirs of great coaches Joe Lipa, SJLC’s Larry Albano, and San Beda’s, late Edmundo ‘Ato’ Badolato, all in coffee table book format.)