TWO-TIME Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) champion coach Eric Altamirano is making his return to Asia’s first play-for-pay league, going full circle as he rejoins the Alaska Aces as a member of their coaching staff.
Recently named as one of the new assistants of Alaska head coach Alex Compton, along with other former PBA stars Tony dela Cruz and Danny Ildefonso, Mr. Altamirano said he is very excited to make his PBA return, more so with the Aces, the first team he played for in the local pro league.
“Of course, I’m excited to be back. It’s been 15 years since I last coached in the PBA,” Mr. Altamirano told BusinessWorld.
“I was drafted by Great Taste in 1988, but I wasn’t signed up and became a free agent. Then, Bogs Adornado acquired me in 1989 to play for Alaska,” added Mr. Altamirano as he recalled the history he had with Alaska.
Apart from being part anew of the Aces, another reason that has Mr. Altamirano excited over his PBA return is the opportunity to work with long-time friend Compton.
Mr. Altamirano shared that his and Mr. Compton’s friendship goes way back.
When Mr. Compton finished his playing career with the Manila Metrostars in the defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association, he was took in by Mr. Altamirano to be part of the National Basketball Training Center, which has become a breeding ground for young players and a great program in terms of honing their skills.
“One of the great things about Alex is he’s a good communicator and an excellent motivator. So it came as no surprise why he became one of the good coaches in the country today,” said Mr. Altamirano.
“I’m coming in as someone who would help out in terms of game management, but the system is already in place and that’s because of Compton,” he added.
Mr. Altamirano burst into the coaching scene in the mid-1990s as head coach of the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons. He joined the PBA as an assistant coach of Chot Reyes in 1996 then took over as head coach the next season where he led Purefoods to the 1997 All-Filipino title.
The following season, Mr. Altamirano moved to Mobiline, which later became Talk ’N Text, and steered the team to two finals appearances, including a championship in the Centennial Cup, a side event in the 1998 season.
He last coached in the PBA in 2003 with Purefoods. — Rey Joble
