Witnessing the classic campaign from his vantage point must have been nice.
The Sacramento Kings’ return to the NBA Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors was littered with both highlights and drama.
There was Steph Curry’s 50-piece in Game 7. But who would also forget about Draymond Green’s stomp on Domantas Sabonis?
At one point during the grueling seven-game series against the reigning champions, the Kings made pundits wonder whether they were for real after taking a 2-0 lead. Even though they eventually lost the first round series, there’s no doubt in everyone’s mind that the Kings, who ended their long playoff drought, will be back again next year, perhaps stronger and hungrier.
PBA legend Jimmy Alapag was part of that historic run, watching things unfold from a couple of meters away.
In a post on Instagram, Alapag expressed his gratitude for that opportunity.
“A blessing to be part of the Kings' historic playoff run,” he said. “Just the beginning.”
Kings center Alex Len even commented on the post.
In case you missed it, Alapag is the assistant coach of the Stockton Kings, Sacramento’s G-League team. He serves as part of the staff of coach Bobby Jackson, a beloved King himself especially during his heydays in the 2000s.
But it wasn’t even Alapag's first gig with the Kings as the Gilas Pilipinas hero also helped their Summer League team win the title in 2021 as an assistant coach.
Is a coaching job with the Kings within reach for the 2011 PBA MVP? Too early to say. As he said, “just the beginning.”