New Magnolia head coach LA Tenorio is making sure the Hotshots, including him, are in the right headspace when they square off against rival Ginebra in the PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup opener.
Don’t get it wrong, LA Tenorio is excited to go up against his former team Ginebra on the day he makes his debut as the new Magnolia Hotshots head coach.
Tenorio is simply not exactly making a big deal out of the match that kicks off PBA Season 50 Philippine Cup Sunday, October 5 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
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“No, not really (gigil). Actually I’m excited, yes, 'di ko itatago 'yan but tulad ng sinabi ko kanina I don’t want to expect. Ayaw ko muna isipin,” said Tenorio during Thursday’s episode of One Sports' Play by Play.
“Yes, it’s Manila Clasico. But at the end of the day, it’s just an ordinary game. It’s the same game we’re gonna play the next day. It’s just a game.”
Tenorio understands the history and the hype that surround the fiercest rivalry in the league. He has long been part of that, albeit as a court general for the Gin Kings.
But as a rookie head coach, Tenorio is making sure his team approaches this game as any other.
“At the end of the day, it’s just one loss and one win. We just have to play this game the right way, the way we want to play the game,” he said.
“The past months na pina-practice natin, the habits na ginagawa natin, we just have to start it on Sunday because it’s the start of the season and we have to start the new season right.”
[ALSO READ: LA Tenorio on potentially becoming Magnolia player-coach in PBA: 'Depends on management’]
Whether the Hotshots win or not, Tenorio is only concerned about ensuring the team’s preparedness for the titanic clash.
“We may win, we may not. We never know. But we just have to be ready for Sundays game. We’re gonna be prepared for sure [against] Ginebra,” he said.
“Hindi ko sinasabing bahala na pero I’m expecting my team to play their hearts out and to be excited also but we have to manage expectations. We have to play the game the right way and we’ll see what will happen at the end of the game.”
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Like most sportswriters, Jan Ballesteros once dreamed of becoming a professional hooper. But he learned the hard way that it’s not for everyone.
He continues to be involved in the sport he loves, but this time as a member of the PBA Press Corps. Aside from primarily covering the PBA, he is also assigned to cover Gilas Pilipinas.