Newly-minted UAAP champion Jacob Cortez is a second-generation basketball star, with his father Mike also making waves during his time.
Jacob Cortez isn’t minding the expectations placed on his shoulders because of his last name, especially as he already hurdled his biggest challenge in his first UAAP year: bringing the championship back to the DLSU Green Archers.
But when you’re the son of a basketball player like Mike Cortez, there is bound to be some sort of baggage that you’re lugging around.
What do you do when your father earned the monicker, Cool Cat?
Mike enjoyed much success not only during his UAAP days, where he was a two-time champion, but also when he turned professional in the PBA. He won three PBA championships with two different teams, winning his first two with the team that drafted him: Alaska.
He then won it with the San Miguel Beermen in 2009, the same year where he was named PBA Comeback Player of the Year.
Now that he’s hung up his jersey in favor of coaching, it’s up to his son to carry the legacy.
“Yeah, we would watch our games [together] — especially the bad ones, yung mga talo namin and he’ll give out pointers,” Cortez said on a podcast episode of One News'
The Men’s Room.
But Cortez said there wasn’t really any feeling of his father pushing the issue.
Rather, the elder baller gives his son, who has already won championships in both the UAAP and the NCAA, room to operate on his own. After all, Jacob has done enough on his own to merit his father’s trust.
“He’s more on straightforward siya and he’ll let me do what I do.” he said.
Taft Act to Follow
Still, when Cortez decided to transfer to La Salle from San Beda, there was a looming question: could he enjoy the same success his father did?
Midway through UAAP Season 88, it looked like he wasn’t — especially when the Green Archers were even in danger of missing out on the Final Four completely, hanging on by a thread and having to win their final game in eliminations against arch rivals Blue Eagles.
But as if it was written in his destiny, Cortez willed La Salle past every hurdle: first against twice-to-beat NU and again against defending champions UP.
The Cool Cub, he was anointed.
For Cortez, it was the perfect ending to his first year with the Green Archers. At the end of the day, it was all about making his dad, and the DLSU community, proud of his achievements.
“It’s good, syempre. It’s been a long season for us and to finally end it with a championship, masaya. And yung buong La Salle community, masaya.” he said.
Cortez will have one more year of eligibility with La Salle, hoping to repeat as champion and replicate his dad’s back-to-back UAAP titles in 2000 and 2001.
Whether the Cool Cub grows into the Cool Cat or develops another identity, it's all cool for Jacob.
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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.