Head coach Aldin Ayo celebrates after the Knights nab championship. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
At the end of the 45-minute clock, a red light bordered the two backboards and white confetti rained down on the brown parquet floor.
A figure in a dark blue shirt made his way out of the court, proceeded to back end then said a quick prayer as he put his hand on the Mall of Asia Arena crucifix.
After his prayers, a teary-eyed Letran head coach Aldin Ayo embraced his wife as he celebrated a fitting end to his first season as the Knights mentor.
After the revelry has settled, Ayo looked at his championship trophy and saw it as a testament to a “humbling” season.
“I had to humble myself for these guys without compromising my authority,” Ayo said as graduating players Mark Cruz and Rey Nambatac sat by his side.
“Actually these guys do things that make me boil inside but as a leader I just have to extend my patience.”
All of Ayo’s contained impatience and humility came to fruition when his Knights defeated archrivals San Beda, 85-82, in Game 3 for the crown.
“It wasn’t easy, if the security guard doesn’t know me, how about my players,” Ayo said recounting his first return to Letran as a coach when one member of the campus security didn’t allow him to enter.
Ayo added his players didn’t believe they would win the title before the season started, but when they started buying into the system, that’s when Letran started seeing results.
“During our team building, I told them ‘do you believe we can win the title this season?’ and everybody laughed,” Ayo said.
“We had fights but we had these arguments because all of us had an objective, we all want to win.”