Purefoods team manager Alvin Patrimonio.
ANTIPOLO CITY—It took a while before Magnolia Hotshot again the felt the weight of the trophy in their hands.
But that long and arduous trek to back to the top of the PBA only made the 2018 PBA Governors’ Cup championship sweeter for Alvin Patrimonio and his longtime team.
As a player, the Captain led the franchise now known as Magnolia to its first six PBA titles then witnessed the team win eight more championships as his role as team manager.
Used to winning his entire career, Patrimonio knew exactly how good it felt for the Hotshots to finally exorcize their demons and vanquished Alaska in six games to their first crown since the Grand Slam in 2014.
“This is sweet because it’s been four years in the making and we had a lot of trials, a lot of challenges, and a lot of changes in the team,” said Patrimonio after Magnolia’s 102-86 Game 6 win Wednesday at Ynares Center here.
“I’m just amazed with how this team played,” he added.
Magnolia Hotshots celebrate the end of their title drought. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Patrimonio, a four-time MVP who remains the face of the Purefoods franchise years removed from his heyday, has been managing the team since mid 2000s and saw the Hotshots go from one of the most dominant to one of near obscurity.
From a rare Grand Slam in 2014, just the fourth time the coveted title sweep was completed in the PBA, Magnolia went on a drastic dive after head coach Tim Cone was sent to save Barangay Ginebra.
Cone was able to lead the Gin Kings to three titles from 2014 until including the 2018 Commissioner’s Cup while the Hotshots used that time to find their groove and recover from the stumbles of former head coach, now assistant, Jason Webb.
Webb, a beloved deputy in the Hotshots’ bench, struggled as lead coach accumulating a sorry record of 11-22 before Victolero got hired to right the ship and lead the team to third-best 23-10 card in the 2016-17 season.
And it’s this struggle that made the journey better to watch for Patrimonio.
“I think it’s the timing of this all,” said Patrimonio. “This is a blessing from God, and we’ve waited so long for this. But the guys, the coaching staff worked hard for this and the management had the patience.”