Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
ANTIPOLO CITY—After four years of struggling to return back into its place at the top, Magnolia has finally figured out the winning solution to win a PBA championship.
Players have come and go, most notably franchise’s face in James Yap who was shipped Rain or Shine for Paul Lee, but the Hotshots’ core, those who wore the old San Mig Coffee jersey, remained the pillar of success for the team.
Mark Barroca won his second Finals MVP after the Hotshots wrapped up Alaska in Game 6 Wednesday while the older veterans Marc Pingris and PJ Simon provided emotional leadership.
That’s why Magnolia governor Pardo said that management has no plans to trade away its key players especially after the Governors’ Cup title run.
“The core of the team will be retained,” said Pardo. “We’re happy with them, in fact most of them have been renewed already.”
“We’re not into trade talks, and there’s a saying right? Why fix it if it’s not broken. We won and why would we break it up,” added Pardo in Filipino.
For the team, the franchise’s 14th title was a culmination of hardwork and sacrifices the past few years, which have been rocky, to say the least.
Magnolia finished as the second-worst team in the league in 2016 with a 12-24 record for the season until the Hotshots took a risk in Chito Victolero, whose only credential back then was lead the Columbian franchise to its lone playoff appearance in 2016 Governors’ Cup.
But Victolero, who also led the Hotshots to three semifinals stints, has won the respect and admiration of his players, and the result of that is hard to miss.
“Coach Chito is a players’ coach, he’s really someone that the player admire,” said Pardo in Filipino. “Players love him, and these players would put it all on the line for him.”
“Even the import’s (Romeo Travis) going all out and he’s not even a Filipino,” said Pardo. “He had a hamstring injury, he had a cut on his brow, but he didn’t quit. Chito does a great job of motivating players. Hats off to him and we’re lucky we got him.”