Paul Desiderio schooled by mentor Cabagnot: ‘Coach Alex knows all of my weaknesses’

MANILA, Philippines—Paul Desiderio learned a valuable lesson in Blackwater’s 93-79 loss to San Miguel in the PBA Philippine Cup and that’s he still has a long way to go before he can one-up mentor Alex Cabagnot.

Cabagnot took up a coaching position with University of the Phlippines in 2016 and was able to become a teacher to the then third-year Desiderio.

Fast forward three years later and the two eventually shared a PBA floor together with Cabagnot taking Desiderio for another round of schooling.

“Coach Alex knows all of my weaknesses. Our mentor just ate us up,” said Desiderio in Filipino Wednesday at Mall of Asia Arena. “It’s fun having to play against him, after all he was my mentor in college and now he’s my opponent in the PBA.”

Desiderio had four points and two assists, both numbers close to his 5.8 points and 2.2 assists a game, but Cabagnot had more–a lot more.

Cabagnot showed Desiderio how it’s done with 19 points, on 8-of-15 shooting, and five assists while playing 24 minutes, which is just four more than the former UP stud.

“Of course I kept thinking how I could stop coach Alex because he’s the teacher and I’m the student, but it was still the teacher who prevailed,” said Desiderio.