Arwind Santos. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—Winning another championship isn’t going to cut it for Arwind Santos.
With a fifth straight trip to the PBA Philippine Cup Finals, Santos and the San Miguel Beermen have a chance to solidify their legacy in the rich history of the league.
“This is where we’ll be tested, this is where we’ll prove if we really are the best team,” said Santos after the Beermen get their shot at a historic five-peat in the Philippine Cup. “Even if we’re dead, if we win our fifth straight championship, we’ll still be talked about.”
The Beermen wrapped up their series against top ranked Phoenix in five games, capping it off with a 105-94 win Wednesday night, moving them closer to another All-Filipino Cup trophy they could add to their illustrious collection.
San Miguel have amassed a total of 25 titles and eight were Philippine Cups–and of those eight,
Santos and his core group of June Mar Fajardo, Marcio Lassiter, Chris Ross, and Alex Cabagnot own four.San Miguel already made history in 2018 when it won its fourth straight Philippine Cup but a fifth straight title will make the Beermen as the only franchise to achieve the feat.
Only San Miguel and Alaska have won four straight titles in any conference with the Aces ruling the Governors’ Cup 1994 to 1997.
“Who would’ve won five straight? San Miguel, that’s the legacy,” said Santos who finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds. “We don’t want this to slip away from us, every player wants to be in this situation and I wish we’re the first ones to do this.”
Santos, though, knows that winning another title isn’t that easy.
“This is the tough one, sometimes when you surpass a tough team you’ll feel overconfident, that shouldn’t be our mentality. We have to respect our opponents and prepare for them.”