FILE–Former Gilas head coach Tab Baldwin. –TRISTAN TAMAYO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines — Former Gilas Pilipinas Tab Baldwin and his current and former Ateneo players took to social media to show their unity amid the Philippine men’s basketball team controversy.
National team players SJ Belangel and Dave Ildefonso and several Blue Eagles wrote the same post on their social media accounts on Wednesday with the hasthag #BEBOB — Blue Eagle Band of Brothers–which was Ateneo’s battle cry when Baldwin started coaching in 2017.
“We few. We happy few. We Band of Brothers. For He today that sheds his blood for me shall be my brother. #BEBOB,” read their posts.
#BEBOB. Screengrab of former Gilas coach Tab Baldwin’s Instagram post.
Gilas Pilipinas star Thirdy Ravena followed suit, as Gian Mamuyac, Tyler Tio, Mike Nieto, Isaac Go, Matthew Daves, Jolo Mendoza, Adrian Wong, and BJ Andrade also posted the line.
Baldwin on Thursday joined his wards, posting the unified message on his Instagram account.
The Kiwi-American coach and the Blue Eagles did not explain the reason behind their post.
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Al Panlilio blamed Baldwin’s exit for the national team’s problems in his interview on SEAG network.
“Honestly, the predicament that we are in today is because of Tab,” Panlilio revealed in the interview. “We started losing players. He didn’t want to coach in the February window. As a federation, we had to make decisions on how to move forward.”
Chot Reyes took the coaching reins and the national team program director since Baldwin “stepped down.”
In a rare Youtube interview with YYC Athletes, Baldwin said he is not expecting to return to Gilas, refusing to go in-depth into his exit as it was “hurtful and difficult to handle.”