Remembering the ‘full life’ of sports visionary Chino Trinidad

Photo from Chino Trinidad’s Facebook

News of Chino Trinidad’s untimely passing came as a shock not only to those who knew him well, but for many familiar with his work in both media and sports.

For a former colleague, there was no doubt that Trinidad was able to live life to the fullest despite passing at the age of 56.

“He lived a full life,” said Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao, a regular partner of Trinidad on the PBA broadcast booth in the late ’90s before being his eventual predecessor as commissioner of the defunct Philippine Basketball League (PBL) by the turn of the century.

Trinidad died Saturday due to cardiac arrest, leaving a legacy where he was able to carve his own niche in sports journalism while also taking on many hats.

The son of renowned Inquirer columnist Recah Trinidad started his career on radio calling PBA games before being elevated to television, becoming one of the play-by-play analysts of the league’s then broadcast partner Vintage Sports.

Inheriting commissionership

“He’s a very quick learner and has a great mind about basketball,” said longtime color commentator Andy Jao. “He has a lot of ambition and vision about Philippine basketball. I hope those of us who worked with him will remember him as someone who really tried to put the PBA on the map.”

His ascension came at the same time when Vintage decided to transition from solely an English commentary to a mixture of Filipino that fit Trinidad’s style.

It also launched the popular tandem of Trinidad and Guiao, who at the time was serving as PBL commissioner. But Guiao’s new role as coach of the expansion Red Bull franchise in 2000 opened a new door for Trinidad.

“We worked for a long time in the broadcast booth, and at the same time, we had the same wavelength,” Guiao said with a mix of Filipino. “And when I finished my stint as [PBL] commissioner, I asked him if he’s interested in taking over my role and he held the position for 10 years.”

Trinidad steered the PBL to new heights in his early years at the helm, capitalizing on the growing popularity of the UAAP and NCAA while also seeing the rise of dynasties in Welcoat and Harbour Centre. Both franchises eventually made the jump to the PBA.

At the same time, Trinidad continued his media career by joining GMA as its sports reporter, doing blow-by-blow accounts of Manny Pacquiao fights and the NBA All-Star Game and NBA Finals for Solar Sports.

He resigned as PBL chief in 2010, one year before the amateur league folded, but continued on at GMA with his regular segments on the nightly newscast 24 Oras until his departure from the network in 2023. He also launched projects honoring the greats of Philippine sports, namely the Pagpupugay event in 2014.

“I think his legacy in basketball and sports in general will not be forgotten for a long time,” said Guiao. INQ