Maraming susi ang tagumpay ng Gin Kings

Maraming bagay ang nagbigay ng determinasyon at lakas sa Barangay Ginebra para makopo ang titulo sa katatapos lamang na PBA Gran Matador Philippine Cup ngunit para sa tropa ng Gin Kings, mas matamis ang panalong ito kumpara sa nauna nilang tagumpay sa nakaraang Fiesta Conference.

Para kay coach Siot Tanquingcen, sina coach Ron Jacobs, Jong Uichi-co, ang sipag at tiyaga ng mga players, ang malaking suporta ng crowd at marahil ang pagbubuntis ng kanyang maybahay.

"I’ve got good mentors, like Jong Uichico and coach Ron Jacobs," wika ni Tanquingcen. Si Uichico ay ang kanyang head coach nang nasa San Miguel Beer pa siya bilang isa sa mga assistants, habang si Jacobs naman ang naging coach at consultant din ng Beermen bago ito na-stroke noong 2002."

"The other day (before Game 5) I saw him," kuwento ni Tanquingcen ukol sa Amerikanong coach na bagamat naparalisa na ay nakikipag-usap pa rin sa pamamagitan ng pagsenyas. "Seeing him makes everything okay. He gave me the thumbs up. At least medyo nagkakumpiyansa ako."

"Suwerte rin daw pag buntis ang asawa," dagdag pa ni Tanquingcen na pitong linggo nang nagdadalantao ang kanyang misis. "But as I said before, the game is won by players not coaches," paliwanag ni Tanquingcen na naghatid ng ikaanim na titulo sa Ginebra franchise na pumasok sa PBA noong 1979.

"My players are not superstars, they played with their heart. And siguro we came together at the right time."

"Our hard work has paid off. It is great thing we were able to come through," wika naman ni Eric Menk, ang Best Player of the Conference at Most Valuable Player ng finals. "And of course, the crowd was a big boost to us.

Sa likod ng mga dahilang ito, iisa lamang ang nararamdaman ng buong tropa ng Ginebra matapos agawin ang titulo sa Talk N Text sa All-Filipino Conference sa pamamagitan ng 4-2 panalo sa best-of-seven championship series.

"The first crown was great. But the second felt like winning another first title because everybody thought we couldn’t do it without an import," ani Tanquingcen.

"The first crown was an ice breakers while the second one was much more difficult starting with the San Miguel (na tinalo ng Ginebra sa semifinals sa deciding Game-Five), losing JayJay (Helterbrand na nagkaroon ng injury sa semis at di na nakalaro sa finals. We had to overcome those things and to do that, the other guys have to step up, that sums it up," sabi naman ni Menk. (Ulat ni Carmela V. Ochoa)