Sporting Chance

Glenn McDonald will never forget the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) for many reasons. First, it was in the PBA where McDonald played his last pro game. Second, it was in the PBA where he got his first taste of coaching. And third, it was in the PBA where he made lasting friendships, particularly with Tommy Manotoc.

McDonald, 48, played four memorable years in the PBA. He came in as a replacement for Henry Williams in 1978 and teamed with Snake Jones to power U-Tex to the Open title, sweeping Crispa in the best-of-5 Finals, under Manotoc. Two years later, McDonald and Aaron James combined to lead the Wranglers to another Open crown, this time beating Toyota in a series that went the distance, also under Manotoc.

When Manotoc left U-Tex, McDonald took over the coaching reins starting the All-Filipino Conference in 1980. He piloted U-Tex until the end of the 1982 campaign then transferred to the Sunkist squad in 1983, playing two games before becoming head coach in the Reinforced Conference.

In all, McDonald averaged 28 points in 90 PBA games.

Two years ago, McDonald was back in town for a brief visit to help out Manotoc who'd been lured out of retirement to coach Mobiline. But he couldn't stay long because of his job as Director for Intramural Sports at Long Beach State.

A few weeks ago, a reader Eric Roceles sent an e-mail to share news about McDonald. Eric said McDonald's been hired as assistant coach of the Los Angeles Sparks in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA).

It's not difficult to find out why McDonald was picked for the job. The Sparks' General Manager Penny Toler was an two-time All-American at Long Beach State when McDonald was the Lady 49ers assistant coach in 1988 and 1989. The varsity went to the NCAA Final Four those two years, compiling a combined record of 61-9.

During a 10-year career as Long Beach State assistant and head coach, McDonald met several top basketball players whom he tried to recruit for the Lady 49ers. Two of the stars were Lisa Leslie and La'Keshia Frett who now both play for the Sparks. Although Leslie wound up attending the University of Southern California and Frett went to Georgia, they had fond memories of meeting McDonald.

"Glenn is a very experienced coach and player who knows what it takes to win a championship," said Toler. "He is a good person, was a good player, and is a proven winner. Glenn is going to be the glue which keeps our team together this season and someone whom the players can trust, respect and depend upon. Glenn brings another championship ring to the Sparks bench and a little bit of the Celtics legacy to add to the Lakers dynasty."

McDonald, Boston's first round pick in the 1974 National Basketball Association (NBA) draft, was the hero in the Celtics' Classic 128-126 triple overtime win over Phoenix in Game 5 of the 1976 Finals. He entered the game for Paul Silas, who'd fouled out, with 3:23 left in the third extension and scored six key points in a 63-second burst to ice the contest.

After suiting up for Boston and Milwaukee in the NBA, McDonald played a year in Sweden then moved to the PBA.

"I am extremely excited to get back into coaching," said McDonald. "Coaching is something that is a true passion of mine and it has been missing from my life for the past couple of years. I am very excited to join the professional coaching ranks in my hometown of Los Angeles. I'm excited to coach with Michael Cooper because we have very similar styles and philosophies--he is very disciplined, his coaching style is simple for the players to understand and we will work well together. I look forward to bringing the East Coast-West Coast rivalry of the Celtics and Lakers dynasties together on one bench. I believe that between Cooper and me, we can teach these players what it means to be champions on the professional level."

Eric said he'll always remember the U-Tex-Toyota Finals in 1980. "U-Tex was down and it looked like Toyota was going to win another championship with about 20 seconds left," wrote Eric. "Then, Glenn did the impossible--a steal off one of the greatest ball handlers ever, Francis Arnaiz, and sealing the victory for U-Tex with an uncontested layup."

McDonald's wife Renee is the Director of Off-Campus Housing at Long Beach State. His son Michael is a varsity point guard at Stanford University and daughter Alexis will enroll at the University of Washington on a volleyball scholarship this schoolyear.

Thanks, Eric, for the info.