Is that Doc Rivers?

LAS VEGAS – The PBA Board of Governors welcomed former PBA player and coach Rino Salazar, a local resident, as part of the family at a dinner in the Wolfgang Puck restaurant The Cut at The Venetian here to kick off the schedule of activities highlighted by the annual planning session last weekend.

It was the Board’s first get-together after flying in from Manila that afternoon. Meralco PBA governor and SBP president Al Panlilio hosted the dinner. The next day, the Board met for over four hours to discuss proposed plans and programs for the coming season set to open Jan. 13. 

Salazar, 69, was a player with Toyota and Tanduay then won a championship at the Shell helm in 1992. He later became Barangay Ginebra coach Sonny Jaworski’s chief lieutenant and was on the staff when the Big J called the shots for the national squad that took the silver medal at the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing. Salazar succeeded Jaworski as Ginebra head coach in 1998 and migrated to the US in 2000 to join his wife Rose and their three boys Jeffrey, Justin and Jed. 

Salazar lived in Alaska for 13 years with his family then moved to Las Vegas. His wife is now retired from working for the state and is a part-time cashier at Walmart. Salazar is still employed by Alaska Air. None of the three sons is married. The oldest is 40 and the youngest is 24. According to Salazar, his sons are more MMA than basketball fans.

Looking closely at Salazar, you’ll notice a striking resemblance to Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers. He keeps in shape by going religiously to the gym and lifting weights. Salazar is blessed with a basketball body. His legs are thin like Michael Jordan’s and his arms are long like Scottie Pippen’s. In his heyday, Salazar was a cerebral point guard like Rivers. He made his mark at Letran before turning pro.

Salazar said he dreams of someday, returning to Manila and getting involved in basketball again. The sport is in his blood and it’s a passion that’s consuming. He watches PBA games on the internet and knows the latest player movements. As a champion player and coach, Salazar has a wealth of experience to share with any team that’s looking to grow. In the US, he has attended clinics and coaching courses to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and techniques.

When former Ginebra player Rudy Distrito fell into hard times in Las Vegas, Salazar was quick to come to his aid. Salazar and another PBA veteran Abe King, who also lives in the US, got together to rally support for Distrito from the homefront. Distrito is now back in the Philippines.

Salazar was also quick to respond when former Letran star and PBA veteran Ricky Pineda died in 1995. Pineda, estranged from his wife and only son Michael, lived alone in Parañaque at the time of his death. His wife and son reside in Los Angeles. He’d been drinking one night and as he waited at a stop in Makati for a ride home, was struck by the long side mirror of a moving bus. Pineda was thrown to the pavement by the force of the impact and his head hit the ground. He was dead on the spot. It took two days before his body was claimed in the morgue and it was Salazar who called Pineda’s brothers and sisters to deliver the sad news. Pineda once scored 52 points for the Knights in the NCAA and played on Letran’s NCAA champion squad of 1970. 

Last Saturday, Salazar treated the media group that came over to cover the PBA Board planning session to lunch at a Korean restaurant. He has kept close ties with the media even beyond his playing days. Salazar is one of the good guys, kind-hearted, sincere and forever in love with basketball. He’ll always be a part of the PBA family.