Nothing new for Norman Black

Enshrinement in the Hall of Fame has become a habit for Meralco basketball coach Norman Black. In 1985, he was inducted into the Philadelphia Big 5 Hall of Fame honoring the city’s sports standouts from five NCAA Division I schools. In 2006, Black was named to the PBA Hall of Fame for playing with Tefilin, San Miguel Beer, Great Taste, Magnolia, Alaska and Pop Cola in an illustrious career that spanned 282 games from 1981 to 1998. In 2012, he was elevated to the St. Joseph’s University Sports Hall of Fame for averaging 16.6 points and 8.7 rebounds in 104 games over four seasons up to 1978-79 with the varsity. In 2016, Black was inducted into the Baltimore Catholic League Hall of Fame as a star with the Cardinal Gibbons high school team. And last Saturday, he was enshrined in the Ateneo Sports Hall of Fame for piloting the Blue Eagles to five straight UAAP men’s basketball championships.

If someone decides to put up a Hall of Fame for the Continental Basketball Association which became the NBA D-League, now NBA G-League, Black will surely be inducted. In 1980, he averaged 27.3 points for the Philadelphia Kings in the Continental league and scored 53 points in one game. Black played for the Lancaster Red Roses and the Kings in the CBA from 1979 to 1982. He had a 10-day contract with the Detroit Pistons and played three games in the 1980-81 NBA season, compiling eight points, two rebounds and two assists in 28 total minutes. 

Black was recruited by former Ateneo basketball player Frank Harn to play for Tefilin in the PBA in 1981. That began a long career in the PBA. He averaged 40.2 points and 18.9 rebounds, earning in the process the 100 percent performance award. As a PBA rookie, he hit at an incredible clip of 51.8 points. His single-game high was 76 points and he also scored 71 in another contest. In 1998, Black came out of retirement as a player to suit up for Pop Cola where he was the head coach and compiled 10 points, 16 rebounds and five assists to lead the team to third place in a Commissioner’s Cup playoff. He was 41 at that time and the one-game comeback for the win marked his last as a player.

As a coach, Black will probably get another Hall of Fame recognition from the PBA. He collected 11 championships with San Miguel (including a Grand Slam in 1989), Sta. Lucia Realty and TNT. Today, he calls the shots for Meralco. In the ongoing Governors Cup, Black has led the Bolts to seven straight wins from a 1-6 start and Meralco is now 1-0 up in the best-of-five semifinals against Alaska. Yesterday, Black turned 61 and the occasion couldn’t be memorable. Three days before, Black steered Meralco to an overtime win over Phoenix to cap a two-game sweep in surviving a twice-to-win disadvantage to advance to the semifinals. Two days before, he was inducted into the Ateneo Sports Hall of Fame. One day before, Black led Meralco to victory in Game 1 of the semifinals. Tonight, the Bolts will try to extend their win streak to eight in a row in Game 2.

In accepting the Ateneo honor last Saturday, Black said he wouldn’t have been able to fashion the five-peat without his players, the support of management and the backing of the Loyola community. Some of his former Ateneo players showed up to celebrate the moment with Black – Nico Salva, Doug Kramer, Noy Baclao and J. C. Intal. The team manager of Black’s title squads Paolo Trillo also received recognition with a Special Award that night. 

Black said when he was asked to be an Ateneo coaching consultant in 2004, he never imagined it would turn out to be a nine-year love affair. “I love this school,” he said. Black went to a Catholic high school, Cardinal Gibbons in Baltimore, and St. Joseph’s University, a Jesuit institution in Philadelphia so his educational background was consistent with Ateneo’s spiritual orientation. During his Hall of Fame acceptance remarks, he recalled taking recruiting trips with Trillo to bring in Baclao from Bacolod, Chris Sumalinog from Cebu and Emman Monfort from Iloilo. Black said PLDT chairman Manny V. Pangilinan’s support and encouragement from now POC president Ricky Vargas were critical in delivering the five-peat. 

Black said throughout his Ateneo stay, he was blessed with brilliant players from L. A. Tenorio to Kiefer Ravena. “Coaches can only do so much,” he said. “When it comes to winning and execution, the players deserve all the credit.” Black shared the honor with his family, wife Benji and children Chris, Dominique and Aaron. For sure, there will still be more honors to come. Good habits are hard to break.