No regrets in Grand Slam miss

MANILA, Philippines — In PBA history, there have been 10 teams that came close to bagging a Grand Slam, winning the first two conferences but falling short in the third. So far, five teams are in the record books for capturing the coveted trifecta – Crispa with coach Baby Dalupan in 1976, Crispa with coach Tommy Manotoc in 1983, San Miguel Beer with coach Norman Black in 1989, Alaska with coach Tim Cone in 1996 and San Mig Coffee with Cone in 2013-14.

The 10 teams that finished a third championship shy of a Grand Slam after back-to-back conference titles were Toyota with coach Dante Silverio in 1975, Crispa with Dalupan in 1977, Great Taste with Dalupan in 1985, Tanduay with coach Turo Valenzona in 1986, Sunkist with coach Derick Pumaren in 1995, Alaska with Cone in 1998 (there were four championships that year), Ginebra with coach Siot Tanquingcen in 2004-05, TNT with coach Chot Reyes in 2010-11, San Miguel Beer with coach Leo Austria in 2016-17 and San Miguel Beer with Austria in 2019-20.

Three-time PBA Press Corps Executive of the Year Elmer Yanga was Sunkist’s team manager when RFM’s Orange Juicers nearly claimed a Grand Slam in 1995. Sunkist beat Alaska in the All-Filipino and Commissioner’s Cup finals then topped the eliminations of the Governors Cup only to falter in the semifinals. The Juicers wound up third.

“Winning a Grand Slam in the PBA is destiny and maybe, it wasn’t ours,” said Yanga the other day. “Maybe, it wasn’t meant for us. Winning two consecutive conferences was already a big blessing and accomplishment. Not to mention the two best import awards that we won (Ronnie Grandison in the Commissioner’s Cup and Stevin Smith in the Governors Cup). We were very thankful to our Lord for those blessings. We had a strong lineup at that time but other teams then were equally strong.”

Sunkist’s roster included that year’s MVP Vergel Meneses, Kenneth Duremdes, Nelson Asaytono, Boybits Victoria and Eric Reyes. Rudy Distrito played for the Juicers up to Game 4 of the All-Filipino Finals. Like Yanga, Pumaren said he had no regrets in the near-Grand Slam and counted his blessings with the two titles that season.

Yanga said almost clinching the Grand Slam will always be a cherished memory. “Derick was and is still a good coach,” he said. “The technical aspect in his coaching is good and he commands the respect of players which is a key factor for the good performance of a team. During the first five years of RFM’s membership in the PBA, we won four championships – two under coach Yeng (Guiao), one with Tony Harris and another with Ronnie Thompkins. Another two under Derick, one All-Filipino and one with Grandison.”

Yanga said despite failing to nail the Grand Slam, team owner Joey Concepcion rewarded the team with an all-expenses-paid Christmas and New Year trip to the US (Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas). “Players were allowed to bring their wife or mother if single,” he said. “No girlfriend allowed. Although we failed to win the Grand Slam, we were still satisfied with the team’s performance in winning the first and second conferences.”

Yanga said there were other memorable moments in RFM’s PBA history from 1990 to 2001. “We were the first regular member team that won, 4-0, in a best-of-7 finals (1992),” he said. “Northern Consolidated also won a title, 4-0, in 1985 but they were a guest team. Tony Harris was our import when we won in 1992 and set a scoring record of 105 points, unbroken up to now after 28 years. His average that year was 60.7 points. When he scored 105, he shot 45 of 53 free throws.”