FOLLOWING Josh Reyes’ stepping down as head coach of the Gilas Pilipinas Youth, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) has appointed LA Tenorio to take over the program for the national team.
The Gilas Youth players have something interesting to look forward to, as the 40-year-old Ginebra floor general will take over as the head coach of the squads, announced by SBP last night, November 19.
A well-decorated background
Tenorio will definitely contribute his illustrious basketball background as an eight-time PBA champion and former Gilas Pilipinas player. He’s been involved in the sport since sixth grade, when I played for Adamson.
He moved to San Beda, where he was under the system of renowned Ato Badolato in high school, and later honed his craft in college at Ateneo de Manila University under brilliant tacticians as well.
Given his ability as a point guard, he was selected fourth overall in the 2006 PBA Draft. Tenorio’s career as a pro started under Tim Cone, where he won his first PBA title and Finals MVP award with Alaska in 2010.
He later rejoined Cone at Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, where the two won seven more PBA titles, with Tenorio garnering Finals MVP honors in three of those campaigns.
He was a member of the 2012 Gilas Pilipinas team that won the Jones Cup and took silver in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship. He also represented the Philippines at the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain.
Tenorio also worked as Bonnie Tan’s assistant coach at Letran for four years before joining Cone’s coaching staff for the historic gold medal win at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, which ended a six-decade drought.
Right man for the job
Given his outstanding knowledge in the sport, both as a player and as a coach, Tenorio is unquestionably the perfect man to pursue. Not only that, but he is close to Cone, who may be able to give him some advice.
“The SBP is excited to have a true sportsman and role model in LA Tenorio as our Gilas Pilipinas Boys head coach,” said SBP President Al Panlilio, after appointing Teniente as the new coach.
“He has excellent relationships with Coach Norman Black, who heads our grassroots program, and Coach Tim Cone at the elite level. LA will serve as the bridge between these two crucial stages.”
Meanwhile, Panlilio revealed that when they first approached Tenorio, he was instantly open to the challenge of coaching the grassroots program, even presenting a short list of coaches with whom he would like to work.
“He’s a natural leader and a winner on and off the court. He will teach our young athletes lessons they will use not only in basketball but in life as well,” Panlilio went on to say.
Bridging two programs together
More than his expertise, SBP Executive Director Erika Dy stressed that selecting LA as head coach puts the grassroots program closer to Cone’s Gilas team. Bringing the two programs together.
“Coach Tim is big on continuity, and that has been the reason why we had a small pool for Gilas ever since he took over. Appointing LA as head coach of our age group teams in the boys’ level strengthens that process,” said Dy.
“The goal is to complete the player journey from our grassroots to the elite level, and having a youth coach who knows the system of Coach Tim by heart will be beneficial for everyone involved,” she added.
Meanwhile, Tenorio admits that it will be a tough road that awaits him ahead, but he’s ready to take up the challenge. “There’s a lot of pressure in the role because I’ll have big shoes to fill,” said Tenorio.
“What Coach Josh Reyes accomplished by making it to two World Cups is not an easy feat. But I’m excited to work with our young players and help them reach their full potential.”
“I already talked to Coach Tim, and I’ll be running a similar system so our boys can easily transition to the men’s team,” he added.
For Tenorio, this fresh chapter is an opportunity to inspire and mentor the coming generations of Filipino basketball players, ensuring that his journey leaves an indelible mark on Philippine basketball.
