A new team, a new coach, a new challenge for Alex Cabagnot

This will take some getting used to. Alex Cabagnot will be in Globalport black instead of Petron blue or San Miguel red when the PBA Commissioner Cup starts. We caught up with Alex on the eve of his first game as a Batang Pier to talk about hairstyles, his new coach and how he plans to lead his new team by example.

MH: It’s strange to see you in a different uniform. You’re not wearing a Petron uniform. You’re not wearing a San Miguel uniform.

AC: But you know what, if you look at my black practice jersey now, it looks like the Brooklyn Nets uniform!

MH: You’re about to play your first game for your new team. You played for Sta. Lucia and you played for Coca-Cola (and Burger King) but I guess in the minds of many, you’ve been Petron or San Miguel your whole life. Don’t you feel like you’ve been Petron or San Miguel your whole life?

AC: Yeah, yeah. I guess because I accomplished so many things with them. I won my first championship with them. I played in so many games, in game sevens, in playoff games. And people remember playoff games the most. Actually, I played longer with Coca-Cola.

MH: I wonder if younger people still remember that?

AC: Yeah, they’re like, ‘Coke, what’s that?’ I wonder if they remember those days.

MH: In the same manner, you didn’t always have long hair. When you started, you had the crew cut.

AC: Right. I had the soldier’s cut.

MH: Now they associate you with the long hair. And they probably miss the long hair. Will you ever grow your hair back?

AC: No.

MH: Why not?

AC: It takes so long to grow. The truth about it: nagsawa na din ako sa long hair. It just grew too long so I felt it was time. I just woke up and thought it was time.

MH: I see a symbolism there. You’re done with the long hair that, more or less, represents the San Miguel/Petron part of your career. Then, your short hair now represents this new chapter in your career. How excited are you for this new chapter with Globalport?

AC: I’m very excited. I think I’m here to help this team and this franchise have a winning attitude. It’s not necessarily to prove anything personally or individually or statistically. You know, this team needs more than just stats. Of course, that would help if I do those things pero if it doesn’t help the team win (wala rin.) And I think that’s what they really want. They want to win.

Just like Petron, they don’t care about stats. They just care if you win the championship. They don’t care about anything else. You could score the last point but as long as you win, everybody’s happy.

That’s the part that I guess I’m here for: to bring that attitude, especially with the younger guys. I’ve been there, like you feel you have to prove yourself thinking that the best way to prove yourself is to shoot the most or to make the most. But with winning teams, you don’t need to. You don’t need to do that. You just have to win. Whatever it takes to win.

MH: It seems you’ve heard what your harshest critics say. That you’re always about stats, that you’re chasing stats. You’ve heard that, right?

AC: Yeah, I’ve heard that. Some of the people that say that; they don’t know basketball. The coaches know. Management knows. Those are the opinions that I really do take to heart because those are the people that pay you. (laughs) If the person paying me is asking me to do this, then I’ll do it.

MH: So what is Coach Pido (Jarencio) asking you to do?

AC: He just says, ‘Do your thing.’ He knows. We were together for two and a half years (with Petron) and he says, ‘Just do what you were doing before. He says, ‘I don’t want you to over-exert.’ He just says, ‘Just win as many games as possible. I don’t know how you’ll do it (smiles) but just try to influence the guys.’

It’s difficult to say how I should influence the guys. May mga tao they want to talk. There’s a difference between people actually listening to you and people just saying yes to you. There’s a big difference. The respect that I want is when I don’t have to say anything. I won’t try and say, ‘Hey I’m older than you so do this.’ I just want to do the right things so they’ll follow my example.

MH: So you don’t want to be vocal for the sake of just being vocal?

AC: Yeah I was never that kind of guy. Maybe that’s one of the things I need to work on but if you want to know something, I’ll tell you in a nice way. Pero you can show respect for somebody in everyday situations, day in and day out, and put out the effort and show that you care about the team and you care about how you’ll help the team.

MH: I saw during the huddle at the end of practice. Coach Pido asked if you wanted to say anything. You just did the thumbs up sign.

AC: Yup, thumbs up. You know there’s a lot of talking going on and that’s good. That’s good. Some guys talk. But I just feel that I’ve been here long enough to know that sometimes it’s the action that really counts. That’s what they need. That’s what people need. It’s action. Hopefully our actions in this tournament will bring us some W’s and we don’t have to talk as much.

But obviously the guidance for Terrence (Romeo) and RR (Garcia), Nico (Salva) and all those guys, you have to tell them in bits and pieces but if you’re a rookie, the best way to teach them is through experience. I can tell them so many things pero if they don’t experience why it’s like this or why it’s like that, they don’t fully grasp it. They have to make their own mistakes, their own rookie mistakes so a light bulb could pop in their head and they’ll say, ‘O tama pala yun.”

Like what Olsen (Racela) did to me. He never used to tell me so many things. He just told me a little bit here and there and then when I made my mistake I would realize he was right about it. So that’s why I don’t want to overwhelm them.

MH: So you believe in leadership by action?

AC: Yes. Leadership by action.

MH: And you’ve been like that ever since?

AC: Yeah. Ever since. I was never one of the talkative guys. I would tell them how I feel during big games and guys will be like, ‘Oh man, he’s actually saying something.’

MH: Did you ever think that you would actually leave or be away from San Miguel?

AC: I never thought I would stay forever. But I never thought I would go. So I was in the middle. But I never worried about it. I never worried na sana dito na lang ako forever. Or sana hindi ako mawala. I never really worried about tomorrow. I never really thought about it. That’s why when it happened I wasn’t really surprised. It was unexpected of course. Nobody wants to be traded.

But I thank boss Robert (Non). I thank boss RSA. I never would have thought in my wildest dreams that I would achieve so much in that short a time. I hope it doesn’t stop there pero I thank them for all the opportunities they gave me. It’s kind of hard to have ill feelings towards them and ask them why (I got traded.)

MH: Did you ask them why?

AC: No. I never did.

MH: Will you ever ask them why?

AC: Oh those things are better left unsaid. You know it’s their decision. Whatever their decision is, you have to respect it. I mean it’s their team. You know, one day, God-willing, I’ll be a manager somewhere and if I have to make that big choice, it’ll be my choice too. So that’s their choice and I definitely do respect that. So I look at my current situation and I look at this situation as my cup being half-full. It’s not half-empty.

MH: Why is this situation with Globalport a half-full situation?

AC: It’s an opportunity to help this team, this franchise, and hopefully we can turn some heads. If we become a winning team, a lot of people will be talking about us. Not just because of the guys we have or the individuals we have but as a team. They’ll say, ‘Oh Globalport won this conference or Globalport went this far.’ Although, I don’t want to say it because I don’t want to jinx it.

MH: Many of the must-watch games in the Commissioner’s Cup for me involve Globalport. There’s Globalport against Ginebra or Globalport against San Miguel or Globalport against Rain or Shine because it’s Coach Pido versus Coach Yeng.

AC: You know, Coach Pido has been in the PBA for a long time. He has known the ins and outs of the PBA for a long time. Everybody knows coaching is hard. Just like Coach Ato (Agustin) before (with Petron), this is Coach Pido’s first PBA head coaching stint. Coach Pido doesn’t have to talk about me so much but I just want to give him my full effort.

MH: Dahil may pinagsamahan na kayo ni Coach Pido, does he have special instructions for you?

AC: Sometimes I would go into the huddle and he would just look at me like tinginan lang talaga kami and I’ll be like, ‘Alright coach.’ Or he’ll just say, ‘Alex ikaw na bahala.’ I’ll know what that means. It’s just full-on trust. That’s a good feeling. Coach Gee (Abanilla) gave me that feeling. Most of my coaches gave me that feeling. When you have that, it’s hard to let the coach down. The one time Coach Pido and I talked, he said, ‘We got you here because I know what you can do and just execute and just do it.’

MH: If you were to sum up, in one word, this new chapter in your career, in your life, what word would you use?

AC: Hmmm that’s hard.

MH: What’s the first word that pops into your head?

AC: Blessing. It’s definitely a blessing. No matter what people say, I can never look at any of this negatively. This is such a blessing. Because I know a long time ago I wouldn’t be feeling like this (smiles). I would be pasaway right now. But I’m thankful that I have a closer relationship with God and that some teams still want me and that coaches are still giving me the trust. I’m still playing the game I love and my contract is not up until next, next year (laughs). I can’t look at this negatively. I just can’t. And I’m not being plastic or being politically correct. It’s really a blessing. MH

Editor's note: The blogger's views do not represent Yahoo! Southeast Asia's position on the topic or issue being discussed in this post.