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Superstitious Patrimonio wears lucky shirt, watches Mixers win Grand Slam

San Mig Super Coffee Mixers Team Manager coach Alvin Patrimonio looks on as his team claims its fourth straight title. (Czeasar Dancel/NPPA Images)

Alvin Patrimonio’s purple long-sleeved shirt is 3-0 in championship clinching games.

As Patrimonio walked into the Smart-Araneta Coliseum, he was already tugging on his shirt. He smiled at everyone he crossed paths with while reminding them that he was wearing his lucky shirt.

The superstitious team manager and PBA legend first wore the shirt back in Game 7 of the 2012 Commissioner’s Cup Finals. In that game, the team then called the B-Meg Llamados banked on two free throws from import Denzel Bowles to send the game into overtime. Wearing the purple shirt, Patrimonio ran to the court to lock Bowles in a tight embrace which later on became the signature moment of that series.

Bowles then completed his heroics by raining down shot after shot to defeat the favored Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters.

(Left taken during Game 7 of the 2012 PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals. Right taken during Game 7 of the 2013 PBA Governors' Cup Finals. Photos by Sid Ventura)
(Left taken during Game 7 of the 2012 PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals. Right taken during Game 7 of the 2013 PBA Governors' Cup Finals. Photos by Sid Ventura)



The same shirt made its comeback in Game 7 of the 2013 PBA Governors’ Cup, the first of the San Mig Super Coffee Mixers four-championship run.

In that game, Marqus Blakely and Marc Pingris tag-teamed to shut down the Petron Blaze Boosters late in the fourth quarter.

With the PBA Grand Slam on the line, Patrimonio went back to his old superstition and like clockwork it worked again as the Mixers won the PBA Grand Slam with a 92-89 victory over the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.