AS Jimmy Alapag returns to the Philippines and resumes his coaching career in the PBA via NLEX, the former Gilas Pilipinas standout believes he is ready to take on the challenges of calling the shots after his NBA experience.
The 48-year-old Alapag was recently named as the new head coach of the Road Warriors, succeeding Jong Uichico.
The return of the former captain of the Philippine team to the PBA scene was marked with excitement, especially for an NLEX franchise that has not tasted a pro basketball championship since the 2015-16 season.
The PBA veteran is fresh off a stint with the Sacramento Kings in the NBA where he served as the player development coach from 2023-26.
“Unang-una, I think it just felt like it was the right time,” Alapag said during the presser hosted by VP Global Management on Tuesday.
“You know, almost six years in the NBA, I’ve had an opportunity to see a lot, to learn a lot, and I know how much it’s allowed me to grow, not just as a husband, as a father, but also as a coach.”
Alapag feels the coaching experience gained in the highest professional cage league is something that benefited him, and now he is ready to bring it back to the Philippines.
“And so to have an opportunity to come back home and be able to pour all of that knowledge and all that wisdom that I’ve gained in the NBA and to pour that back into Philippine basketball, it felt like now was the right time,” he added.
Alapag, a six-time PBA champion and two-time Finals Most Valuable Player with TNT, began his NBA coaching journey as an assistant coach on the Stockton Kings in 2021, Sacramento’s G League affiliate.
He worked his way up until he got promoted to the Kings’ mother club as a player development coach for three years.
“I learned a lot, for sure. I think when I was just the detail, the detail in everything that the staff and the players do,” the 2011 PBA MVP said.
Alapag’s coaching experience included learning under Kings head coach Mike Brown, who has since moved on to become New York’s top mentor, leading the Knicks to the NBA championship last month.
“It’s really almost broken down into a science, how detailed everything is. And it’s one of the many things that I learned from Coach Brown in terms of his preparation for us as coaches, in terms of preparing for a team, developing players, breaking down film, scouting the opponent,” Alapag said.
“And I learned so much from him, together with Jordi Fernandez. So I think those probably stand out the most. And again, he’s, you know, he’s been in the finals, I believe, twice and now being an NBA champion,” he added.
Alapag hopes his coaching experience would translate eventually to a PBA championship for NLEX.
The former player known by the moniker “Mighty Mouse” makes his highly-anticipated coaching debut with NLEX on July 10 when the team faces Macau in the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City.