Team owner Charlie Dy, head coach Jimmy Alapag is joined by Gilas Cadet manager Andrew Teh and former Alab wing, Dondon Hontiveros. | Jonas Panerio
CEBU CITY, Philippines -Alab Pilipinas head coach Jimmy Alapag expressed his excitement in bringing the defending Asean Basketball League (ABL) champions to Cebu to play the Wolf Warriors of China on January 6 at the Hoops Dome in Lapu-Lapu City.
Alapag, the former PBA great who has taken up the coaching cudgels for the ABL squad, expressed his fondness for playing here in front of the Cebuano crowd.
“I’m really excited to coach for the first time here in Cebu. Having played here so many times in Cebu, it was always a special experience,” said Alapag whose team routed the CLS of Indonesia, 94-67, in their season debut last weekend in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.
Alapag said he was mighty impressed with his team’s efforts in restricting the three world imports of CLS to a mere 67 points.
“For us to hold them to 67 points is really impressive. I’m impressed with the energy and the effort,” Alapag added.
With 7-foot-3 center PJ Ramos manning the middle and workhorse forward Renaldo Balkman stuffing the stat sheet, Alapag said there’s just a different dynamic to this year’s team.
“With PJ Ramos in the middle, it gives us a dominating presence in the middle,” shared Alapag.