Coach Norman Black at SCOOP sa Kamayan
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 19 Jan 2013
MANILA (PNA) - Talk ?N Text coach Norman Black doesn?t want to think about the possibility of the newly-crowned PBA Philippine Cup champion Tropang Texters capturing their first Grandslam. Not yet, anyway.
The 55-year-old former Detroit Piston in the United States NBA admitted though during yesterday?s SCOOP Sa Kamayan session that, for winning this season?s All-Filipino in three-peat fashion, the Manny V. Pangilinan-owned franchise became the only team capable of sweeping all of this season?s three conferences.
?Yes, there is that possibility,? the native of Baltimore in Maryland told members of the Sports Communicators Organization of the Philippines in the public service forum sponsored by Powerade, AKTV and FILA. ?I don?t want to think about it and talk about it this early.
?Maybe when we win the Commissioner?s Cup, that?s the only time when we will start thinking about it and talking about it,? Black, one of only four PBA coaches to the coveted Triple Crown, said.
?In fact, it?s only at that time for us to really aspire accomplishing the rare feat, ?Why not? But as I have been saying, hindi muna,? Black, who?s been calling this country his own since emerging in the pro-page as an import in 1981, said partly in English and TAgalog.
?As of now, my and my boys? concern is the next conference. Make plans on how to win it then, again draw the blue print on how to emerged triumphant, too, in the Governor?s Cup,? Black, who was accompanied by Finals MVP Ranidel de Ocampo and Best Player of the Conference Jason Castro, averred.
After the Texters? tough grind on the way to earning a finals slot and sweep Rain or Shine in the gold medal play, Black said he is giving his boys a two-week rest before plunging into preparations for the longer road ahead.
?We?ll probably start gym work on the 31st of January, a very short preparations considering that the second conference will be starting February 8,? he said. ?But hopefully, we can regain our bearings by then and hopefully, too, our import can get the feeling of playing with his new teammates.?
As if reading its coach?s mind as to what the Texters? goal, the MVP franchise has acquired a 6-foot-11 reinforcement in the person of Keith Benson, formerly of the Golden State Warriors in the NBA and Erie Bay Hawks in the NBA D-League.
Benson, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, who mans the slot and the power-forward positions, and played college at the Oakland University in Detroit, arrived early yesterday morning and will only have time jelling with his new teammates not earlier than the end of this month.
?As I said, I am giving my boys two weeks to rest and refresh. Meanwhile, I?ll have Benson to work with the Ateneo team and the NLEX team in the D-League to acquaint himself on how the game is played here,? he disclosed.
Asked of their thoughts on the Texters? chance of a Grandslam, both Castro and De Ocampo, whose romping off with their individual awards are first, echoed the same sentiment as their coach.
?Hindi naming iniisip ang Grandslam. Darating naman yan kung talagang mangyayari. Kami, we?ll just try to win all our games at kung mag-Grandslam, maganda,? the duo said.
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