I’ve got two stories in the latest issue of Baller, the Official Lifestyle Magazine of the PBA, featuring Barangay Ginebra’s Three Kings on the cover. I’m not even a Ginebra fan, but damn, that is a fine-looking cover – in my opinion, better than the James Yap photo that graced the maiden issue. My idol Patricia Hizon wrote the cover story, as well as about 1,549 other features in the magazine. Inside are a few more photos of Willie Miller, Mark Caguioa, and Jayjay Helterbrand goofing around. Wille Thriller looks like he had so much fun at the pictorials.

(Click on the images for the larger version)



As promised, the new issue features my story on Alvin Patrimonio, four-time Most Valuable Player who now moonlights as a team manager. He wasn’t the easiest of interviews. During a conversation with Patricia last month, I told her that interviewing Cap was like interviewing Superman; everyone already knew everything about him, and the interesting stuff that no one knew yet, he wasn’t going to give away – superheroes are known to keep their secrets, well, secret



An excerpt:

PATRIMONIO SPEAKS in carefully measured words punctuated by long pauses. He is a man given to reflection before talking. It comes as little surprise to those who followed his career, because there was always something cerebral about the way he played the game.

Purefoods plays would usually begin with him camped out in the low block to receive the entry pass. Force him to the middle, and he would drop in a soft baby hook. Overplay him to the baseline, and he’d hit you with a nice little jumper. Double-team him and he’d usually skip a nice little bounce pass to Codiñera at the key for an open 18-foot jumper, or he’d find Rey Evangelista cutting backdoor for an easy reverse layup. Triple-team him, and he might beat you anyway with one of those impossible turnaround, fadeaway jump shots that had become his trademark. Or he could just bully his way to the ring to get fouled.

Patrimonio was a chess player during his teenage years at the Manila Science High School, a public school renowned for its advanced science and math programs. He says that his background as a chess player affected how he approached the game.

I also wrote a comedy piece, a holiday wishlist for PBA players. Some jokes worked better than others, but people seemed to like it.



Some examples:

16. Contact lenses for B-MEG Derby Ace assistant coach Koy Banal. Just so he wouldn’t look so much like Boy Abunda anymore. Or maybe he can go the other direction completely, wearing all-black outfits and pointy shoes to look exactly like the showbiz talk show host. That works for us, too. Explosibo!!!

19. A nice pair of suspenders for Barangay Ginebra coach Jong Uichico. Ever notice how Coach Jong keeps tugging up at his pants while he’s shouting instructions at his players? The odd thing is that he’s actually wearing a belt. Maybe it’s time for the multi-titled mentor to take a page from CNN’s Larry King, and go with the suspenders instead.

The magazine looks great, and all the credit should go to veteran editor Eric Ramos, who’s done a wonderful job with it. I also enjoyed a couple of other stories, particularly the candid Q&A with PBA Chairman Rene Pardo by Alder Almo. Another idol, Fidel Mangonon, also contributed for the issue, and he’ll be doing more pieces for the magazine in succeeding issues. Finally, there’s also a section on PBA rookies posing like fashion models, if you’re into that kind of thing.

So grab a copy. The magazine should be available at larger National Bookstore outlets. You could also get one if you are going to the games tomorrow.