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‘One big family’: Legends recall Alaska time with sadness, pride as franchise folds

Article (news)

Rey Joble

<p>Three-time Most Valuable Player Bogs Adornado was the first superstar of Alaska a year after the organization joined the Philippine Basketball Association.</p><p>Forced to carry the brand Hills Brothers due to a strike in the company, the team started to develop its winning ways with Adornado taking over as the squad&#x27;s top gun, and Yoyoy Villamin teaming up with Ricky Relosa up front to form the dreaded “Bruise Brothers”.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/10/18/21/this-day-in-pba-history-remember-jose-slaughter">This Day in PBA History: Slaughter hits record 14 3-pointers for Hills Bros.</a></li></ul><p>But it was Adornado who played a hand bringing the Alaska organization to the PBA.</p><p>&quot;I was playing for another team back then, Shell, in 1986 when I met manager Joel Aquino and was asked about Alaska&#x27;s possibility of joining the PBA,&quot; Adornado told ABS-CBN in a telephone interview.</p><p>&quot;We met Tommy Manotoc, who was then deputy commissioner of the PBA and discussed the plans of Alaska&#x27;s participation. After about a year and a half, I transferred to Alaska.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/02/16/22/alaska-aces-to-leave-pba">Ginebra&#x27;s Cone proud of his years with Alaska</a></li></ul><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CaBU63UgtpA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:16px"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;align-items:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:40px;margin-right:14px;width:40px"> </div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center"><div 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style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by Alaska Aces (@alaska_aces)</a></div></div></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/02/16/22/alaska-aces-to-leave-pba">Alaska Aces to leave PBA</a></li></ul><p>Not only did Adornado play for the team, he also became one of the franchise&#x27;s early coach.</p><p>After retiring as player for Alaska, Adornado was hired as coach of the team for the 1988 season before Tim Cone took over.</p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s sad to see Alaska go,&quot; added Adornado. &quot;I had great moments with the team because sa kanila ako nag-retire and at the same time, it was with Alaska where I had my first coaching job.&quot;</p><p>Jojo Lastimosa, team captain of Alaska&#x27;s grand slam team, shared his great memories with the organization.</p><p>&quot;It was in Alaska that I found out what it takes to win,&quot; wrote Lastimosa in a Viber message. &quot;Yes, we won plenty of championships, but that wasn&#x27;t automatic. How the team got the right players with the same purpose and goal in mind partnered with great coaches and support staff and with great leadership from WSU (Wilfred Steven Uytengsu). That created the perfect team.&quot;</p><p>But more than being a solid team, Alaska was like a family, according to Lastimosa, who became known as Alaska&#x27;s &quot;Fourth Quarter Man&quot;.</p><p>&quot;We all felt like one big family in that franchise. It&#x27;s a huge reason why the core of the group remains tight as ever,&quot; he added.</p><p>Kenneth Duremdes rose as a potential star to becoming an MVP when he transferred to Alaska.</p><p>&quot;I had my great memories and career when I got the chance to play for one of the best franchises in the PBA -- Alaska,&quot; wrote Duremdes via Viber message. </p><p>&quot;It was with Alaska that I got the chance to play with the best coach in Tim Cone, best teammates ever in &#x27;Flying A&#x27; Johnny Abarrientos, &#x27;The Hawk&#x27; Bong Hawkins, Poch Juinio, &#x27;The Slasher&#x27; Rodney Santos, Sean Chambers, Devin Davis, Joey Loyzaga and Roel Gomez among others.&quot;</p><p>Duremdes was acquired by Alaska in 1997 in a trade with Dwight Lago and it was only a matter of time before “Captain Marbel” took flight.</p><p>By 1998, he became the league MVP and the core of the Alaska team represented the Philippine Centennial Team that won the gold medal in the Jones Cup and finished with a bronze at the Asian Games.</p><p>More than developing a tight-knit relationship with his teammates, Duremdes could not forget the utility and staff he was able to work with.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/02/16/22/alaska-owner-explains-decision-to-leave-pba">Alaska owner explains decision to leave PBA</a></li></ul><p>&quot;From Mang Tom, to Kabise Jun Datu, Doctor Facundo Sun, team trainer Gus Vargas and the rest of the Alaska family headed by Boss Fred Uytengsu, thank you everyone and long live Alaska Aces. &#x27;The will to win is important, but the will to prepare is vital&#x27;,&quot; he said.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1929960" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

Bogs Adornado, Jojo Lastimosa, and Kenneth Duremdes recall why their time playing for the Milkmen was special.