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The lesson Gilas coach Jong Uichico learned from 2002 Asian Games heartbreaker

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Dominic Menor, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/sports/08/01/080117-jong.jpg"/><figcaption>Nine-time PBA champion coach Jong Uichico believes explaining the reason behind a play or a coaching decision helps to get his message across to veteran players. File/PBA Media Bureau</figcaption></figure></div>Gilas Pilipinas head coach Jong Uichico&#x27;s history taking the helm of the men&#x27;s national basketball team began at the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea, a tournament that Filipino fans still remember for one stunning result.With a chance to advance to the gold-medal game against China, the Philippines fell to the hosts on a 3-pointer in the dying seconds of their semifinal match, relegating the Filipinos to the battle for bronze.Playing less than 24 hours after the defeat to South Korea, Uichico and co. struggled against Kazakhstan, eventually falling and settling for 4th place.For Uichico, the loss taught him the importance of resilience and moving forward.&quot;The primary lesson that I learned from that is to be able to bounce back,&quot; he told ABS-CBN News at a recent Gilas event celebrating the team&#x27;s effort in the Jones Cup.&quot;It was a really heartbreaking loss, but that&#x27;s just your profession, it comes with the territory.&quot;Since taking over Gilas and its younger players, Uichico has encountered less cardiac games, mainly because the team he&#x27;s in charge of competes on the Southeast Asian level, a region the Philippines has had little trouble beating.In his first go as national head coach 15 years ago, Uichico worked with players who were established stars in the PBA. Currently, he&#x27;s handling players fresh off college. After he guided the Philippines to the championship in the 2013 SEA Games in Myanmar, he&#x27;ll try to duplicate that feat later this month in Kuala Lumpur.After coaching MVPs and multi-millionaires such as Danny Siegle and Danny Ildefonso in San Miguel, and Mark Caguioa and Jayjay Helterbrand in Barangay Ginebra, Uichico is working with players who are either just starting out or haven&#x27;t yet begun their pro careers.Uichico said he doesn&#x27;t see much of a difference between the two generations.&quot;Pareho lang naman, except that there&#x27;s going to be more teaching going on (with the younger players), more detailed teaching if you have the time,&quot; Uichico said. &quot;Because sa beterano, they easily pick up, they have their own ways already. You just try to give them guidelines of what to do and they&#x27;ll find a way. Uichico, whose 2002 Asian Games team was also star-laden, believes explaining the reason behind a play or a coaching decision helps to get his message across to veteran players.&quot;It&#x27;s more making them understand the whys of what you&#x27;re doing rather than the hows, because if they understand the why, then the how will follow,&quot; he said.&quot;Unlike when you coach the younger ones, sometimes the how is first than the whys, because they won&#x27;t ask the whys, they&#x27;ll just follow.&quot;Uichico, whose SEA Games squad is made up of players who weren&#x27;t even in high school when he coached in the Asian Games, said he constantly keeps the lesson of Busan in his mind.&quot;You get setbacks,&quot; the 9-time PBA champion coach said, &quot;but you just have to live your life, do the best you can, try to learn from your experience, but the most important thing is to be able to bounce back and become stronger.&quot;For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com" target="_blank">ABS-CBN Sports website.</a>

Uichico's history taking the helm of the national basketball team began at the 2002 Asian Games, a tournament Filipino fans still remember for one stunning result.

Uichico's history taking the helm of the national basketball team began at the 2002 Asian Games, a tournament Filipino fans still remember for one stunning result.

The lesson Gilas coach Jong Uichico learned from 2002 Asian Games heartbreaker

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The lesson Gilas coach Jong Uichico learned from 2002 Asian Games heartbreaker

Dominic Menor,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 01, 2017 11:55 PM PHT

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Gilas Pilipinas

SEA Games

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