Tenorio not about to hang it up as being Magnolia player-coach can happen
Just as everyone thought LA Tenorio’s career as a basketball player has been put to bed, the rookie coach of the Magnolia Hotshots appears to be far from done.
Tenorio’s inclusion on the Hotshots’ injury/reserve list ahead of the PBA’s 50th season has raised the prospect of replicating what the great Robert Jaworski had done in his legendary career.
And if the reported opener of the season on Oct. 5 at Smart Araneta Coliseum does turn out to be Tenorio’s Hotshots against his former team, Barangay Ginebra, it could be the twist in this reboot to his basketball life.
“We’ll see what happens. It depends on management,” Tenorio said during Magnolia’s session on the PBA Media Day that concluded on Friday, at The Elements at Centris in Quezon City. “But right now, I’m not focused on that (coaching).”
Magnolia has been getting itself acquainted under the tutelage of Tenorio, who last July was appointed by San Miguel Corp. (SMC) in hopes of turning around the fortunes of the proud franchise that hasn’t won since the 2018 Governors’ Cup.
SMC sports director Alfrancis Chua didn’t rule out the possibility of Tenorio doing a dual role for the Hotshots. Now, it seems the possibility could become a reality.
In anticipation of his potential appearance in a Magnolia uniform, Tenorio was said to have taken part “from time to time” in scrimmages.
“I was shocked because he was my teammate [in scrimmage],” Mark Barroca said, recalling Tenorio’s on-court participation before the Media Day.
But playing is the least of Tenorio’s concerns as he’ll look to make sure Magnolia can run the things he’ll implement once the season starts.
Magnolia has been known as a defense-oriented team that plays a grind-out style during the tenure of Chito Victolero, that lasted almost a decade, and Tenorio said he’s keeping the same concept.
“Defensively, we don’t need to change anything because they’re natural defenders,” he said.
Paul Lee, however, said Tenorio is putting emphasis also on making sure the offense can be as smooth as can be.
“He’s teaching us to slow things down on offense, unlike before when we had a quicker pace,” Lee said. “He’s teaching us the right tempo, depending on the situation.”
