As Magnolia Chicken Timplados embarks on the PBA’s golden 50th season this October 5 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, all eyes are on LA Tenorio. The veteran point guard, now listed as the Hotshots’ player-coach, remains undecided on whether he’ll suit up and call his own number inside the court. But one PBA great who has walked the same tightrope has a few words of wisdom for him.
From his home in Cebu, four-time MVP Ramon Fernandez—fondly called El Presidente—shared advice drawn from experience. Asked about Tenorio, now in his early 40s, Fernandez was optimistic: “Puwede pa ’yon. Good luck to him. Ang importante dyan ay he has the 100 percent support of management. Then wala siyang magiging problema, just like the case of Sonny Jaworski.”
Fernandez knows what he’s talking about. He and Robert Jaworski were teammates at Toyota, where they won nine championships before the powerhouse ballclub folded in 1983. The split scattered Toyota’s stars across the league—Jaworski landing in Gilbey’s Gin, which later became Ginebra San Miguel. Backed by full management trust, Jaworski became Ginebra’s playing coach in 1985, birthing the iconic Never Say Die mantra.
Fernandez, meanwhile, made his own leap in 1988, when Purefoods tapped him as its first-ever player-coach after acquiring the Tanduay franchise. That move allowed Purefoods to field both rising amateur stars like Alvin Patrimonio, Jojo Lastimosa, Jerry Codiñera, and Glenn Capacio, alongside veterans Freddie Hubalde, JB Yango, and Padim Israel.
At the peak of his career at 35, Fernandez embraced the challenge. Purefoods’ impact was immediate—storming into the Finals in its first conference and pushing powerhouse San Miguel to a seven-game showdown.
But the dual role came with pitfalls. Internal friction with management boiled over during the All-Filipino Finals against Jaworski’s Anejo Rum. Fernandez eventually relinquished coaching duties mid-series, and Purefoods fell short again. By year’s end, he was traded to San Miguel, where he won another MVP award and spearheaded the Beermen’s 1989 Grand Slam.
Looking back, Fernandez admits the strain of being both player and coach took its toll. “The pressure, sleepless nights preparing for the game, reviewing tapes of opponents—it affected my performance as a player,” he recalled. Still, he stressed that with strong management backing, the formula can work.
“Yon ang babantayan ni LA dapat, na ma-maintain niya yung 100 percent support ng management,” Fernandez said. “Kasi when you have that support, you will also have the respect of your players. Yan ang two vital factors na di puwedeng mawala. Pag walang respeto kasi yung players, di ka susundin. Kahit maganda ang sistema mo, walang mangyayari.”
For his part, Tenorio is keeping things open-ended. During Media Day, he admitted, “It’s basically going to be a hard decision for me—siyempre, magko-coach ako at the same time, naglalaro ako. From time to time, sumasali ako ng practice. You’ll never know. I’m part of the lineup, I’m on the injury list. May chance. But we will see.”
Whether he sticks to the sidelines or surprises fans by lacing up, Tenorio is now writing his own chapter in PBA history—armed with wisdom from legends who came before him.
(Note: Purefoods was acquired by San Miguel Corporation in 2001.)
