MANILA – Spending his entire PBA playing career with the Manny V. Pangilinan-owned squads, Jim Olmedo “Jimmy” Alapag is now on the other side of the fence as part of San Miguel Beermen’s coaching staff.
Alapag – a one-time PBA MVP – was formally introduced as part of head coach Leo Austria’s coaching staff during Beermen’s Thursday practice at the Acropolis Greens in Quezon City.
Alapag, the mentor of San Miguel-Alab Pilipinas in the ASEAN Basketball League, will join Beermen’s powerhouse coaching staff that includes Peter Martin, Dayong Mendoza, Boycie Zamar, Biboy Ravanes and Ato Agustin.
The 5-foot-9 guard said the offer to be part of the Beermen coaching staff is just hard to refuse, even if this means reuniting him with former Meralco Bolts teammate Kelly Nabong, to whom he had a falling out.
“You never know what’s gonna happen. You never know what lies in the future,” Alapag said. “I am thankful for the opportunity. Like I told coach Leo (Austria), the staff, and the players. I am just here to help.”
He added: “You know the history here (in Beermen), especially most recently on how dominant they have been, and I’m just here to help in whatever capacity they need me.”
Alapag spent the first 12 years of his PBA career with the Talk N’ Text franchise and won six titles until his temporary retirement on 2015. He then played for two years with the Bolts before hanging up his jersey for good in 2016.
The 41-year-old Alapag was also a fixture in Pangilinan-funded Gilas Pilipinas and became assistant coach under then mentor Thomas Baldwin. Alapag then was named as mentor of Alab Pilipinas in 2017, leading the team to ABL championship.
Alapag was one of the additions the Beermen made in the offseason after tweaking its lineup with the acquisitions of star guard Terrence Romeo, Ilonggos Paul Zamar and Ronald Tubid in separate trades./PN
