San Sebastian College-Recoletos head coach Egay Macaraya showed his respect for his counterpart at Arellano University, Cholo Martin, who had an ourburst during the Stags' 71-66 win on Friday.
After a chippy final possession in the third quarter, Martin appeared heated as he crossed the halfcourt line to speak to officials. He was even restrained by security as he attempted to approach Macaraya's bench.
But things calmed down after as the two coaches proved that things remained cordial between them by exchanging pleasantries in front of the officials.
"Tatay ko 'yun. Syempre ayaw naman ng guard na mag-away kami pero hindi naman niya alam na tatay ko 'yun," Macaraya said.
He shared that he actually played under Martin during his amateur days in the Philippine Amateur Basketball League (PABL) and the national team while also serving as assistant coach alongside him in the Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA).
"Ang ibig kong sabihin, coach ko 'yun sa Philippine team, coach ko 'yun sa PABL so we are very close friends. Kasama ko 'yan sa MBA, assistant siya at assistant din ako, gano'n kami ka-close ni Coach Cholo."
"Ang tagal na ng aming pinagsamahan. I respect him kaya every time, every game lumalapit talaga ako sa kanya as a sign of respect."
After things settled down, San Sebastian was able to pick up the victory, making it their first set of back-to-back wins this season and improving to 5-6. Martin's Arellano team, meanwhile, dropped to 5-8.
—JMB, GMA News
