GIL Cortez still remembered a phone call from 25 years ago. At the other end of the line was former Tourism Minister Jose Antonio ‘Tony’ Gonzalez.
Cortez, PBA’s first rookie and then Pampanga’s sports administrator, said, “He introduced himself and said he wanted to meet after saying a few polite things, looking back on what happened until he formed his own provincial team for the first Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA) season in 1998.
“JAG [Gonzales] told me, ‘I want you to deal with, coach and manage the team.’ But I told him I believed in a good organization, so I found a veteran director. Alam komga Kapampangan [선수들], maniniwala lang sila sa matandang 감독.”
Gonzalez and son Anton named the team after their mondragon company, and until then ordered the start of testing under Alan “Jacobs” Trinidad, but it wasn’t until Cortez arrived as a team manager that things really progressed.
The first block was the manager, and Cortez almost signed Joel Vanal. But the former PBA star, who also has Pampanga roots, wanted to bring in some of his players. He instead managed the Pasig Pirates.
“Hindi Kami Nagakasundo Dahil Guston Gang Management I’m mainly a mgataga-Pampangaang mga player,” Cortez says.
READ: Former PBA player Long David enjoys the fruits of his labor
The Dragons’ second choice wasn’t that bad. In fact, he was perfect. Kandava Town Veteran Aric Del Rosario coached the fourth edition of UAAP at UST and played as a sidekick for Tim Cohn at the 1996 Alaska Grand Slam.
Del Rosario was initially a strict drill master and father figure for the dragons, all of whom grew up in their hometowns. Eric Gascon and Edge Ignacio were from San Fernando Town, Arnold Padawon, Willie Mezia, Roland Pascual from Los Angeles City, Ariel Garcia from st. Lita, son of Dave Bautista and coach Aric, Lester Del Rosario from Kandava, Roel Koolala from Sasmuan, Norman Gonzalez from Magalang, and long David and rolof.
They were later joined by two players from PBA: Brian Punjalan from Los Angeles City and Lubao’s pride, Ato Augustine, the only second-round draft pick to win MVP in PBA.
As successful as the team was in the regular season, Cortez says he knew he needed more to make it through. It decided to bring in four non-capampanga players – Udoi Belmonte, Ato Morano, veteran Andy De Gusman and pesky Nonoy Fido – and Manila guard Gerom Ezercito, whose mother is from Pampanga.
Going all the way to the first MBA championship with the team was just as special as it was to home fans who still have those 90s dragons in their hearts today after generations of provincial PBA stars emerged.
The Dragons defeated the Manila Metro Stars in the Northern Conference Finals. Head coach Arik can catch four UST Finals matches against La Salle by helicopter from Pampanga to Cuba and beat Negros Slashers in five games in the domestic final.
The Championship was last revealed to the dragons, who were tarnished late in the 1999 season, led by Bong Alvarez (who had until then returned to the PBA via st Lucia) before Gonzalez applied for leave in 2000.
Except for the occasional reunion organized by Cortez before Arik’s death in 2020, players like Punjalan, De Guzman, and overseas-based Garcia and most of the team’s members were apart.
However, the silver anniversary, which ended with two clutch free throws in the final seconds of Agustin’s 89-85 win over the slashers on October 31, 1998, is approaching, and Cortez and other team members consider the event to be uncelebrated.
“We will certainly catch one,” says Cortez. 스포츠토토
But with or without a reunion, Agustin says the memory of the 1998 championships will be forever special to him, regardless of whether he has a career as good as he did in the PBA.