By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
One of the most accomplished veteran tacticians in Philippine basketball will be marking his return to the PBA.
Frankie Lim, the former head coach of the Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings and a legend in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) senior men’s basketball, will be taking over the spot of Yeng Guiao as NLEX Road Warriors’ new head coach.
The Road Warriors were left without a chief mentor after Guiao decided to leave his spot three weeks before the 2022 PBA Commissioner’s Cup kick-off.
Finally, NLEX will march into battle in the import-laced conference with its newest head coach and will bank on his expertise despite accepting the post on short notice.
The 62-year-old tactician first had a taste of PBA coaching way back in the 2014-2015 Governor’s Cup and helped Ginebra finish with a 5-6 win-loss record.
Under his reign, the Gin Kings failed to clinch the conference championship and lost at the hands of the Alaska Aces in the quarterfinals.
Lim gained legendary status in the NCAA after steering the San Beda Red Lions to four championship titles in the late 2000s era.
The decorated coach will have a tough task restoring order in the NLEX management after trading away its superstar Calvin Oftana to the TNT Tropang Giga via a three-team trade.
After Kiefer Ravena’s departure, Oftana was being groomed by Guiao as the new face of the franchise alongside star guard Kevin Alas.
However, an unfortunate series of events distorted NLEX’s plans entering the Commissioner’s Cup as Guiao and Oftana will not be with the team anymore.
Lim will debut as the Road Warriors’ head coach tomorrow as they face coach Guiao and the Rain or Shine Elastopainters in a scheduled PBA double-header.
