Ipinagmalaki ni veteran Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) star Asi Taulava na umikot ang kanyang career bilang basketbolista kay coach Yeng Guiao.
Sa kwento ni Asi, bago pumasok sa PBA bilang direct-hire ng Mobiline noong 1999, nagsimula umano ang kanyang career sa Pilipinas sa paglalaro sa Blu Detergent sa Philippine Basketball League (PBL) VisMin Cup, isang pocket tournament na hindi sakop ng regular nitong torneo.
“It’s crazy when we go back to 97, 98 when I was an amateur. And guess who was the PBL commissioner at that time?,” kwento ni Taulava.
Ayon sa ulat, si Guiao ang PBL commissioner noon, na habang nagko-coach sa PBA ay nagsisilbing commissioner ng PBL mula 1997 hanggang 1999.
Ngayong 2020, inaasahang magreretiro si Taulava sa NLEX Road Warriors na nasa ilalim pa rin ni coach Guiao simula pa noong 2016 kung saan naglalaro na sa koponan si Taulava.
Ayon sa Fil-Tongan na si Taulava, marami umano itong rason para magpasalamat kay Guiao, hindi lang dahil sa pagbibigay simula sa kanyang career bagkus dahil sa oportunidad na maglaro sa edad na 47 sa NLEX sa ilalim pa rin ng kanyang pamamahala.
“I’ve been around with coach Yeng so long, like over 20 years. He was the commissioner at that time. He had a lot to do with it. His innovation, the way he projected, and what he want for the PBL to be played in the provinces and not just sitting at the Makati Coliseum. Everytime we had tournaments, he will move it out to the provinces,” ani Taulava.
Sa ilalim ng gabay ni Guiao, sumikat ang PBL matapos nitong bigyan ng permanenteng bahay ang liga sa Makati Coliseum at broadcast tie-up sa Vintage Sports.
“Dahil sa effort ni Guiao sa PBL, naging makinang umano ang kanyang career at naging malaking tulong maging sa ibang manlalaro na gustong pumasok sa PBA draft,” ani Taulava.
“That’s where we started picking up our following. Next thing you know, the PBA and the media started picking up on it and we got a lot more attention. It helped us,” kwento pa ni Taulava.
“Coach Yeng did a great job marketing us in the amateurs and they gave us the opportunity to become the persons that we are today,” hirit pa nito.