MANILA, Philippines — PBA legend Jimmy Alapag marks his return to the local professional league after being named the new head coach of the NLEX Road Warriors.
The team announced the coaching change on Monday at its official social media platforms.
“Welcome to your new home coach Jimmy Alapag! As we prepare for the upcoming conference, the NLEX management believes this is the right time to introduce renewed leadership while preserving the continuity and identity that the team has built,” NLEX posted on its Facebook page.
The 48-year-old Alapag is coming off a three-year stint with the Sacramento Kings where he served as the playerdevelopment coach.
“We are appointing Coach Jimmy Alapag as Head Coach of the NLEX Road Warriors. Coach Jimmy brings valuable experience from an NBA organization, a strong basketball philosophy, and a player-centered approach that we believe can help elevate the team to the next level,” the team continued.
“This move is about strengthening the program, combining fresh perspectives with continuity, and giving ourselves the best opportunity to achieve our goal of becoming a championship-caliber team.” Alapag, a six-time PBA champion as a player, has built a solid reputation as coach, having led the San Miguel-backed Alab Pilipinas as champion during the 2018 ASEAN Basketball League season.
Alapag is taking the spot of nine-time PBA champion Jong Uichico, who led NLEX to the top seed in the Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup, but lost twice to eventual conference runner-up TNT in their quarterfinal matchup.
The former many-time Gilas team captain will be making his maiden NLEX coaching debut in the Governors’ Cup, which opens shop on July 10.
