Although Leo Austria has certainly posted a more remarkable career as a coach than as a player, the eight-time champion mentor was still solid enough as a point guard to hang with the PBA's best for eight seasons.
In a recent episode of An Eternity of Basketball hosted by ESPN5.com's Charlie Cuna, Sid Ventura and Noel Zarate, Austria talked about his favorite teammates and the toughest player he's ever had to guard.
His favorite teammates
Austria played for only two teams from 1985 to 1993, so it was only natural for him to select teammates from the franchise where he stayed the longest.
Benjie Paras was the first name on Austria's list, with the 62-year-old coach suggesting that it was the play of the two-time Most Valuable Player that led him to center his offense around big men throughout his coaching career.
"Napaka-sipag niyan. Siya 'yung big man na gustong tumakbo. Hindi naman ako scorer, feeder ako. Ang gusto ko 'yung sa transition," he said.
"Kung makikita mo 'yung players ko ngayon na big man, most of the time naging MVP," he said, naming Asi Taulava (2013 Asean Basketball League MVP), Rommel Adducul (MVP in the Philippine Basketball League 2002-03 season), Ken Bono (2006 UAAP MVP) and June Mar Fajardo (six-time reigning PBA MVP) as prime examples.
"Ang big man ay talagang isa sa pinaka-haligi ng team mo. Kaya para makita mo 'yung strength and contribution niya, dahil high percentage player dapat sa kanya lagi ang bola. 'Yan ang iniisip ko lagi kapag may team. Kailangan you have a dominant big man para lahat ng teammates mo maganda laro, especially if you have a lot of shooters."
The late Arnie Tuadles, with whom the coach won a title at Shell, joined Paras in Austria's list.
"One of the best wingmen dahil magaling pumoste. Napakadali ng basketball sa kanya," he said of the 1979 Rookie of the Year. "Napakataas ng basketball IQ niya. Any part of the court, titira siya. Very deceiving, hindi mo alam kung mabagal o mabilis siya eh."
Austria also expressed admiration for another transition player in former Shell forward Romy dela Rosa.
"Gusto ko 'yung mga players ko tumatakbo sa transition, and Romy dela Rosa is one of the best finishers at that time. Tsaka he's the kind of player na kapag sinabihan mo na gawin ito, gagawin niya 'yun. A good soldier, walang reklamo. And every practice, competitive siya," he said.
Hall of Famer and seven-time Best Import Bobby Parks was the last Shell teammate to make Austria's five.
Parks and Austria also played together twice in 1995 and 1996, when PBL teams Andok's and Hapee Toothpaste represented the Philippines and won back-to-back titles in the Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) Champions Cup.
"Ang tagal namin magkasama. He's one of the best imports in terms of character, attitude. Talagang team player. Hindi mo maririnig na maninisi ng player. He's a leader. And 'yung encouragement niyan, laging andiyan," he said of Parks. "And he's always out there to win a championship. And alam naman nating seven-time Best Import 'yan, gusto niyang panindigan na siya 'yung best import every time naglalaro siya."
Hector Calma was the only non-Shell player to make his list. Austria claimed the two were unbeatable in scrimmages when they played on the same team in their days with Masagana 99 in the Philippine Amateur Basketball League (PABL).
"Nagkakaintindihan kami eh. 'Yung vibration namin, iba. Pareho kaming team player. Hindi siya 'yung player na naghahanap ng score. Naghahanap 'yan ng magagaling na player. So kapag kaming dalawa ang magkasama, hindi kami tinatalo in any scrimmages namin," he said.
Toughest match-up
Austria said he found it easy guarding point guards under Shell's full-court trapping.
"Comfortable ako kapag point guard ang binabantayan ko dahil from the backcourt, kukunin na kita. Babantayan na kita. Dahil nung araw kapag nagfu-full court, man-to-man ka, parang ibang klase kang player eh," he said. "Kapag si (Robert) Jaworski bantay ko, binibigay niya agad 'yung bola dahil nasa backcourt, ayaw niya maagawan. Kapag si Francis Arnaiz, hindi siya makaka-drive, ibibigay niya 'yung bola."
But no player gave him more fits than former MVP and Grand Slam champion Ato Agustin, whom Austria said was a prolific scorer who could light it up from any part of the floor.
"Siya 'yung player na may go-signal from coach Norman Black na every time you're open, titira ka. Habang nakikita mo 'yung bakal, pwede kang tumira. Napakahirap bantayan dahil in any area, titira 'yan," he said. "He's one of the best scorers in his prime."
Interestingly enough, Agustin is now one of Austria's many assistants on the San Miguel bench.