Being coached by a legend is an honor, indeed.
Kenneth Duremdes is one of the PBA’s greatest players ever, and his nine All-Star Game appearances are a testament to that. And he only has fond memories of the many times he was chosen to participate in the annual showcase, which he says is all about the PBA’s fans.
“PBA All-Star is about giving back to the fans na mga sumusuporta sa ‘tin,” Duremdes told former PBA commissioner Noli Eala in his “Power and Play” podcast on Saturday.
And when asked by Eala about his fondest PBA All-Star memory, Duremdes was quick to name his pick: the 1996 PBA All-Star Game. It was an easy choice for the artist formerly known as Captain Marbel, who gave two reasons as to why that All-Star Game is his most memorable.
“My best memory [of the PBA All-Star Game] is yung nag-MVP ako nung ’96 under coach Sonny Jaworski,” Duremdes told Eala. “Pinakamagandang moment ko ‘yon sa All-Star dahil hindi lang tayo na naging MVP, naging coach pa natin yung legendary na Jaworski.”
Jaworski, of course, is the Living Legend of Philippine hoops, and he was still at the peak of his popularity during the 1990s as the playing-coach of the Ginebra franchise. The Big J left the PBA in 1999 after winning a seat in the Senate, but not without leaving his mark as arguably the most popular basketball player in the country.
Incidentally, that 1996 PBA All-Star Game was Duremdes’ second in as many years, having debuted in the yearly festivities in 1995 as a rookie All-Star. He would go on to play 7 more All-Star Games in his stellar in his stellar 14-year career marked by 6 championships, 2 Finals MVPs, and 1 PBA MVP.