Turned out, Mike Cortez was a Cool Cat the first time he attended practice.
Eons ago, Mike Cortez donned a white shirt, baggy jeans, and Nike Cortez when he first entered De La Salle Green Archers’ practice facility.
His outfit left almost everyone flabbergasted, including former La Salle teammate Mon Jose.
“Bigla na lang may Mexicanong dumating sa practice namin,” recalled Jose in an episode of the UAAP Varsity Channel's Glory Days back in 2022.
“Mike looked like a Cholo,” he added with a hearty laugh.
Cortez was Cool Cat the moment he first attended practice.
His walk exuded confidence. But while it looked arrogance for some, the 6-foot guard had the game to back it up.
“Hindi pa uso swag nun,” said former Green Archer Willy Wilson. “He just knows ‘I’m good. I’m better than most. So it’s confidence siguro.”
He was so great he helped the Green Archers win a couple of championships in the UAAP under the legendary coach Franz Pumaren.
It got commentator Mico Halili thinking.
"This player, parang pusa, very cat-like, very cool demeanor," he said in the show. "In my head, cool as ice. Quick as a cat."
Halili said he approached Pumaren and asked permission to try out a moniker for Cortez.
"Tanong mo siya," Pumaren said.
So Halili went on to ask Cortez, "Do you mind if I tried the moniker, 'The Cool Cat'?"
"Siyempre, si Mike 'di naman nagsasalita," the broadcaster recounted, as he copied Cortez's deep tone, "Okay."
"Ganun lang 'yun, 'Cool. cool.'"
That coolness and swag were passed on to his son, Jacob, who recently led the San Beda Red Lions to the NCAA Season 99 title.
On Thursday, though, the younger Cortez announced he is taking his talents to the UAAP.
“With great difficulty, I have decided that my time as a Red Lion is closing, and would like to officially announce that I will not be playing for San Beda University in their upcoming season,” he said.
The King Lion didn’t divulge which school he would be getting into, but it wouldn’t be a stretch to consider that he might be headed to the green and white and follow in his father's footsteps.
Even current King Archer Kevin Quiambao welcomed the possibility.
“Challenging, improving, and growing is always my goal, and so I have decided that to achieve this, I need to get out of my comfort zone. With that, I plan to compete in the UAAP," the younger Cortez added in his farewell message.
Whichever school he chooses to go to, we're already looking forward to what he will become. This is no Cool Cub. Cortez already a King Lion and he wants to take over a new kingdom.
(KA)