Any new coach needs buy-in from his players to succeed. It certainly helps if the team’s stars lead the way in that regard. That dynamic appears to be at play with the Phoenix Fuel Masters, whose new coach, Willy Wilson, has the unfettered trust of one of the franchise’s top young players in Ricci Rivero.
In fact, after Phoenix stunned the San Miguel Beermen in the continuation of PBA Season 50 on Sunday, Wilson bared to reporters in the postgame presser that Rivero had come to him with a somewhat unusual suggestion.
“Lumapit siya sa akin, sabi niya, ‘Coach, do you think you should shout more?’ Sabi ko, ‘Hindi naman ako ganyan.’ Pero he responded to that, ‘When the time calls for it, don’t you think you should?’” Wilson shared. “As a first-time head coach, malaking bagay ‘yun for him to come up to me and make a suggestion like that…”
Mostly mild-mannered and quiet during his playing days, Wilson put that advice to good use in the second half of Phoenix’s upset win. Up 61-51 after two quarters, the Fuel Masters came out flat after intermission and got ambushed by a 15-4 Beermen blitz, leaving Wilson to tear into his team. Rivero and his teammates responded to their coach, turning the tables on San Miguel from that point on and ultimately holding on for the 109-103 victory—Wilson’s first as a PBA coach.
Ricci Rivero and Willy Wilson Go Way Back
After the game, Rivero doubled down on Wilson’s initial point, pointing out that he doesn’t mind it himself if a coach shouts at him. He also shared that he’s known Wilson since he was young and that he looks up to the first-time coach.
“I’ve seen him since super bata pa ako nun… I do look up to this guy so much. Palagi siyang sinasabi ng dad ko na he’s a good example sa team and all that…,” he said. “Hindi mo nga siya masyado makikitang sumisigaw talaga. The whole stay ko sa Phoenix once lang ever since. Sabi ko lang, I wouldn’t mind if sisigawan ka kasi lahat naman tayo gusto manalo. Just listen to the thought, not how he delivers the message.”
Rivero and the Fuel Masters listened to Wilson’s message on Sunday and got the win. They might win some more if they keep listening. Though, knowing Willy Wilson, he’d probably prefer not to shout.
