Black prefers title over milestone

Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Sun, 05 Jan 2020 09:52:28 +0000

BLACK (PBA images)

By JONAS TERRADO

Norman Black is more concerned about leading Meralco to its first-ever PBA championship than embrace the prospect of adding another milestone to his well-accomplished career in the Philippines.

“Records are great,” Black said. “But this is about trying to win for Meralco.”

A victory over Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals will make Black the first coach in league history to lead four teams to a title, as per the league’s chief statistician Fidel Mangonon.

Black is currently one of seven coaches to steer three teams to the PBA championship, the other being his Finals foe Tim Cone, Jong Uichico, Chot Reyes, and fellow Grand Slam winners Baby Dalupan and Tommy Manotoc.

Moving past those great tacticians will further enhance Black’s coaching career that began in the mid-1980s when San Miguel Corp. boss Danding Cojuangco asked him to handle Magnolia in the PBA.

But as much as Black appreciates being informed of the possible achievement, he insists that he’s more interested on doing the task at hand.

“That would be great,” said Black. “(But) I don’t really think about all those things. This is for me is just winning a championship for Meralco. They’ve had a lot of confidence in me for the last five years.”

Meralco has never won a title since making its PBA debut in the 2010-11 season, falling short on its two attempts against Ginebra in the 2016 and 2017 editions of the third conference.

But Black expressed confidence that he now has the squad that is well-equipped to finally lift the elusive trophy.

“I think this is probably the best chance I’m gonna have to win a championship because I really think I have the team that can win it this time,” said Black, whose squad is already led by import Allen Durham
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