MANILA, Philippines— There was no shortage of Adamson representation in the conclusion of the PBA Philippine Cup Finals, where San Miguel Beer captured another championship.
Just ask Beermen big man Rodney Brondial, who couldn’t contain his happiness after taking home the biggest prize with the figures he used to run with in his collegiate years with the Soaring Falcons.
“For one, it’s special to have it with coach Leo (Austria),” Brondial told the Inquirer after their 107-96 win over TNT in Game 6 of the Finals at Philsports Arena on Friday night.
“We all know our history together with Jericho (Cruz) and Don (Trollano) so somehow this is also for the Adamson community. Every time we play, we represent that school so this isn’t just for San Miguel, the fans and ourselves, it’s also for the community that we represent.”
Brondial played under Austria during his collegiate stint with Adamson and found little to no success.
Sure, the duo of Austria and Brondial reached the Final Four in Season 74 but the Falcons failed to reach the Finals after faltering to Far Eastern University despite a twice-to-beat advantage.
Cruz and Trollano joined the San Marcelino squad in the two seasons that followed, but the group wasn’t able to build on that earlier run.
The quartet wasn’t able to even sniff a Final Four spot in Seasons 75 and 76.
Yet on the biggest stage in Philippine professional basketball, Austria, Brondial, Trollano, and Cruz—who was even hailed as Finals MVP—were all victorious, and against a Grand Slam-seeking TNT team no less.
Cruz, Trollano, and Brondial all chipped in for San Miguel’s title-clinching win with 13, 12, and 4 points, respectively, while Austria secured his 10th crown as a head coach in the PBA.
Those accomplishments, according to Brondial, deserve some recognition from their alma mater.
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“Personally, I hope the school recognizes this achievement because ever since we started here in the PBA, we’ve all been very vocal that we represent Adamson,” he said.
“In fact, sometimes when we win, they dub us as ‘Adamson boys,’ so they’re with us for this win.”
