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Looking back at Alaska
Looking back at Alaska
The Evolution of Looking Back at Alaska A Grand Slam Team's Journey to Glory
The Alaska Milk squad that completed a grand slam 30 years ago is widely regarded as one of the greatest teams in the 50-year history of the Philippine Basketball Association. Two key members of that team, PBA Hall of Famers Jojo Lastimosa and Sean Chambers, recently looked back on their magical grand slam run in 1996.
We were just thinking about winning the next game, Lastimosa, then the team captain, recalled. We were so matured at that time, that's why we were not looking ahead. Chambers, who was an import player at the time, added, We were a team on a mission. We knew what we wanted to achieve, and we worked together to make it happen.
Both Lastimosa and Chambers have gone on to have successful careers in the PBA, with Lastimosa serving as team manager of TNT and Chambers as head coach of FEU in the UAAP. Despite their individual achievements, they remain proud of their time with Alaska and the team's impressive run of success.
The seeds of success were sown in the late 1980s, when Chambers burst onto the scene as part of the visiting IBA All-Stars. He quickly made a name for himself in the PBA, defeating the highly favored Black Superman, Billy Ray Bates, in a slam dunk contest. Two years later, he joined forces with Lastimosa, who had also joined Alaska in 1987, to form a formidable duo.
The team's first championship came in the Third Conference of 1991, when they defeated Ginebra San Miguel, led by Wes Matthews. However, a dry spell followed, and the team underwent a period of rebuilding. It wasn't until they had assembled a talented group of players, including Johnny Abarrientos, Bong Hawkins, Poch Juinio, Merwin Castelo, and Jeff Cariaso, that they began to experience success once more.
The turning point came when the team adopted the triangle offense, popularized by the Chicago Bulls. This system allowed the team to develop a strong chemistry and find their ideal roles. As Lastimosa noted, By 1995, we knew we already had a good team. The system was already in place. Everybody knew their roles, and I think that's what was most important.
The team's grand slam run in 1996 was the culmination of years of hard work and dedication. They won four straight championships, bridging the 1995 Third Conference and the entire 1996 season. Chambers recalled the team's dominant performance, saying, We were a team on a mission. We knew what we wanted to achieve, and we worked together to make it happen.
In 1998, the team had the opportunity to win another grand slam, but they sacrificed their own interests for the greater good. Many of the team's key players, including coach Tim Cone, Lastimosa, Abarrientos, Hawkins, and Kenneth Duremdes, were loaned to the national team competing in the Asian Games and William Jones Cup. Although they didn't win a grand slam that year, their sacrifice was a testament to their commitment to representing their country.
In retrospect, Lastimosa believes that the 1998 team was even more talented than their 1996 team. We had Kenneth Duremdes, who eventually won the Most Valuable Player award, then we had Rodney Santos and our imports were proven winners, he said. We had a pretty stacked team out there.
While the team may not have won a grand slam in 1998, their sacrifice was a testament to their values and priorities. As Chambers noted, We were a team that was willing to put the needs of the team above our own individual interests.
