There’s nostalgia, similarities, contrast and personal grudge when the two powerhouse squads — Talk N Text and San Miguel Beer— begin their best-of-seven championship series on Saturday in Victorias City.

Coaches Chot Reyes of Talk N Text and Ato Agustin of San Miguel Beer and retiring veteran Beermen skipper Olsen Racela rekindle great times together, but when tip-off time comes, expect all of them to give their all.

“There’s nothing more satisfying and gratifying than to be part of a career such as Olsen’s," said Reyes, who paid tribute to the 40-year-old guard playing in his last conference of the country’s premier professional league.

Reyes, who seeks his sixth championship and tries to join Tommy Manotoc as the
fourth winningest coach in PBA history, was instrumental in enhancing the career of Racela, who was only a freshman when the former coached him in Ateneo’s high school
squad.

“That was in 1982. I was in second year in college and I was coaching the high school team. Olsen was in his first year in high school. He was a practice player first and eventually made the squad. And that started it," said Reyes.

When Racela joined the pro league in 1993, Reyes was appointed as the head coach of Coney Island. He took in the 5-foot-10 guard from Ateneo as the Ice Cream Stars’
third-string guard behind Dindo Pumaren and Frankie Lim.

“As fate had it, when Olsen applied for the Rookie Draft in 1993, that was also my rookie year as coach. Now we’ve come full circle, and we have a tremendous amount of mutual respect, and that kind of respect demands the best between us," added Reyes.

“Our relationship demands nothing less than the best from both of us in this series. My fulfillment as a coach is to see my players like Olsen do so well. He’s going to be a coach soon and it makes me happy to see my former players become coaches as well. Olsen is an epitome of what coaching is all about."

Racela, who had already played a total number of 918 games in 18 seasons, believes a finals showdown against Reyes would be a fitting end to his career.

“It’s fitting and it’s just right to play my last games against a coach whom I played for when I was still starting my playing career. We have mutual respect. Through the years, our families became friends as well. He wants to see me succeed, and I want to see him succeed as well. But there’s no other player who is hungrier than I am, as I am playing in my last conference," said Racela.

Dondon Hontiveros, another veteran player from San Miguel, hopes Racela’s imminent retirement would follow the success path of Jeff Cariaso, who left the game as a champion with the Alaska Aces in the Fiesta Conference last season.

“I hope the trend continuous for a team with retiring players. Last season, Alaska won a championship right before Jeff Cariaso retired. So I hope mag-continue rin sa amin with us winning a championship and Olsen retiring," said Hontiveros.

Reyes and Agustin also had a trip back on memory lane in the finals’ press launch at the Gateway Suites in Cubao, Quezon City.

It was more than 25 years ago when Agustin, a promising player then starting his career in the commercial league, was signed up by Reyes’ Fuji basketball team in the old Philippine Amateur Basketball League to a contract that guaranteed the cager a P3,000 monthly paycheck.

“Unang pirma niya (Agustin) ng kontrata, sa akin," said Reyes. “Ang laki ng suweldo niya, P3,000."

What Reyes didn’t recall was that Agustin, fresh from winning his only Most Valuable Player award a season ago, was on the star-studded Beermen squad when the fashionable mentor’s Coney Island squad won a championship in his coaching debut.

Same birth date, different personalities

Other than the same birth date and year, Reyes and Agustin had different personalities
and different coaching backgrounds.

Reyes is a multi-titled mentor, who now has a chance to achieve the historic feat of becoming the first coach to win at least two championships with three different teams.

Agustin is a rookie coach, but he also has a shot at history. He tries to become the only coach to win five championships in five different leagues in his coaching debut.

But the stark contrast in their coaching approaches also provides an interesting mix to an expected explosive series featuring two teams capable of shooting the lights out at the Big Dome.

“I can’t help but be nostalgic as I was once in the shoes of coach Ato Agustin. I was 29 years old when I was a rookie coach. I remember the time I coached against San Miguel. When I looked across the table, I saw coach Norman Black and Ron Jacobs there. So right now I feel like I’m really old. For me, this series boils down to the three Hs we’ve talked about — heart, hunger and harmony. And the best team which will play together will come out on top," said Reyes, who is also gunning for his fourth All-Filipino title.

Agustin sees himself as an underdog once he is pitted against Reyes.

“Of course, nung nagsimula nga ako sabi nila kulang daw ako sa coaching experience, which is true. Talagang underdog ako as a coach, pero sa mga players ko, iba naman eh. Kapag ang players mo talented, ang gagawin mo lang is to motivate them. Because of my players’ finals experience, we’re gonna be fine. But I’ll just do my homework as a coach," said Agustin.

Reyes agrees with Agustin.

“Yes, experience may be a factor for me, but he has so many coaches on the floor like Olsen, Alex (Cabagnot), Dondon," said Reyes. “I have the advantage in experience, but Ato has the advantage in terms of unpredictability and that he may do things we’ve never
seen before."

But there’s more on Agustin that makes Reyes wary.

“Yes, there’s tremendous amount of apprehensions against coach Ato. Ang tawag ko nga dyan, Tiradang Jukebox. Tiradang Jukebox means ‘yung wala sa libro. Walang science. Larong kanto. When I was starting young, that was my approach. Kasi kung bata ka wala kang fear and not afraid to try new things. You’re not bound by conventions," said Reyes.

“Even when his time with San Sebastian, coach Ato has been on the ball or precise, as proof of that was during his team’s last game when he put Paul Artadi in to make the crucial stop against Ginebra. I’m getting more aware of it. Experience is good, but I cannot rely on it. For me. I have to be on my toes. Ang feeling ko ngayon is more of agam-agam, while I may have the experience in coaching, I have to be wary of what coach Ato will throw up," he added.

J-Wash’s personal battle

It’s not personal, but business as the way things go for giant firms like San Miguel Beer and Talk N Text. But for Jay Washington, the battle against the Texters, his former team, is all but personal.

“Actually, I’ve been waiting for this day. I had a rough time starting out with Talk N Text as a rookie," said the former top overall rookie in 2005, who was drafted by Air21 as the No.1 choice, but was traded to the Texters during Draft Day.

The next couple of years saw the 6-foot-7 Washington saddled with injuries, then found
himself got lost in the rotation on his third year.

“In my third year, I found myself like I was stuck and didn’t know how will I fit in at all. Going to San Miguel was like my saving grace. Being with San Miguel has been a great feeling so far. So for me, personally, it’s going to be a hard-fought series and this series is personal," said Washington.

Rey Joble, GMA News TV