LIKE everyone who played under him, coach Yeng Guiao's legendary temperament was what initially struck Juami Tiongson.
But later on, he felt too, Guiao's legendary compassion for his players.
The Terra Firma guard acknowledged how Guiao helped evolve his game and made him a better player in the PBA today.
Tiongson actually did the same props to his current Dyip coach Johnedel Cardel.
"What's nice about coach Yeng and si coach John ngayon, they let me be creative with my game, parang pinabayaan lang nila ako," Tiongson related.
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"Hindi nila ako nilagay sa isang structure na 'diyan ka lang," he added. "So very thankful ako na ini-expand nila yung game ko."
It was Guiao who gave the PBA career of the 29-year-old Tiongson a reboot when he plucked him from the D-League as a free agent in 2017 to play for NLEX.
The four-time UAAP champion from Ateneo was selected at no. 12 (first round) by Blackwater during the 2014 draft and played for three seasons with the Elite.
He had a brief stint with AMA Online Education when the call for a PBA return came from the Road Warriors.
Playing for Guiao for the first time, Tiongson looked back with a big laugh about his impression with the 61-year-old champion coach from Pampanga.
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"Very memorable talaga kay coach Yeng," a smiling Tiongson said. "Pag dumaan ka kay coach Yeng, I'm sure, same lang ang sasabihin natin doon sa pinag-sasabi sa amin. Things I can't say (in public)."
But that doesn't take away either, the contributions made by other coaches from the past in his playing career, great mentors like Jamike Jarin in high school and Norman Black in college.
"Lahat ng pinag-daanan kong coach ang dami kong natutunan," Tiongson said. "Every coach naman I learned a lot of things from them." (RG)
