Handa na si Jimmy Alapag na mamuno sa isang koponan sa Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) matapos ang mahigit limang taong karanasan bilang bahagi ng coaching staff sa National Basketball Association (NBA).
Ang dating player development coach ng Sacramento Kings ang kapalit ni Jong Uichico bilang coach ng NLEX Road Warriors.
Ang NLEX ay nasa ilalim ng MVP Group, ang conglomerate na kanyang pinagsilbihan sa buong PBA playing career niya.
“Unang-una, I think it just felt like it was the right time,” ani Alapag matapos siyang pormal na italagang head coach ng Road Warriors. “You know, almost six years in the NBA, I’ve had an opportunity to see a lot, to learn a lot, and I know how much it’s allowed me to grow, not just as a husband, as a father, but also as a coach.”
“And so to have an opportunity to come back home and be able to pour all of that knowledge and all that wisdom that I’ve gained in the NBA and to pour that back into Philippine basketball, it felt like now was the right time,” dagdag ng 48-anyos na bagong PBA coach.
Naniniwala si Alapag na umunlad ng kanyang coaching skills mula nang sumali siya sa Sacramento franchise noong 2021, kung saan una siyang nagsilbi bilang assistant coach ng Stockton Kings, ang G League affiliate ng Sacramento.
Makalipas ang tatlong taon, na-promote siya sa pangunahing koponan ng Kings sa NBA bilang player development coach, na hinawakan niya ng tatlong taon.
“I learned a lot, for sure. I think when I was just the detail, the detail in everything that the staff and the players do,” ani ng 2011 PBA Most Valuable Player.
Matapos magretiro bilang manlalaro noong 2016, tumuon siya sa coaching at pinangunahan ang Alab Pilipinas sa pagkapanalo ng kampeonato sa 2017 ASEAN Basketball League.
Naging bahagi rin siya ng coaching staff ng Meralco at San Miguel bago nagtungo sa Estados Unidos kasama ang buong pamilya noong 2020.
Nakapagtrabaho rin si Alapag sa ilalim ng dating Kings head coach at kasalukuyang New York Knicks champion mentor na si Mike Brown, gayundin sa dating Kings associate head coach at kasalukuyang Brooklyn Nets head coach na si Jordi Fernandez.
“It’s really almost broken down into a science, how detailed everything is. And it’s one of the many things that I learned from coach Brown in terms of his preparation for us as coaches, in terms of preparing for a team, developing players, breaking down film, scouting the opponent,” kwento ni Alapag.
“And I learned so much from him, together with Jordi Fernandez. So I think those probably stand out the most. And again, he’s, you know, he’s been in the finals, I believe, twice and now being an NBA champion,.”
Ngayon, nakatutok na si Alapag sa malaking hamon na ma-ipatupad ang mga natutunan niya sa NBA sa pagsisimula ng Road Warriors sa kampanya nito sa Governors’ Cup.
Una silang sasabak sa opening kontra Macau Giant Pandas sa opening sa Hulyo 10 sa Ynares Center Antipolo.