MANILA – Lewis Alfred “LA” Tenorio is likely putting an end to his professional basketball career after being appointed as the new head coach of the Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots.
San Miguel Corporation sports director Alfrancis Chua confirmed the development on Monday night saying that Tenorio will take the place of Chito Victolero.
“Yes, actually that was planned a month ago. Biniro ko lang siya (while he was coaching Gilas Pilipinas Youth) sa SEABA, dun nagsimula ‘yun,” Chua told the media on Monday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“Everybody knows he is a very intelligent guy, very smart. We are not expecting that much, bago pa lang si LA, but we are sure he will be a good coach,” he added. “Hindi na siya bata, 40 na nga eh.”
The appointment could mark the end of Tenorio’s remarkable 19-year PBA playing career highlighted by eight PBA championships, four Finals MVP trophies, and a Best Player of the Conference award.
Tenorio started his PBA career with the San Miguel Beermen franchise in 2006 before he was traded two years later to the Alaska Aces, where he won his first league championship.
In 2012, the Aces traded him to the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings, where he spend the rest of his PBA career and won his seven other championships and other awards.
Tenorio was previously dubbed as the PBA’s “Iron Man” for playing 744 consecutive games since he started his pro career. It only stopped on March 1, 2023 after he suffered a groin injury.
The Nasugbu, Batangas native was later sidelined for almost half a year for the Gin Kings after being diagnosed with a stage 3 colon cancer.
Apart from his new job with the Hotshots, Tenorio also served as head coach for Gilas Pilipinas Youth and an assistant coach to Tim Cone at the Gilas Pilipinas national men’s basketball team./PN
