AT AGE 36, Ginebra’s court general has seen just about everything there is to see in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). Despite that, don’t expect him to sing a swan song anytime soon as he is keen on playing at least three more years in the pro league.
"Sa tingin ko, kaya ko pa ng good three, four years siguro na sobrang effective at pwede pang tumulong, pero Diyos lang makakaalam nun. More on the physical side na ako eh, parang mind over body na ako kasi pag bata ka, ratrat ka lang at papakita mo yung kaya mo (I think I can still play and remain effective for three or four more years. But that’s all up to the Lord. It depends more on the physical side)," Tenorio said during an appearance on the 2OT webcast.
Even after spending all this time in the pros after he was selected fourth overall in the 2006 PBA Draft, Tenorio says he still room to grow, both as a basketball player and as a coach. Tenorio currently serves as an assistant on the Letran Knights in the NCAA.
"Nagkaroon lang ng opportunity mag-coach sa Letran kasi San Miguel, Petron din ang sponsor. Nagkaroon ako ng opportunity knowing na makakatulong at makaka-inspire ako, especially sa aspiring players sa college (I had the opportunity to coach at Letran because San Miguel and Petron were its sponsors. I grabbed the opportunity knowing that I could teach and inspire the young players in college)," Tenorio revealed.
He added that the experience has been a give-and-take one as he admitted learning some things from the young players.
"Ang nangyari, ako ang maraming natututunan sa kanila. Marami akong naa-absorb sa kanila na mga bagong moves, mga techniques ng bata na kaya kong gayahin (What happened instead is that I was the one who got to learn a lot of things like moves and techniques that I could use)," he added.
However, in as much as he enjoys coaching, Tenorio emphasized that he is not ready to hang up his sneakers just yet.
"Hindi ko pa naiiisip yung future sa coaching. Nakikita ko ang sarili ko na mag-coach pero hindi ko pa fino-focus yun (I haven’t really thought about my future in coaching. I could see myself doing it but I haven’t focused on it yet)," Tenorio shared.
With his career winding down to its last few years, Tenorio said he’s keen on winning several more championships, especially for his teammates who have yet to win any.
"Siguro naman sa career ko ngayon, wala na akong kailangang i-prove. I just want to win a lot of championships now, not for me but my teammates, lalo na sa mga teammates ko na di pa nakakaranas ng championship (I think I don’t have anything else to prove anymore at this point of my career. I just want to win a lot of championships especially for my teammates who have yet to experience that)," he said. (JNP)