Bumuhos agad ang tributes, pagkilala at pakikidalamhati nang pumutok ang balita na pumanaw na si legendary coach Virgilio ‘Baby’ Dalupan, 92, kahapon, Miyerkules.
Siya ang Maestro at Alamat sa Philippine basketball.
Giniyahan ni Dalupan ang UE Red Warriors sa pagtatayo ng dynasty sa UAAP – tinuhog ang pitong sunod na kampeonato mula 1965-1971. Wala pang nakakapantay nito sa UAAP, pinakamalapit ang five-peat ng Ateneo nitong 2000’s.
Kasama sa UE dynasty ni coach Baby noon si Sonny Jaworski.
Pagkatapos sa UE, minandunahan din ni coach Baby ang Blue Eagles sa back-to-back titles noong ’75-’76.
Giniyahan niya ang Crispa Redmanizers sa ilang kampeonato sa MICAA at National Open, bago pumasok ang Danny Floro squad sa PBA. Dito lalong nakilala ang husay ni Dalupan nang mabuo ang Crispa-Toyota rivalry.
Si Dalupan ang unang Grand Slam coach ng PBA, inihatid din sa titulo ang Great Taste at Purefoods.
Sa kabuuan, may 15 PBA titles si Dalupan na matagal naging record at pamantayan ng coaches hanggang basagin ng ngayon ng Ginebra coach na si Tim Cone.
Tweet ni Cone (@manilacone): “I just now heard about Coach Baby’s passing. I’m so heartbroke. We lost a truly good man and the greatest coach. I will miss him terribly.”
Nilagyan ni Cone ang tweet ng hashtag na #GOAT – Greatest Of All Time.
“What I will remember about coach Baby is how far ahead of his time he was, and what a wonderful father he was to his daughters. #GOAT,” aniya pa.
Noong 2003, dumalo si Dalupan sa Crispa-Toyota reunion game sa Araneta na inorganisa ng PBA.
Hindi na siya naglalalabas dahil lumabo ang paningin. Sa kanyang 92nd birthday noong nakaraang taon, daan-daang players, coaches, kaibigan at fans ang dumalo nang i-launch niya ang kanyang libro.
Tinawag ni PBA commissioner Chito Narvasa si Dalupan bilang “Philippine basketball hero” na kanyang coach at mentor, at “Father of all Basketball Coaches.”
“Imaginative mentor, an artist with delicate brush strokes molding obscure fellows into methodical, conspiring cage killers” ang deskripsiyon kay coach Baby.
“All throughout his career, he conducted himself with integrity, dignity, class, decency and respect for others,” bahagi ng statement ni Narvasa. “Yet inspite of all his achievements and recognitions, the man remained incredibly humble. He raised the prestige of a basketball coach so high that he inspired many others to follow in his footsteps.”
Isa sa naging players ni coach Baby sa Great Taste, ang hot-shooting na si Fil-Am Ricky Brown, ang isa sa mga unang nag-post sa Facebook ng pagsaludo sa dating mentor.
“A true iconic, Philippine Basketball legend like no other left us all last evening. You can rest in peace now, coach,” anang binansagang ‘The Quick Brown Fox’.
Ang mga labi ni Coach Baby ay ilalagak sa Ateneo College Chapel umpisa ngayong 4:00 p.m.