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| Bates during his playing days |
The Black Superman is back in Philippine basketball.
Billy Ray Bates has signed a deal to become part of the coaching staff of the Philippine Patriots in the ASEAN Basketball League, his manager Sheryl Reyes said on Sunday.
“He will start working with the Patriots as a skills coach beginning October 15,” Reyes told InterAKTV in a telephone interview. “We signed the contract on Friday.”
Patriots team manager confirmed the news and added that the deal is for one season.
“Yes, he already signed, but there are certain things that needs to be finalized on Monday,” said Arejola.
Bates came back to the country more than a week ago for his induction into the PBA Hall of Fame.
Downward spiral
One of the best imports to ever play the game, Bates ended up in the PBA after washing out of the NBA because of drug- and alcohol-related issues. He quickly found success in the Philippines, helping Crispa win the league’s second Grand Slam in 1983.
Bates’ success continued with Ginebra, which he led to the franchise’s first championship in 1986. But his wild ways soon caught up with him, as he found himself getting cut from the PBA in 1988 after subpar performances.
It has been downhill for Bates since his PBA stint. He spent several years in prison last decade after being convicted of assault, and was reportedly working as a janitor in the United States before coming to Manila.
Chance at redemption
Bates has been planning to come back to the Philippines for the longest time, hoping that old friends and fans who still remember his days as the PBA’s “Black Superman” would give him more gainful employment.
The Patriots, who won the inaugural season of the ABL before succumbing to the Chang Thailand Slammers last year, is looking to make a splash with the entry of another Philippine-based team, San Miguel Beer, into the league. The team, it would seem, considers the legendary Bates a marquee name.
Curiously, San Miguel will also be coached by another Hall of Fame PBA import, Bobby Parks.
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But Bates isn’t just looking at a coaching job. According to Reyes, the former import is also looking at getting into television.
“He’s interested to become a sports commentator for PBA,” said Reyes. “He has great knowledge analyzing the game.”
At least one former import and television analyst thinks Bates would do a good job.
“Yes, he is qualified,” said Norman Black, a fellow Hall of Fame import who had several classic battles with Bates in the 1980s. “His presence might give color and added excitement to the coverage and the PBA in general.”
NEW ENDORSEMENT DEAL
Source : Reynaldo Belen, InterAKTV
Apart from signing a deal to be a skills coach for the Philippine Patriots in the ASEAN Basketball League, the Hall of Fame import has met with officials of Grosby Shoes, the maker of Bates’ signature sneakers from his Ginebra days.
“They’re launching Black Superman II,” said Bates’ agent, Sheryl Reyes.
In the 1980s, Grosby released the Black Superman, the first pair of shoes named after a PBA player, because of Bates’ immense popularity after leading Ginebra to the franchise’s first championship. Grosby was manufactured by Rubberworld, the local manufacturer of brands such as Adidas, Mighty Kid, and Dunlop. The brand’s endorsers at the time included PBA superstars such as Mon Fernandez and Atoy Co, but Bates was the only player for whom a shoe was named.
A lookalike of Nike’s Air Force shoes, the Black Superman sneakers became a quick hit among the country’s basketball-crazy populace and is still fondly remember by PBA fans from the era.
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