Tony wants to assume leadership role

PBA teams are complicated organizations and players do not only contribute by playing well on the court. They can also contribute by being positive influences not only during games but also during practices; by motivating teammates to work and play harder; and by exercising leadership among fellow players.

Being one of Alaska’s veteran players Tony Dela Cruz, who is 30 years old, sees the need for him to contribute more to help the Aces succeed in the PBA.

“I have been with Alaska for a couple of years and the guys would respect me when I speak up. They would know that I am not coming down on them because of personal reasons. That I am coming down on them for the benefit of the team. I want to come back and be more of a leader where if I see something I will be able to speak up,” said Tony who confessed that he regretted not speaking up in the last championship series against the Talk N Text Phone Pals.

“Right before that game I did not say anything. I think I should have said something to the group. Although were tired, were mentally and emotionally drained, and were up 2-0 it was not the time to relax. If we had a killer instinct and tried harder in Game 3 it might have changed the whole complexion of the series,” said Tony.

Talk N Text easily routed Alaska in Game 3 and Tony believes that the ease of the victory gave the Talk N Text players confidence and belief in themselves.

Looking back Tony said that if he had spoken up, he could have exhorted the Alaska players to play harder in Game 3.

“The Talk N Text players regained their confidence after that easy victory,” said Tony. “That game was a blowout and that gave them back their swagger. Even if we did not win Game 3 we should have made it hard for Talk N Text to win. That way they would think twice and be more wary and less confident against us.”

Tony is one of few Fil-Ams who had an actual stint in the US NCAA. He was the Shell Turbo Chargers’ direct-hire recruit into the league in 1999. He became a legitimate PBA All-Star player with Shell and was dealt to the Aces prior to Shell’s exit from the PBA before the start of the 2005-2006 season.

Tony can play multiple positions from point guard to power forward. He can put the ball on the floor and drive to the basket when needed but is most effective when he can catch and shoot from anywhere on the court, from about 10 to 25 feet.

Tony is a former member of the RP National Basketball Team. He is popular among fans and well-liked by fellow players not only among the Alaska Aces but the other teams as well.

The Philippine Cup ended in disappointment for the Alaska Aces but the shocker was the early exit in the Fiesta Conference. Tony is hard-pressed to find the reason for the poor performance of the team in the second conference.

“We had the very short break after the championship series. We could not get Rosel (Ellis) right away. The format of the conference involved so many breaks. We did not have time to get momentum. Then there were the injuries. I was injured. Rey (Hugnatan) suffered from injury. Sonny (Thoss) was hurt. There was the national team and our key guys (Sonny and Willie Miller) had to leave. I think our poor performance was caused by a combination of many things,” said Tony.

The past season however was not all doom and gloom. There were many positives and among the positives is that Tony is now 100 percent healthy.

“For months I kept telling our trainers that my knee did not feel the same. I kept asking when I would be able to run up and down the court. When could I do this and that? And they told me to just be patient and just continue to do the things needed for me to get better. They were right about everything and I am now 100 percent healthy. The injury taught me patience. I know that I will now be able to deal with adversity better,” said Tony.

The season ended early for Alaska but Tony knows that everything happens for a reason and that if they learn from the experiences of the past year the Alaska Aces are now a better team than they ever were.

“This is the kind of season where the players come back better the next year. We were two points away from winning the championship in the Philippine Cup. The Fiesta Conference was a big disappointment. We learned a lot as a team from those two conferences. I know this will put us in a mindset and position to win a championship next season,” said Tony.