La Salle fetes UAAP champion cagers in ring ceremony

MANILA, Philippines -- Five previous championship teams of the La Salle Green Archers were honored with championship rings Monday night at the La Salle campus.

The Taft-based school's championship teams of the 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2016 received their title rings.

San Juan City mayor Francis Zamora, who captained the back-to-back championship teams of 1998 and 1999, said they had two objectives for the ring ceremony.

“One is to give recognition to the players who brought glory to La Salle, specifically those who have not received their rings yet. The second, which is very important, we’re trying our best to inspire the current men’s basketball team to win the championship and to bring back the glory to La Salle,” Zamora said in a mix of English and Filipino.

“Hopefully, through this ring ceremony, they will aspire to be champions,” he added.

The current La Salle team will be facing the top-seeded UP Fighting Maroons in the UAAP Season 86 Finals.

The best-of-three clash will start Wednesday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

“We want them to be champions and to have their rings. We want them to have their own ring ceremony next year. More importantly, we want them to bring back the glory to La Salle,” the former skipper stressed.

“During our time, when you say the La Salle Green Archers, the first thing that enters the mind of people is that it is the strongest UAAP basketball team, and it was true… It was how it was during our time. Of course, we want to bring that kind of glory back,” he added.

Former La Salle head coach Franz Pumaren, who steered La Salle to four straight championships from 1998 to 2001, wished the current squad luck.

“I don’t know if this is the right timing to show you what we have accomplished, maybe you will be pressured. I hope you don’t get pressured,” Pumaren said.

“Good luck to the 2023 team. I think you have all the tools, the preparation and everything and hopefully, the trend tonight will start the ball kicking and be successful in this year’s edition of the UAAP,” he continued.

Meanwhile, current La Salle mentor Topex Robinson is confident that the his team would be inspired by the ring ceremony.

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