Can CJ Cansino Become the Next Face of the PBA?

For 50 years, the Philippine Basketball Association has produced its share of greats – officially the league’s 50 Greatest Players, and unofficially even more – but only a handful have truly become the face of the league.

Winning championships and collecting individual awards are not always enough. The PBA has always searched for players who represent something larger: charisma, connection with fans, and the ability to carry the league’s identity on their shoulders.

Undoubtedly, the Living Legend, Robert “The Big J” Jaworski, was that figure for a long time. His name was mentioned in the same breath as the PBA. From the time he was playing – and later serving as player-coach of the league’s most popular team, Ginebra San Miguel – he stood as the face of Asia’s pioneering professional basketball league.

His charisma was unmatched. Whether you loved him or hated him, Jaworski’s popularity was infectious, and it rubbed off on his team, Ginebra.

The never-say-die phrase became a brand, a symbol that no other team has truly claimed but Jaworski’s squad. That legacy has been passed on to the next generation of Ginebra players, but it is still largely credited to the man who was once considered bigger than the league itself.

Twenty-three years. That was the time Jaworski spent seeing action in the PBA, and he retired as the oldest active player in league history, having played in a game at age 50.

Jaworski’s shoes were too big to fill, but one player who succeeded him as the face of the franchise was four-time PBA Most Valuable Player and fellow Hall of Famer Alvin Patrimonio.

Like The Big J, Patrimonio carried a similar blockbuster appeal – both inside the court and even on the big screen.

It was a time when professional basketball players were adored by the public in much the same way as personalities from the showbiz circuit, and both Jaworski and Patrimonio managed to cross that line.

They became celebrities in sports and showbusiness alike.

Away from the spotlight, Patrimonio also learned the value of making fans feel special.

It was one of the lessons he picked up from one of his boyhood idols when he entered the big league.

“Ang sabi niya sa akin (Jaworski), yung ibang fans dyan, nag-ipon pa talaga ng pera dahil galing sila sa malalayong lugar para panoorin ka,” said Patrimonio. “If you don’t play, if hindi mo ibinigay yung best mo sa paglalaro, you’re going to let them down.”

Patrimonio’s good looks were matched by his game. On the court, he was a beast. He was the biggest star of the 1990s, a decade in which he collected all four of his MVP awards on top of winning six championships.

Patrimonio retired as one of only three players to score more than 15,000 points in his career and remains the enduring face of the old Purefoods franchise.

The PBA did not have to look far for The Captain’s heir apparent.

James Yap, who burst onto the PBA scene in 2004 and even had the opportunity to briefly play alongside Patrimonio, possessed that same powerful fan appeal. It was hardly surprising that Big Game eventually succeeded the PBA great-turned-team executive.

Within the old Purefoods franchise, Yap became its biggest star not only because of his off-court charisma and appeal to the fans, but also because of his extraordinary skill set. It helped that early in his career he was linked to popular movie and television personality Kris Aquino.

Twice, Yap became the league’s Most Valuable Player – in 2006 and 2010 – and served as the cornerstone of a franchise where he won seven championships. He cemented his legacy even further when he became an integral part of San Mig Coffee’s grand slam team in 2014 under then head coach Tim Cone.

Eventually, age and injuries began to take their toll on Yap’s game.

June Mar Fajardo and Scottie Thompson could easily have filled that role, but something seems missing for two players who have otherwise been central to their teams’ success.

Fajardo owns a record nine MVP awards and has led San Miguel to multiple championships.

Thompson, himself an MVP winner, plays for the league’s most popular team, Barangay Ginebra, where he has also won several titles.

Yet the role of being the league’s standard-bearer requires something beyond numbers. Both players carry quiet, reserved personalities, and that may be one reason the label of “face of the league” has eluded them.

The PBA still appears to be searching for the player who fits the bill.

The former University of the Philippines standout did not make a huge splash during his rookie season last year. Even Meralco supporters did not expect much from a player who had to fight for minutes against more established veterans such as Chris Newsome and Allein Maliksi.

But in the season-opening Philippine Cup, Cansino surprised everyone – including himself. Suddenly, PBA fans began to see the outline of a player who could become the next big thing.

In the just-concluded conference, Cansino improved by leaps and bounds.

Physically, he transformed from a slim guard into a player with lean, well-defined muscle, giving him the strength needed to battle with the bigger bodies in the league.

“He has really elevated his game the whole conference. From last season, he has gained 20 pounds and you can see the improvement in his points of attack,” said Meralco head coach Luigi Trillo.

“I think he could become the face of the PBA or one of the faces of the PBA. He’s very humble and he has a lot of fans because of the way he carries himself.”

Diego Lozano, the Bolts’ strength and conditioning coach, said the added weight was all muscle, a transformation that boosted Cansino’s upper-body strength and helped raise his game to another level.

“Well, he spent the offseason committed to getting better in every aspect, particularly his strength and size. He worked with our nutritionist and they came up with a plan and was consistent with it. That involved not only training hard, but also making sure he’s getting in enough calories to facilitate size and strength gains and facilitate adequate recovery,” Lozano said.

The physical improvements soon translated into noticeable changes in Cansino’s game.

“In terms of his game, we’ve always considered CJ a skill-type player. After speaking to him and watching his game, his biggest realization was the difference between the college and pro game. He always felt he had the ability to execute those skills, but sometimes was limited by bigger and stronger athletes in the PBA, unlike in the college ranks,” Lozano added.

“This is something me and some of the veterans were telling him from the start. But another thing that really helped him was Coach Nenad (Vucinic) and the veterans like Chris Newsome and Cliff Hodge, who challenged him to be more than just a scorer. We knew he had the potential to be an excellent two-way player and he had the perfect example and captain in front of him every day in Newsome.”

With Cansino absorbing everything like a sponge, he has gradually become a focal point of Meralco’s offense.

“I guess it was evident in his improvement not only offensively, but defensively as well. He was able to do what he wanted on offense without being pushed around and was able to be strong enough to handle guarding players in the 1-3 positions,” Lozano added.

Cansino became one of the biggest reasons Meralco returned to the Final Four.

In the Bolts’ semifinal series against TNT Tropang 5G, he carried much of the scoring load, averaging 18.8 points per game and emerging as the team’s top gun, especially with Newsome sidelined by a knee injury.

Cansino admitted that reaching the semifinals helped erase a personal doubt he had carried since last season.

“At least napatunayan ko hindi ako yung malas,” Cansino said. “Last year kasi, hindi kami nakakapasok ng semifinals, but now we were able to make it to the semis. Kailangan ko ito para ma-establish ko yung pangalan ko sa PBA. Happy ako na nakatulong ako sa team.

“Ang gusto ko dito yung experience na binibigay ng semis, lalo na makakatulong ito sa growth ko as a player. Ito yung mas pinagtutuunan ko ng pansin. Pinakaimportante sa akin yung experience.”

Throughout the conference, Cansino was a steady presence for the Bolts.

Still, CJ knows his work is not finished.

“I know sa sarili ko na offensively, may kakayanan naman talaga ako, but in Meralco we know how we preach defense and I know para tumagal ka sa liga, you need to be a two-way player,” he said. “Siguro, that’s one thing that I need to continuously work on, how to become a better defensive player.”

The semifinal series against TNT was a clear sign that Cansino had taken his game to another level – not only in how he plays, but in how he connects with fans eager to see the next face of the PBA.

You could feel it whenever he touched the ball. Anticipation built with every move and every shot he took. Each time Cansino scored, the crowd erupted – and not just the Meralco supporters, but even fans of the opposing teams.

“Shoutout to CJ. He was playing confident basketball down the stretch, which was really impressive considering how long he’s been in this league,” said TNT guard Jordan Heading. “But as a competitor, he brought the best in me in a couple of possessions there.”

Heading stole the ball from Cansino in a crucial moment, then converted a short stab that helped TNT create a six-point swing in the dying seconds to pull away for a 99-96 win in Game 5 of their best-of-seven semifinal series.

The loss spoiled what was otherwise a career night for Cansino, who poured in a personal-best 36 points.

Trillo believes Cansino shares some traits with the league’s past marquee stars.

“I see more of Alvin and James Yap in him,” Trillo said. “He is very accommodating to the fans. He’s patient with them and spends time with them, which is a good thing.”

For Trillo, it may only be a matter of time before Cansino grows into the league’s next leading figure.

His advice is simple.

“Just be himself,” Trillo said, having witnessed Patrimonio and Yap carry the torch as two of the PBA’s most bankable stars.

It is easy to bring up the names of Juan Gomez de Liaño, the flashy rookie now playing for Converge, and Magnolia’s rising star Zav Lucero as players capable of capturing the attention of fans.

Juan GDL made an immediate splash during his rookie conference: 19 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 7.2 assists per game.

Lucero’s numbers were equally strong, averaging a double-double of 17.0 points and 10.0 rebounds.

But what separates Cansino from them may be less about skill and more about demeanor.

Gomez de Liano’s strong all-around game comes with a certain swagger, something that sometimes walks the line between confidence and showmanship.

There was once a debate over who deserved to be the face of the PBA between James Yap and Mark Caguioa. Many leaned toward Yap because of his humility and the way he embraced fans. He was also more open and patient with the media, traits he likely picked up from his former teammate and later team manager, Patrimonio.

In Lucero’s case, his game still needs to create a bigger impact on the court, and off it he will need to connect more with casual PBA fans looking for players they can easily relate to.

For now, the league continues to search for its next true standard-bearer.

But when Cansino touches the ball and the crowd rises in anticipation, it becomes easier to imagine that the search may already be nearing its end.

Craving for more CJ Cansino? Check out our magazine cover profile with him:

Under the hood with CJ Cansino