Rain or Shine coach Guiao says mind games played huge factor in winning PBA crown

After a six-year wait, Rain or Shine finally became a PBA champion last Sunday, using the mind game, through coach Yeng Guiao, as its biggest weapon against a foe many thought was unconquerable.

“I thought that the only advantage we had was we probably got into their heads,” Guiao told scribes after the din of the celebration announcing the long overdue coming of Rain or Shine as a PBA winner had cleared.

Guiao said he believed B-Meg couldn’t take the physical pounding of the series, even though the Llamados themselves announced it in their team shirts that they were heading into the best-of-seven title series as the tough guys.

The firebrand coach continued to pointing to the fact that it was his counterpart, Tim Cone, who literally asked the referees for help after just one game.  By that time, Guiao knew where they were hurting the Llamados, both literally and figuratively.

“I took advantage of that, rubbed it in (the mind of B-Meg) and gave our guys some confidence at that point,” he said, referring to Cone’s post-Game 1 plea to the referees that came with Guiao telling the world that his Painters’ toughness doesn’t come from just their shirts.

And then there was the “we will still win this series with or without Paul Lee” statement which was immortalized by the Governors’ Cup title.

“They (Llamados) had more talent than we did,” Guiao, who also won titles with Swift/Pop Cola and Red Bull, continued. “We played it psychologically.”

Rain or Shine completed a 4-3 triumph over fancied B-Meg with a Game 7 victory to remember. /inquirer