LA Tenorio could follow in Robert Jaworski’s footsteps as a player-coach at Magnolia

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel icon LA Tenorio is officially moving into management after being named the new head coach of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) team, the Magnolia Hotshots, on Monday, July 28.

San Miguel Corporation sports director Alfrancis Chua announced Tenorio’s appointment, revealing that the decision to hire the 40-year-old was made by management a month ago. He also noted that Tenorio has not yet officially retired from basketball, and that decision has not been discussed.

“He didn’t say that he is retired. He is not going to hang his jersey, but coaching is a very difficult job — that’s full-time. But you never know, if a point guard gets injured, we might have him play,” Chua told the media.

Tenorio most recently made headlines when he hit a miracle shot as Barangay Ginebra stunned San Miguel, 88–87, coming from behind as Tenorio drained a game-winning three-pointer to seal a dramatic victory. The 40-year-old veteran changed the course of the game after coming off the bench in the fourth quarter to score 11 points — including the clutch shot with 3.1 seconds left on the clock.

Tenorio, who has seen limited action for Ginebra in the Philippine Cup, made the most of his time on the court. He played just 9 minutes and 40 seconds but made an immediate impact, shooting 4-of-5 from the field, including a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc, while also adding two rebounds and two assists.

#WATCH: BAGONG COACH, BAGONG GOVERNOR

A new chapter begins for Magnolia as SMC sports director Alfrancis Chua names LA Tenorio as head coach and promotes Jason Webb to team governor 🏀#ReadMore 👉 https://t.co/A8nSoUKABS

📹 Justine Bacnis/Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/dKjKbZuScD

— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) July 28, 2025

Chua added that he even floated the idea of Tenorio serving as a playing coach, especially after witnessing his heroics from the sidelines.

“After he played that good game, I told him to become a playing coach. But LA said he doesn’t want to because he might get booed by Barangay Ginebra fans. His heart is still with Ginebra. So I hope our dear Ginebra fans understand the decision of the management,” Chua added.

There is speculation that Tenorio could follow in the footsteps of PBA icon Robert Jaworski, who famously won three PBA championships as a playing coach for Barangay Ginebra and remained active in the league until he was 50 years old.

“He might be the second Jaworski — we can’t say. We’ll see. We’ll talk about it and plan what’s best for his career and the future of Magnolia,” Chua concluded.

Tenorio now faces a tough task with Magnolia, as the Hotshots last won a PBA championship in 2018 and failed to make it past the quarterfinal stage last season.

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