Jimmy Alapag returns to PBA as new NLEX head coach

MANILA, Philippines – One of the most decorated players in PBA history returns home.

Jimmy Alapag is back in the country following a stint in the NBA as he signed as the new head coach of PBA team NLEX, the Road Warriors announced on Monday, June 29.

The 48-year-old Alapag takes over the coaching reins from Jong Uichico beginning with the 2026 Governors’ Cup that will tip off on July 10. 

“Coach Jimmy brings valuable experience from an NBA organization, a strong basketball philosophy, and a player-centered approach that we believe can help elevate the team to the next level,” NLEX wrote on its social media accounts.

“This move is about strengthening the program, combining fresh perspectives with continuity, and giving ourselves the best opportunity to achieve our goal of becoming a championship-caliber team.”

By joining the Road Warriors, Alapag has been part of all three PBA franchises under the MVP Group.

Alapag is best remembered for his 12-season stint with TNT, which drafted him 10th overall in 2003, as he led the team to six championships, two of which he emerged as the Finals Most Valuable Player.

It was also with TNT when Alapag won the 2011 MVP award and three Mythical First Team selections and starred for Gilas Pilipinas, helping the country qualify for the 2014 FIBA World Cup after a 36-year absence from the global hoops showdown. 

Alapag, a member of the 50 Greatest PBA Players, became the first TNT player whose jersey number — No. 3 — the franchise retired. 

Following a brief retirement in 2015, Alapag got traded to Meralco, with which he spent his final season and overtook league icon Allan Caidic for most career three-pointers in PBA history with 1,250.

His record was eventually eclipsed by San Miguel guard Marcio Lassiter in 2024. 

Transitioning into coaching, Alapag steered Alab Pilipinas to the ASEAN Basketball League championship in 2018. 

Alapag left the Philippines with his family at the height of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 to chase his coaching aspirations in the NBA, first starting out as an assistant coach for the Sacramento Kings in the Summer League and the Stockton Kings in the G League in 2021. 

He then joined the Kings’ NBA coaching staff in 2023 as a player development coach, a post he held until the end of the 2025-26 season.

At NLEX, Alapag is tasked to bring a franchise that has failed to advance past the quarterfinals over the last five years to new heights. – Rappler.com