Topex Robinson may lead one-half of the La Salle-Ateneo feud, but he has a deep appreciation for his rival coach.
Whenever the UAAP men’s basketball tournament game schedules are released, it’s a habit for most (if not all) fans to scroll through the game days and keep an eye out for one matchup in particular: La Salle-Ateneo.
The rivalry between Green and Blue is arguably the most popular sports rivalry in the Philippines. Even fans who aren’t affiliated with either of the universities find themselves invested in this feud, and when the highly-anticipated La Salle-Ateneo basketball games finally roll around, it doesn’t matter where either of the teams sit on the standings. Regardless, everyone will be watching.
DLSU Head Coach Topex Robinson understands this on a deeper level.
“This is one thing that I will tell everybody right now: Ateneo will always be a scary team,” Robinson told The GAME. “They will always be a competitive team no matter what they have right now.”
This statement comes with no ifs or buts. It doesn’t matter that the Ateneo Blue Eagles are being criticized for their current form, as shown by their two losses to open UAAP Season 87, and it doesn’t matter that the DLSU Green Archers are the defending champions.
The UAAP Season 87 La Salle vs. Ateneo game will inevitably be among the hardest games to cop tickets for.
“I know Ateneo right now is [getting] a lot of flack because they’re not winning games. But if you know Ateneo as a culture of championships you will be scared of them. That’s why I always remind my players every time we play Ateneo that they will always be our worthy rivals,” Robinson added.
However, even though Topex recognizes their longstanding rivalry with Ateneo, he is quick to note that they are not enemies. In fact, he and Blue Eagles Head Coach Tab Baldwin are far from it.
Keep your rivals close
“Tab? I hate that guy,” Topex Robinson said with a playful smile during an exclusive interview with The GAME.
“I hate him because his strengths are always going to be my weaknesses. I hate him because he’s won a lot of championships, locally and internationally. I hate him because he’s coaching the other school.
“But I also love him because he’s not selfish with his knowledge and experiences, sharing it with me. I love him because he gave me a chance to represent the Philippines back in 2019. I love him up to now because he always makes sure that I’m okay. He’s one of the guys that I asked for advice when I took this job. I know Lasallians will hate me for loving an Atenean, but that is just the respect and love and admiration I have for Tab.”
The word “love” is not loosely thrown around when discussing the La Salle-Ateneo rivalry. But through the years, these two coaches have developed a unique friendship that has only gotten stronger by the fact that they share the weighty responsibility of leading two of the biggest college basketball programs in the country.
Their friendship became a topic of conversation last year when the Green Archers were battling the UP Fighting Maroons in the UAAP men’s basketball finals, a position the Blue Eagles were in just a year earlier.
After DLSU lost to UP by a shocking 30 points in Game 1 of the series, Baldwin sent Robinson a message of encouragement.
Coach Topex recalled, “He just told me to just to believe in what I do. He said there’s a reason you’re there. He didn’t tell me about Xs and Os, contrary to what other people were saying. He came when I needed him most, when I needed somebody to tell me that I’m still doing the right thing because losing Game 1 will really shake you. And I will forever be grateful for what he did. And I’m always going to be here telling people how I love and respect that guy. And that’s not going to change.”
With the rivaling sides getting ready for the first La Salle-Ateneo game of UAAP Season 87, taking place this Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena, it’s unlikely that Coach Topex and Coach Tab will be exchanging messages of advice anytime soon, especially with both teams with a heavy load this season — DLSU fighting to retain their title, and Ateneo fighting to get out of their early-season struggles.
But this is what is likely going to make the upcoming game just that much more exciting.
As Robinson explained, “There’s so much competition before and up to now and even when I’m gone coaching this team, Ateneo will always be a team that thrives and will always be a team that will win championships. You can lose to that team at any given time.”
Banner images from UAAP Media Bureau.