Yeng Guiao embraces the beauty of imperfection in basketball

For veteran coach Yeng Guiao, basketball is far from a game of perfection. Instead, it thrives in the chaos.

During his session at the Milcu Sports Got Skills Basketball Coaching Clinic on March 30, Guiao, a six-time PBA champion, shared insights on how teams should embrace imperfection, particularly when running primary and secondary breaks.

“It’s part of the learning process. You cannot really execute perfectly most of the time,” the 66-year-old mentor said at the Greenhills West Clubhouse. “I think the beauty is in the messiness itself, being able to cope with the imperfections. You can’t always execute perfectly, but that’s where the challenge is.”

Guiao firmly believes that success in basketball doesn’t come from flawless execution, but rather from how well a team manages its inevitable mistakes.

Yeng Guiao shares his coaching philosophy during the Milcu Sports Got Skills Basketball Coaching Clinic. [Milcu photo]

“So we have to embrace that, we have to accept that the team that wins is the team that manages their messiness better,” he added.

Guiao’s Proven Coaching Pedigree

A seasoned tactician in Philippine basketball, Guiao has had an illustrious coaching career spanning multiple PBA teams.

Red Bull (2000-2006) – Led the franchise to three PBA titles.
Rain or Shine (2011-present) – Won the 2012 Governors’ Cup and 2016 Commissioner’s Cup, and now spearheads a youth-driven rebuild.
Air21 and NLEX – Played key roles in developing young talents.
Gilas Pilipinas (2018-2019) – Coached the national team in the 2019 FIBA World Cup.

Currently, Guiao is back at Rain or Shine, guiding a promising core featuring Adrian Nocum, Andrei Caracut, Anton Asistio, and Gian Mamuyac.

Teaching the Next Generation of Coaches

While his resume speaks for itself, Guiao remains passionate about grassroots basketball and coaching education.

“I try to participate in coaching clinics as much as I can despite my busy schedule because I know how much Filipinos love the game,” he said.

Guiao believes that even casual fans can benefit from learning coaching principles, whether for understanding the game better or teaching the fundamentals to kids or community teams.

“Even at that level, it’s important that we teach the right things,” he emphasized.

At the end of the day, Guiao’s philosophy remains clear—basketball isn’t about avoiding mistakes but learning how to deal with them. And in that chaos, the real beauty of the game is found.