EDINBURG — Rene Borrego remembers one of the early conversations with RGV Vipers owner Alonzo Cantu, regarding his team.
“He was telling me what he would like me to do,” the Vipers’ chief financial officer said. “Then, he said he wanted to be like George Steinbrenner and the New YorkYankees in this league.”
After winning a fourth NBA G League championship — twice as many as the next-closest team — he’s well on his way. The numbers are comparable (with a slight edge for Cantu). Steinbrenner was principal and managing partner of the Yankees from 1973 until 2010. During that span, the Yankees won seven World Series and 11 American League pennants. The Yankees won their most recent World Series in 2009, and the Vipers won their first of four a season later, in 2010.
Cantu, Borrego and the rest of the RGV Vipers on Saturday returned home to Bert Ogden Arena to greet approximately 1,000 fans who came out to celebrate the most successful team in G League history. The Vipers swept the Delaware Blue Cots in their best-ofthree championship series. They won 145-128 at home Thursday and completed the series sweep with a 131-114 win Thursday in Delaware, setting up for Saturday’s celebration.
After introducing players, management and staff general manager Travis Stockbridge, Borrego, head coach Mahmoud Abdelfattah spoke to the crowd, talking about the season and what they described as “the best fans by far in the entire G League.”
“We’ve been everywhere, we’ve seen them all — and y’all are the best there is,” League and Finals MVP Trevelin Queen said. “This is for all of you.”
Since the beginning, the Vipers were created as a run-and-gun team that sprinted from the opening tip. No spot on the floor was off limits to take shots from. Their pace of play was called “the most running, gunning team pro basketball has ever seen,” by grantland.com in 2014. The article went on to say that ESPN stat guru Kevin Pelton has described their style of play as the “most extreme professional basketball in America.”
Their pace then, averaging 109 possessions per game, was faster than any NBA team in the previous two decades. The fastest NBA team in 2014, the Philadelphia 76ers, averaged 102.6 possessions per game and were described as “tortoises compared with RGV.”
Not much — if anything — has changed. In fact, Abdelfattah talked throughout the season at implementing ways to increase his team’s pace of play. The Vipers led the league in scoring, took early 100 shots per contest and almost rebound — which they also led the league in, both overall rebounds and offensive rebounds — either led directly to points or to instant fast-break opportunities.
While the celebration was a welcome home to this edition of the RGV Vipers, it was also somewhat a goodbye. Many of the players will be invited to summer camp, some may go play in Europe and others may sign an NBA contract. Maybe a couple will sign a two-way contract with the Rockets and play some games again in the Valley next year. Most of next year’s team, as in previous years, will be loaded with new faces.
Before the season began, at a team function, Cantu said the players should get their fingers measured for championship ring sizes, just in case. As players were having photos taken Saturday and greeting one another, some doing media interviews, Cantu walked up to Queen.
“We got it done. We brought it home, sir, for you,” Queen said.
Cantu smiled, shook Queen’s hand and thanked him. Then, he joked, in Steinbrenner-like fashion, “If we would’ve done the measurements, we would’ve had the rings here today, too.”
Borrego said the planning begins for next year’s season already as the Vipers look to bring home “one for the thumb” and begin their quest for championship No. 5.
To see more, view Monitor photojournalist Joel Martinez’s full photo gallery here:
