For Ric Elias, it has been a historic season, with much to celebrate, for the Criollos de Caguas.
After 15 years off the court, the team got off to a strong start, reaching several milestones in the 2024 Baloncesto Superior Nacional (BSN) season:
7 consecutive wins at the start of the season
10 sellouts in the regular season
Travis Trice named league MVP
Reaching the semifinals
Ric Elias, owner of the Criollos de Caguas, grew up playing basketball and, in part because of his 6-foot-4 frame, stood out in high school and began to improve his game. Since then, he developed a love for the sport that gave him lessons no one "could take away if it weren't for basketball," as well as a third language: according to Elias in an interview with Platea on the podcast Punto Aparte, he speaks "English, Spanish and basketball."
Every time Elias visits the Criollos' court, it feels like a high school reunion. His two partners, John Herrero and Omar Vargas, have been friends since secondary school.
"We've had a great time, we've laughed, we've enjoyed it … many childhood friends are part owners of the team, and they all invested, and we all sit there together, and it's like bringing that community back together. Going there is like going to a high school reunion every time. What's better than that?" Elias added.
The businessman says the team's resounding success was the result of a culture built on three foundations instilled in every player from the moment he took charge: team first, competitive character, and being the smartest team.
"In the first meeting, besides giving them the three principles, I said, look, I want you, when you leave here, to say, [that] was one of the best teams I've ever played on in my life," Elias recalled.
From the outset, according to Elias, the first ingredient in the Criollos' success was luck: having healthy players, being able to bring them together from the start, and getting through a healthy season. Building a culture within the team, on the other hand, was the thread connecting all those strokes of luck.
"There's a saying that goes, teams can have a goal, but franchises have culture. And we came in with the first principle of saying, we're going to establish a very clear culture here," Elias said.
The keys to the Criollos' success
Team first
"Nobody is above the team." As the team began to adapt to the Criollos' new philosophy, early discipline and difficult but necessary decisions became teaching and learning opportunities.
That mindset cemented a sense of unity among the players, one they now demonstrate through an unmatched chemistry on the court, under the direction of Wilhemus Caanen.
Travis Trice expressed it as well when he received recognition as the season's Most Valuable Player: "It means teamwork. I have this award because of every one of them."
Competitive character
Elias also implemented what is known as competitive character, the same concept used by Boston Celtics general manager Brad Stevens. "It's not about who plays the hardest. Competitive character is what you do when no one is watching. It's when you're winning by 20 and you show up early the next day. It's when you're losing by 20 and you show up early the next day."
Being the smartest team
Understanding each player's strengths and vulnerabilities, using data, following principles and playing efficiently is how the Criollos become a smarter team, Elias explained.
Honoring roots and finding purpose
Coming together as a team on the court is only the tip of the iceberg. Another way the Criollos have strengthened their ranks is by building closer ties with the town of Caguas.
"You have to take care of the roots, the roots have to grow deep," Elias says, underscoring the importance of leaving a mark on the community. "Yesterday, before practice, Willie (Wilhemus Caanen) and Cuco (Christian López Santiago) were at a school teaching. But it's just the beginning. We want the Criollos to be a force for good," he adds.
Moving Forward
Backing the Criollos franchise is one of the projects the founder and CEO of Red Ventures envisions for Puerto Rico's future. The Caguas team is part of Forward, a platform that grew out of the experience of Hurricane María and creates economic development opportunities on the Island.
"Forward is a youth movement, an investment movement, a growth movement, an optimism movement. And what better channel to do that through than sports. Sports connect us, they connect us much better than other things," Elias explains.
Through the success of the Criollos and the multiple projects under the Forward umbrella, Elias wants to clear the path for the next generation.
"Forward is the belief that this country belongs to the next generation and that the best thing my generation can do is give them every opportunity to return to their country, to bring people from other countries, but above all, to create the Puerto Rico that we all wish for but not all of us know how to build," he concluded.
This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
