GIN KINGS JOIN ELITE PBA GROUP
Ball clubs with 10 or more championships in the 4-decade-old league
THE Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings repeated as Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Governors’ Cup champions on Friday after besting the Meralco Bolts, 101- 96, in their winner-take-all Game Seven at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan. And it was a triumph that allowed the franchise to join an elite group of ball clubs in Asia’s first play- for- pay league.
With the win producing its 10th PBA title in franchise history, Barangay Ginebra is now part of a hallowed grouping of franchises with 10 or more titles copped in the four-decade-old league.
The Kings joined the San Miguel, Alaska, Purefoods and Crispa franchises in the 10-andabove group while also breaking off from a tie for joint fifth place with Toyota at nine championships won.
San Miguel remains as the winningest ball club with 24 titles, followed by Alaska with 14 and Purefoods and Crispa with 13 each.
Barangay Ginebra’s latest conquest is the second PBA crown the team has won under coach Tim Cone, who joined the Kings in 2015. It is also the 20th league title for Mr. Cone, further solidifying his standing as the most successful coach in the local pro league.
In winning their 10th PBA title, the Kings had to hang on tight as the Bolts simply did not bow without a fight.
While they led the contest from start to finish, the Kings had to deal with a resilient Bolts crew which kept crowding them and made a ferocious charge in the end that had Barangay Ginebra admitting to have been “worried.”
In the end though, the Kings would stay firm, led by Finals most valuable player LA Tenorio and import Justin Brownlee, to annex the title.
Mr. Tenorio led the Kings with 26 points, going five- of- eight from beyond the arc, while Mr. Brownlee, who also led team to the Governors’ Cup title in 2016, finished with 23 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
STILL NOT DONE
Not surprising, the team is taking special pride in its latest accomplishment, seeing how it is a testament to what it wants to accomplish as a team, more so with Mr. Cone joining the team.
“I always said that we didn’t come to Ginebra to win just one championship, we always want to win many championships, and so this is our job. We’re not going to stop here, we got more to come,” said Mr. Cone, who also guided Alaska and Star to PBA titles, as he addressed the Barangay Ginebra faithful following their Game Seven win.
He went on to say that it would not be easy considering how competition in the league has, by and large, improved, but nonetheless he remained bullish with the team boasting of a solid roster of veteran and young players and backed by their loyal fans.
Meanwhile, the PBA established another finals record in crowd attendance in Game Seven last Friday with 54,046, beating the previous record of 53,642 established in Game Six two days earlier.
In Game Five of the finals, also held at the Philippine Arena, total crowd was pegged at 36,445.
The PBA makes its return on Dec. 17 with the season-opening Philippine Cup.