Cone felt awkward receiving award
BARANGAY Ginebra coach Tim Cone had mixed emotions upon receiving the specially-crafted plaque in recognition of his coaching milestone, which saw him record his 1,000th coaching career wins last week during the Gin Kings’ 98-84 win over Blackwater.
The American mentor got his plaque during halftime of the Ginebra-TNT Sunday clash at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, with PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial on hand along with Gin Kings governor and San Miguel Corp. sports director Alfrancis Chua and Converge governor Atty. Chito Salud.
The 64-year-old, multi-titled PBA champion coach, however, felt awkward when he received the plaque of recognition, knowing that the halftime ceremonies could pose a distraction to his team.
“I’m not a big award guy. Nobody told me about it till halftime. I mean I appreciate the recognition obviously, but as a coach, you want to stay focused on the game and not let those distractions happen,” Cone said following Ginebra’s narrow 89-85 win over an import-less TNT.
“I think it is easier for players to get the award, but more difficult for coaches. But I felt guilty to be disruptive and distracting coming out of halftime,” he added.
Cone’s reservations actually came true as the Gin Kings, who opened the first period with a 17-point lead, and took a 53-45 halftime lead, got ambushed by the Tropang Giga in the third quarter.
Despite playing without injured import Cameron Oliver, TNT outscored Ginebra, 26-15 in the third canto to regain the lead at 71-68, setting up for the cardiac finish.
Still, Cone made sure he didn’t sound ungrateful, stressing that such special recognition is something he’d cherish in his 33-year coaching PBA career.
“I’ve been around for a long time. You have to be around a long time to get that kind of record,” said Cone, the second oldest among the current PBA coaches next to Meralco’s Norman Black.
“I appreciate the recognition, obviously,” he said. “It’s a great achievement, and I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t win championships along the way.”
Cone, who started his PBA coaching with Alaska in 1989, won his first 13 league titles with the Uytengsu franchise. He then won five championships with the Purefoods franchise from 2012 to 2015, including a Grand Slam crown, before moving over to Ginebra, winning five titles since 2016.
With Ginebra occupying the No. 3 spot at the moment in the standings with its 7-2 card, Cone’s mission is to lead the Gin Kings to another trip to the Finals in the the 2022-23 Commissioner’s Cup and hopefully, rewrite history further by winning a new record 25th PBA title as a coach.