Cone can’t believe B-meg title came too soon
Manila: Grace B. Castillo No one really believed it when Tim Cone was first rumored to be leaving Alaska, his team of more than two decades which he guided to more than a dozen PBA championships.
And when he did make the jump, not even Cone himself believed that he could pull off the job for B-meg in so short a time, against the dynasty of the decade, against the coach of the new millennium.
“I’m still scratching my head. I don’t know what happened out there,” Cone told reporters Sunday night, minutes after a pulsating 90-84 overtime triumph over Talk ‘N Text in Game 7 of the Commissioner’s Cup title series.
“I have absolutely zero idea. It was pretty amazing. But I think you have to do amazing stuff to be able to beat a team like Talk ‘N Text.”
When the Llamados and Cone made the bestof-seven series ahead of everyone else, it was Talk ‘N Text coach Chot Reyes, after becoming the second finalist, who asked the media: “Why so soon, isn’t Tim supposed to not make the Finals so soon?”
Cone and the Llamados did make the Finals, and it was a triumph that will be remembered for a long time, especially by the 21,096 fans who trooped to the Big Dome and saw it live.
Before the decade’s biggest crowd, the Llamados came back from six points down in the final two minutes and then rode the shoulders of import Denzel Bowles in overtime to pound out the win.
“For some reason I knew he was going to make those two free throws,” Cone said matter-of-factly. “A lot of things just happened right for us in the end for us to win that game.
“Was it destiny? I don’t know. I won’t know for sure how we won that basketball game,” he said. “When I get home, I’m going to watch the game tape over and over again until I find out how we won that one.
“But honestly speaking, I don’t think I will find one (reason).”
Cone stayed in the press room for more than 30 minutes, patiently answering questions fielded by all sorts of media. He had the time to answer even the boring ones instead of joining his team in a wild celebration on the Araneta Coliseum floor.
That the series showcased the best of B-meg players like Bowles and James Yap was true, but it also showed how good Cone is.
And the most admirable trait about the man is how he manages, time and again, even during the 13 previous titles that he won, to steer the attention away from him and give all the credit to his players.
“I don’t believe I’m sitting here. I know I don’t deserve it, but I’ll take it,” he said, referring to the spot he was occupying in the press room which has always been reserved for the winning coach.