MANILA – Following his triumphant role in the Hangzhou Asian Games, where the Philippines ended a 61-year gold medal drought in men’s basketball, Tim Cone has been officially named as the head coach.

“Coach Tim accomplished what hasn’t been done in decades, with only a few weeks of preparation and multiple challenges in terms of personnel. We’re excited to see what he can accomplish with a long-term program in place, especially if such a program is supported by all basketball stakeholders,” said Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) President Al Panlilio in a news release on Monday.

Cone’s initial task will be to prepare the team for the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, scheduled for next month. Gilas will face Hong Kong on Feb. 22 at Tsuen Wan Stadium and Chinese Taipei on Feb. 25 at the PhilSports Arena.

The Philippines is also set to compete in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament from July 2 to 7 in Latvia.

“Earlier this month, Coach Tim presented his plans to local leagues from which players will likely be selected. This program will be put to the test this year, and adjustments will be made as necessary,” added SBP Executive Director Erika Dy.

Cone boasts an impressive winning record as the most successful coach in PBA history, securing 25 championships and being the only two-time PBA Grand Slam winner in the league’s 48-year history.

This marks Cone’s fourth stint as the head coach of the national team, having previously led the Centennial Team to bronze in the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games and guided the gold-medal-winning Gilas squad in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.

“I’m looking forward to taking on the role of the national team head coach again,” said Cone. “I’ve always firmly believed that you’ve got to go out and get the best players in the country to represent us. We’re confident we’ve picked the best players who will form the best team.”

Gilas’ ACQ pool revealed amid uncertainties

The SBP also announced the 12 players called up to the Gilas pool for the FIBA ACQ February window.

Players like Ginebra’s Scottie Thompson, Justin Brownlee, and Jamie Malonzo, San Miguel’s June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez, Meralco’s Chris Newsome, and TNT’s Calvin Oftana have been selected from the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Backing them up are Japan B League Asian imports Dwight Ramos of Hokkaido, AJ Edu of Toyama, Kai Sotto of Yokohama, and free agent Carl Tamayo. Reigning University Athletic Association of the Philippines Most Valuable Player and Dubai International Basketball Championship All-Tournament Team member Kevin Quiambao completes the 12.

However, uncertainties surround Brownlee, Edu, and Malonzo regarding their inclusion in the pool.

Brownlee is currently serving a provisional suspension after testing positive for a prohibited substance after Gilas’ Asian Games championship. The duration of the suspension has not been disclosed, and his inclusion in the pool is contingent on FIBA’s decision.

“[FIBA’s] decision can come down sometime this week that will hopefully free him up for the window,” Cone said.

Meanwhile, both Malonzo and Edu are on the injury list. Edu tore his meniscus last November and has yet to return to action, while Malonzo suffered a knee injury in Game 3 of the Ginebra-San Miguel series with an unknown diagnosis.

Gilas will face Hong Kong on the road on Feb. 22 before hosting Chinese Taipei on Feb. 25 at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.

(By el Amigo/MNM)

MANILA – In the annals of the Philippines’ longest-standing professional basketball league, coach Tim Cone unquestionably holds the title of the most victorious coach.

There is no dispute about that.

Now, he will also be remembered not only for his stellar domestic coaching career but also as the man who successfully led a hastily assembled national squad to conquer seemingly insurmountable odds, ending a 61-year gold medal drought for the Philippines in the Asian Games.

To make this achievement even sweeter, it marks the fulfillment of a mission, erasing his, and nation’s painful memories of a failed attempt 25 years ago during the Bangkok, Thailand edition of the Asiad.

Coach Tim Cone, serving as the interim coach for Gilas Pilipinas, faced numerous challenges in preparing a national team that had only 12 days to train and compete for the 19th Asian Games men’s basketball gold medal.

The team encountered its fair share of difficulties, including the late addition of five new players less than a week before the competition began.

However, Gilas achieved the improbable by defeating the previously undefeated Jordan with a score of 70-60 in the Asian Games men’s basketball final, finally bringing the gold back to the Philippines after a 61-year championship drought.

Reflecting on the journey, Cone shared his thoughts during a post-game interview, stating, “After defeating Iran by a single point and securing that miraculous one-point win over China, we have experienced an indescribable feeling of accomplishment, seemingly emerging from nowhere to win this gold medal. We understand the significance of this victory to Filipino fans who are deeply passionate about basketball. We can’t wait to return home and share this momentous achievement with them.”

Coach Tim Cone, renowned for being the PBA’s all-time winningest coach with 25 championships and counting, entered the tournament as the last coach to have secured a medal for the Philippines.

It was in 1998, during the Bangkok, Thailand edition, that the national squad, known as the Centennial team, brought home the bronze medal.

A quarter of a century (25 years) later, a new group of national players, led by naturalized player Justin Brownlee and supported by June Mar Fajardo, Chris Newsome, Ange Kouame, Scottie Thompson, and Calvin Oftana, exhibited a relentless “never give up” attitude that enabled Gilas Pilipinas to defeat powerhouse teams on their way to the gold.

After a humbling defeat to Jordan, with a score of 87-62 at the end of the group stage, Gilas had to navigate a knockout phase to reach the quarterfinals. The team convincingly dispatched Qatar with a score of 80-41 to advance to the quarterfinals, starting a series of knockout games with great momentum.

Gilas built a double-digit lead before overcoming a formidable fourth-quarter comeback attempt by Iran to secure an 84-83 victory and secure a spot in the semifinals.

In the semifinal knockout match, Gilas faced a 20-point deficit in the first half.

However, Justin Brownlee spearheaded a remarkable second-half comeback, scoring 27 of his game-high 33 points, including the game-winning three-pointer that propelled the national team to a thrilling 77-76 victory against host China.

This victory left the Chinese team stunned, especially considering that just a month prior, the Philippines had defeated them with a score of 96-75 in the 2023 FIBA World Cup classification.

Coach Cone lauded his team’s exceptional defensive performance, which held Jordan to a dismal 18-of-69 field goal shooting in the knockout final game, a mere 26 percent.

He also praised Chris Newsome for his outstanding defensive effort against Jordan’s naturalized player, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Newsome, standing at 6 feet 2 inches, had been one of the final cuts from the FIBA World Cup team but proved his worth with 13 points, including two crucial three-pointers.

Following their nail-biting victory over China, the Philippines achieved a historic feat by advancing to the gold medal round for the first time in 33 years.

This achievement was largely attributed to the exceptional performance of naturalized player Justin Brownlee, who delivered an astonishing 27 of his 33 points during the crucial second half.

Reflecting on the miraculous comeback from a 20-point deficit, Coach Cone expressed his amazement, stating, “What a miracle that was; truly, it’s just a miracle. I can’t even imagine it happening that way. The guys just kept battling and battling.”

Cone admitted that he had nearly lost hope when China established an 18-point lead at halftime, saying, “We were losing hope all the way through. At halftime, we were down by 18 points, and we looked at each other with open hands, thinking, ‘Well, we just have to go for it at this point.’ That’s what we meant when we told Justin to just go for it. When he sees an opening, attack, go for it.”

Justin Brownlee heeded the call and played virtually unstoppable throughout the game. Cone remarked, “I lost hope all the way through, until the last 30 seconds or last 23 seconds. I presumed we were going to lose that game, but the good news is, even though I lost hope, the players didn’t, and they kept battling back. They were amazing, and I give credit to them.”

That incredible victory over China pulled the Philippines to within a win or 40 minutes away from ending a 61-year Asian Games basketball title drought.

Standing in the Gilas’ way was Jordan, who defeated the Philippines with an 87-62 score during their group play.

Jordan advanced to the gold medal round with an impeccable record, including convincing victories over Thailand (97-63), Bahrain (84-60), Saudi Arabia (76-57) in the quarterfinals, and Chinese Taipei (90-71) in the semifinals.

This marked Jordan’s first-ever appearance in the Asian Games finals, a significant achievement given their previous best finish of fourth place in 1986 and 2006.

The Philippines, equally determined to break their history of heartbreaks in the Asian Games, entered the gold medal game on the back of a three-game winning streak, which included triumphs over Qatar (80-41), Iran, and China.

They were poised to seize the gold and crown themselves Asian Games champions, a feat last achieved in 1962 when Caloy Loyzaga led the team to glory for the country.

In 1990, the Philippines sent an all-professional national team, coached by Robert Jaworski, with the aim of regaining the country’s basketball supremacy in the Asian Games. However, the team fell short in the final against China, settling for a silver medal.

(Amado Inigo/mnm)

Tim Cone, the interim coach of Gilas Pilipinas, has issued an apology to former La Salle big man Justine Baltazar and Pampanga governor Dennis Pineda for his earlier comments regarding Baltazar’s exclusion from the World Cup pool.

In a series of tweets posted on his official Twitter account @manilacone, the PBA’s winningest coach aimed to provide clarification for a statement he made during a press conference when he was officially announced as the interim coach for Gilas.

“I don’t want to begin this journey with controversy, so I want to clarify my stance. I apologize to Justine Baltazar for my hasty remarks concerning his omission from the World Cup pool,” stated Coach Cone.

“I did not intend to suggest that he had no interest in playing for Gilas. Rather, I was informed that either someone from SBP (Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas) or his representatives had reached out to him, and he was unavailable. At that time, we were keen to include him, especially with uncertainties surrounding Kai. We needed big men.” The 65-year-old Ginebra mentor mentioned that he hasn’t had a chance to meet Baltazar personally but expressed admiration for the way the Pampanga native plays.

“Whether he had valid reasons for not joining us, whether there was a miscommunication, or whether he wasn’t contacted at all, I cannot confirm, as I was not part of the process to reach out to him. I spoke prematurely during the press conference. I’ve enjoyed watching Justine play for La Salle but have yet to meet him in person, and I haven’t spoken to Mr. Pineda. To both of them, I extend my apologies. My intention was never to involve Justine’s name in this controversy,” explained Cone, who has returned to the head coaching position for the Philippines, the same role he held when he led the national team to a gold medal in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in Manila.

“In fact, during the press conference, I wanted to highlight how highly we regarded him potentially joining the pool. The young man is a talented player!” Cone has been entrusted with assembling a competitive Gilas team with just about two weeks to prepare before the 19th Asian Games commence on September 23 in Hangzhou, China.

The return of the American coach to the head coaching position for Gilas was prompted by Chot Reyes’ decision to step down shortly after the Philippines concluded its 2023 FIBA World Cup campaign with a 96-75 victory over China.

Coincidentally, Cone was the last coach to guide the Philippine team to a medal finish in the Asian Games, with the squad, known as the Centennial Team at the time, securing a bronze medal after defeating Kazakhstan in the battle for third place. (ai/mnm)

MANILA — It’s confirmed.

Multi-titled coach Tim Cone will be at the helm for Gilas Pilipinas during the forthcoming Asian Games, slated to commence on September 23, 2023, in Hangzhou, China.

This announcement was made during a press conference held at the PBA head office in Libis on Thursday.

Tim Cone, who previously served as an assistant to Chot Reyes during Gilas’ 2023 FIBA World Cup campaign, will now take the lead while Richard Del Rosario, a trusted associate of Cone at Barangay Ginebra, will serve as his chief assistant for this new Philippines coaching role.

Completing the coaching staff will be Jong Uichico, Josh Reyes, and LA Tenorio.

Handling team management duties will be Alfranchis Chua, the sports director of San Miguel Corporation, with PBA commissioner Willie Marcial as his deputy.

Cone had previously expressed his intention to decline a head coach appointment with Gilas, but circumstances changed after Reyes stepped down shortly after the World Cup victory over China last Saturday.

“I joined the World Cup team because, aside from the obvious desire to contribute to the country, my primary motivation was to support my friend, Chot Reyes, who was the head coach,” Cone explained. “Furthermore, I sought the experience and personal growth of being part of the World Cup. It was truly a growth opportunity for me.

“However, given the tight timeframe, just two weeks before our next game, when Coach Al (Chua) approached me, we needed someone right away. I discussed it with Chot, and he gave me his blessing. He believed I was the right person for the job, and that has boosted my confidence.”

Both Cone and Panlilio clarified that this appointment is specifically for the Asian Games, with plans to chart Gilas’ long-term course afterward.

Regarding the Asian Games roster, Cone mentioned it’s still in the process of formation and added, “I don’t have the full picture at this point.” Nevertheless, he emphasized that players based in Japan and Korea will not be available.

Invitations have been extended to specific players, and the first practice session is scheduled for Monday. Cone stated that they won’t have a large pool but rather focus on selecting a concise 12-player squad.

Chua confirmed the inclusion of four players: “June Mar (Fajardo) is confirmed. Japeth (Aguilar) is on board. (Justin) Brownlee is in, and Scottie (Thompson) has secured his spot.”

Gilas is grouped with Jordan, Bahrain, and Thailand in the men’s 5×5 competition, commencing on September 26. (ai/mnm)