By JEREMIAH SEVILLA
SMART CLARK GIGA CITY – There’s nothing better than learning from someone who has been through it all.
Playing in a nearly similar bubble setup filled with daily grind, Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone made sure to talk with the Miami Heat mentor and good friend Erik Spoelstra.
Spoelstra, the Filipino-American tactician who steered the Heat to two NBA titles, led the franchise to a finals appearance in this year’s NBA bubble and only fell short against the Los Angeles Lakers in the championship series.
With the PBA Philippine Cup restart patterned after the NBA, Cone said he picked up vital lessons from Spoelstra.
“I communicated with coach Erik Spoelstra before they actually went into the Finals,” said the 62-year-old Cone.
“Of course, I was following the Miami Heat very closely and what they were doing. So he gave us a little bit of feel by us following him so closely,” he added.
Cone said he only hoped to replicate Spoelstra’s feat but he was able to surpass it by leading the Kings to their first Philippine Cup title in 13 years.
Ginebra took down TNT, 82-78, in the title-clinching Game Five on Wednesday night at the Angeles University Foundation Arena.
“I was joking about it. I never thought we could do it but we did.”
Cone, the winningest coach in Asia’s pioneering league, extended his record to 23 titles but this bubble championship is something very special for him.
“This is a unique experience,” he said. “I can’t thank the PBA enough for allowing us to play the game we love in a safe and competitive manner.”
