By REYNALD MAGALLON
To say that the past season has been an eventful one for Barangay Ginebra head coach Tim Cone was a huge understatement.
Cone couldn’t help but look back to the moments of the past year as he received the Virgilio ‘Baby’ Dalupan PBA Coach of the Year trophy during the PBA Press Corps Awards Night at the Novotel Manila in Cubao, Quezon City.
It was Cone’s fourth regular Coach of the Year award and fifth citation if included the special Coach of the Bubble award during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.
Still for the league’s winningest coach, owner of 25 championships, it all began when he made the decision to join the SMC group in 2011 in search for more challenges and leaving his comfort zone to further grow.
“It’s been a brilliant journey since then and I really like to thank, first of all, RSA (Ramon S. Ang) for bringing me over and giving me the reins first Magnolia (then B-Meg) and then Ginebra,” said Cone during his acceptance speech while also reminiscing the year that has been for him and his partnership with the SMC group.
Of course, there was the epic seven-game series against the formidable PBA guest team Bay Area Dragons with the Kings hoisting the Commissioner’s Cup trophy before a record crowd of 54,589 spectators in attendance inside the Philippine Arena.
“We have that great series against the Dragons. That was like the cherry on top being able to go up against a great coach like Brian Goorjian and being able to beat the foreign team amongst the 54,000 people in Philippine Arena,” said Cone.
Adding to his legendary lore in Philippine basketball was the unexpected gold medal for Gilas Pilpinas in the 19th Asian Games in China. Cone who steered the team to top of the podium, ending a 61-year title drought of the country, was a dream, not even Cone or his players imagined that would happen.
“The corroboration we had in the Asian Games was special, especially with coach Al Francis Chua and we saw it as something that we really didn’t think we’re gonna achieve at first, and somehow, it was done,” said Cone.
“Just tremendous moments that I’m gonna remember for a lifetime,” declared the multi-titled coach.
Beyond all of this, however, the greatest honor for Cone was to receive the award named after the legendary coach Baby Dalupan who he considered as the Philippine basketball’s “Greatest of All Time.”
“Last thing I wanna say is there’s only one GOAT in Philippine basketball. There’s only one GOAT in Philippine basketball. And his grandson sits right there. And that’s Baby Dalupan,” said Cone.
“He will always be known as the greatest and I’m truly honored to be mentioned with his name. And I just think that that’s the coolest thing in the world,” he added.
