By REYNALD MAGALLON
There’s plenty of Gilas Pilipinas connections in the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup Finals series between Barangay Ginebra and TNT, from the coaches down to their key players – a testament to the quality of talent the thrilling showdown boasts.
The past and the present Gilas coaches meet as former national team mentor Chot Reyes, who called the shots for the Nationals in two of their three World Cup appearances, take on Tim Cone, the current Gilas tactician, who guided the team to an Asian Games gold and as well as a breakthrough win over a European team when it upset Latvia in Olympic Qualifying tournament.
Reyes and Cone even worked together during the 2023 FIBA World Cup and their experiences and familiarity will certainly become a factor in the series according to the Ginebra coach.
“I think the familiarity will play in the series at some point because he knows what I like to do and I know he likes to do,” said Cone. “It’s the idea that we’ve been around and friends for so long. I think we spent time studying each other’s game.”
Reyes, for his part, played down the connections, saying that he and Cone will be wearing their hats as TNT and Ginebra coaches and not as former and present Gilas mentors.
“I don’t know it would be much of a differentiator in the series aside from that similarity but other than that I’m approaching this game as TNT (coach) and I’m sure Tim is approaching it as Ginebra (coach),” he added.
Even current Gilas teammates and good pals Calvin Oftana and Scottie Thompson said they are setting aside their friendship with the title and personal glory on the line.
“Ever since magkasama kami sa national team roommate ko na sya so wala nang bago sa amin pero pagdating sa laro kasi iba iba rin kami ng mindset. Gusto rin talaga namin maglaro para sa mga teams namin,” said Oftana.
“I know Scottie very well. Talagang give all sya pagdating sa paglalaro niya. Alam naman natin yung nagagawa niya sa team niya and sa national team,” he added.
Thompson and Oftana are two of the four current Gilas players starring for both teams with the other two being Japeth Aguilar and Justin Brownlee.
Aguilar, Brownlee and Thompson were only three of eight Ginebra players who have history with Gilas with RJ Abarrientos and injured big man Isaac Go at one point playing for Reyes and Tab Baldwin, Maverick Ahanmisi under Yeng Guiao in 2018 Asian Games, and Von Pessumal being part of numerous Gilas teams that won medals in the SEA Games.
Of course, LA Tenorio was one of the Gilas greats alongside TNT guard Jayson Castro during their time with the Nationals in the 2010s.
Castro is joined by Kelly Williams, RR Pogoy, Ryan Reyes, Poy Erram and injured Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser as TNT players who once served the national team in the past.
