This is a tribute to Tim Cone.
Political sparks are already flying even as Philippine Olympic Committee president Bambol Tolentino expressed dismay over the PSC’s discourteous collection letter during the progress of Hangzhou Asiad competitions.
Regardless of the millions of halleluliahs and the volumes of praises we heap, let us not forget that without the pilot, the plane cannot land safely.
In the same fashion, it is like a chess match where the man who moves the pieces and wins the game is the guy who strategizes from the basketball bench.
These twin paralellisms seek to point out the huge responsibility a basketball coach has on his shoulders considering that he did not have adequate time to prepare a team of championship caliber.
Officially, Tim Cone had only 12 days of preparation (including training and player selection) to hone and shape for the herculean job of bringing home the bacon.
Secondly, the Pinoy Nationals were contending on hostile soil – hostile because the hosts were inhospitable. Even the legendary Yao Ming, as president of the China Basketball Federation, snubed shaking the hands of Cone and company. (To me. the Hangzhou joust wore a welcoming facade but couldn’t completely mask the aggressive unlawful intrusion China was exhibiting in the West Philippine Sea.)
Thirdly, forgive the Chinese crowd for booing Justin Brownless and Gilas because they do not know how to appreciate when a good basketball game is being played before their chinky eyes. ‘Konti lang kita, eh.’
Cone endured all the negatives as the interim Gilas coach although it was not of his own making.
(Hopefully, officials of the SBP will refrain from having their pictures taken and splahed on the frontpages of every national daily. They have this nasty habit of grabbing credit which is, unfirtunately in the Pinoy culture.
They will heap praises on the coaching staff and the players but their names will grace the headlines before the story is read.)
Cone is now non-commital for future Gilas assignments. I know why he expressed this because the SBP and MVP have a fair-haired boy as the apple of their eyes. Cone could be displacing someone and might step on somebody’s toes.
The truth is that we have a bunch of coaches who, given the proper and most ideal environment, can steer the national team to glory.
(Except perhaps snatching the Olympics and the World Championship trophies, do you agree?)
What happened to Cone and the Gilas remnants in the 19th Asian Games was queerly magical as if a fairy waved her wand and voila! They become champions!
If only to get back at the Chinese hegemonic actions in the WPS, I am inclined to say that China deserved the humiliation they got from the Pinoy basketeers on their homecourt.
Hey, Tim, Somebody Up there likes – nah – LOVES you! (Email feedback to fredlumba@yahoo.com.) GOD BLESS THE PHILIPPINES!
