Barangay Ginebra head coach Tim Cone (Photo courtesy of PBA Images)
MANILA – Tim Cone will be calling the shots for Gilas Pilipinas ahead of this year's Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
The concurrent Ginebra tactician is back at coaching the national team on the Asian Games level 25 years after his first stint.
Cone will take over the reins of Chot Reyes as Gilas's head coach five days after the latter resigned from his position.
He previously coached the Centennial Team in the 1998 Asian Games, where the star-studded team finished with the bronze.
"It's amazing how things have grown since that time. Believe it or not, 1998 was very, very strong and always in my mind all the time," Cone said during his introductory press conference at the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) headquarters in Quezon City on Thursday.
"To come here and do it again kind of takes my breath away,” he added.
In the Gilas era, Cone coached the 2019 team that won the Southeast Asian Games gold at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
Cone was listed in the initial Gilas lineup submitted by the Philippine Olympic Committee to the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee (HAGOC) during the July 25 deadline as assistant coach to Reyes.
However, pending the final approval from HAGOC after the POC notified them of the changes, Cone is now the new head coach with Richard del Rosario, Josh Reyes, Jong Uichico, and LA Tenorio completing the coaching staff.
Ginebra governor Alfrancis Chua has been named the team manager for Gilas for the Asian Games, while PBA commissioner Willie Marcial was named the deputy team manager.
Cone clarified that he is coaching Gilas on an interim basis, which means a different coach might take over Gilas come the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers this November. (PNA)
