Ginebra head coach Tim Cone isn’t shy to admit that he still regrets letting go of Arvin Tolentino knowing that he could’ve been one of their best players.
But at the same time, the PBA’s most successful bench tactician feels proud of how his former ward’s star has risen since his trade to NorthPort.
“I’m real proud of him and what he’s been able to achieve. And do I regret it? I certainly do. I certainly do regret it,” he said, smiling.
“But I think it was the best thing to ever happen for him and his career, was that move to NorthPort, obviously seeing where he is now,” he added.
Cone said as much Sunday night, moments after the Kings ousted Meralco in a 94-87 victory in Game 3 of their quarterfinal battle at the Ynares Center in Antipolo to complete the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup semis cast.
And reaching the next round would mean a reunion of sorts as the crowd darlings are preparing to battle Tolentino and the Batang Pier in a best-of-7 affair.
Both sides have fought one another on multiple occasions since the former FEU star was traded to his present ball club back in 2022 for Jamie Malonzo in a 2-for-1 deal.
Still, it’s only now that they’ll be battling it out in the semis.
Things are different this time, with NorthPort coming in as the no. 1 seed following a spectacular 9-3 showing back in the elimination round.
Among those whom Coach Bonnie Tan and Co. beat on the way to becoming the top-ranked team is actually Ginebra.
The two teams fought in a nail-biting 119-16 decision last January 8 that saw Tolentino fire 29 points on six triples and five rebounds.
That game was just further proof of how impressive the Angono native has been in this conference, so much so that he’s one of the top BPC candidates — a bid further strengthened after leading his side to the semis.
Entering their upcoming clash with Ginebra, Tolentino will go up against his former team as a two-time Mythical Team member and a two-time All-Star. And Cone is beaming with much pride at the 29-year-old’s transformation.
Photo by PBA Images
“Arvin’s my boy,” said the 67-year-old of their first-round pick (10th) in the 2019 Draft.
“You know, when he was traded, I said this is going to be an opportunity for you to really go out and spread your wings, stretch your game.”
Cone even went as far as saying that Tolentino would’ve been their ‘local Justin Brownlee’ in another testament of how much he believed in him.
“When we had him, I told him he was our local Justin,” he shared. “I expected him to play like Justin, eventually, as he started to play his game.
“Because he had a great mid-range game, he had a great three-point shot, he can post up, he can put the ball on the floor and get to the rim, he can create contact and get fouls,” added the 25-time champion coach.
“So, we had conversations — multiple conversations — about him being able to play like Justin,” continued Cone, who won a pair of PBA titles (and never forget, a historic Asian Games gold medal) with the 6-foot-5 forward.
Cone does wish he was still coaching Tolentino. But he knows, too, that being shipped to NorthPort proved to be the best for him.
“He was more confined in our team because there were just so many really good players around him when he was still young,” he reflected.
“But now he’s been able to go to NorthPort, establish himself. Kudos to him.”
#WATCH: Tim Cone is proud to see his former player Arvin Tolentino leading the charge—even if it’s for the other side 🏀
📹 @JustineBacnis /Tiebreaker Times#PBA2025 pic.twitter.com/lCECwLyzqo
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) February 11, 2025
