Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Tiebreaker Times

2019 SEA Games

Tim Cone elated to see Jayson Castro unretire once more


It turns out Jayson Castro isn’t done representing the Philippines just yet.

After begging off from the 2019 FIBA World Cup to spend more time with his family, the two-time best point guard in Asia is now back with Gilas Pilipinas for the 30th Southeast Asian Games.

Castro’s name is part of the 15-man pool for the meet which coach Tim Cone, together with the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and the Philippine Basketball Association, announced during a press conference in the PBA office Thursday.

The decorated Cone was even giddy when he mentioned Castro.

“I’m proud to announce [that] we have asked him to come back and join the program. I’m really proud of the fact that he decided to come back to help us out,” said Cone, who’s filling in as Gilas head coach for the SEA Games only.

“I think we all know he was one of the big missing links in the last try we had.”

Cone said that the initial plan was for him to first ask Castro to rejoin the national team. However, since the PBA board wanted an immediate answer, league chairman Ricky Vargas himself reached out.

The rest, as they say, is history.

“It was supposed to be me that was gonna ask him, because we knew that he retired,” Cone recalled. “But the Board wanted to know right away, so Mr. Vargas called him and said we’d like you to unretire and come back.

“He said right away he’ll do it.”

Castro, 33, has been one of the Gilas program’s vanguards since the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship held here. He last donned the national tri-colors in the sixth window of the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers last February.

#ReadMore  Gilas Pilipinas fall to Iran, in danger of finishing last in World Cup

Cone is exrtemely glad to have players come on board this easy. But now, the winningest PBA coach faces a problem heading into the Games set on November 30-December 11: Who will he choose for the final lineup?

“The joke we were having while selecting the players is it’s so easy to add on players. It’s really hard to eliminate players. It’s so hard eliminating them,” Cone said. “You see all these names, you’re all, ‘Yes I want him!’

“And it’s really hard to eliminate the guys. Picking the fifteen was really hard. I can’t imagine what it’s gonna be like in another month or so when I have to go down to twelve.”

Written By

Oftentimes on the sidelines. Forever a student of the game. Morayta-bred.


You May Also Like

Basketball

Justin Brownlee played his best game of the series to date to lead Ginebra in reducing the Governors’ Cup Finals to a virtual best-of-3...

Basketball

Ginebra avoided falling into a dangerous situation as it found much-needed solutions to decipher TNT, 85-73, and take Game 3 of the PBA Season...

Basketball

Ginebra head coach Tim Cone couldn’t offer much in the aftermath of another loss to TNT in the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup Finals,...

Basketball

Jayson Castro has clearly gotten the best of RJ Abarrientos in the ongoing PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup Finals between TNT and Barangay Ginebra....

Basketball

TNT used a strong fourth-quarter push to repulse Barangay Ginebra, 96-84, and race to a 2-0 lead in the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup...

Basketball

ANTIPOLO — In the parlance of today’s youth, RJ Abarrientos got schooled. Jayson Castro was his teacher. The rookie playmaker could only concede after...

Basketball

ANTIPOLO — Jayson Castro proved pivotal yet again as TNT methodically tore apart Barangay Ginebra, 104-88, to draw first blood in the PBA Season...

Basketball

Tim Cone and Chot Reyes basically grew up together in coaching that it may sound like an understatement to say that they’re familiar with...

Advertisement