As the clock was winding down in Game 3 of the 2017 PBA Governors’ Cup Finals on Wednesday night, Meralco Bolts head coach Norman Black sued for time with the game already out of reach, with 13 ticks remaining. And as he talked to his wards, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel head coach Tim Cone — who is a purist of the game — stood in disbelief at what his peer had just done.
As the buzzer sounded, Cone made sure to let Black know that he did not appreciate the man’s actions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmDKHLEbTYA
Black — who is 59 years old, just like Cone — was visibly irked with what just happened. But on Thursday morning, Cone made sure to apologize to Black, whom he said is a coach he respects.
“I regret my actions after Game Three ended,” the winningest head coach in league history said in a statment.
“Yes, I was upset about the timeout that was called late in the game, but there is no one in the PBA that I respect more than Norman Black.”
Cone admitted that he was frustrated with the result of the game, however, as it brought the Bolts back to the series.
“I got caught up in the moment and could have handled it differently,” Cone confessed.
And on Friday, he shared that the first thing he would do when he arrives at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum for Game 4 is to personally extend his apologies to Black.
“I apologize, and will do so to him personally.”
