Philippines versus China — even if Bay Area is a Hong Kong-based squad. That was the prevailing storyline of the 2022-23 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals.
It was how the league and its television partner marketed the series, turning the Finals into a spectacle.
Moreover, Ginebra represented the PBA — a league that had been hit by controversy after controversy since 2017 and has been branded as a group that had failed to evolve — against a powerhouse team the East Asia Super League built to represent China.
Tim Cone heard all of this and it was what motivated him in the grueling series that took 21 days to finish.
“We talked about this at the beginning of the series, we were playing for more than ourselves. We were playing more than just Ginebra and the Ginebra fans. We were playing for fans all around the country and we were playing for the league ourselves,” shared the 64-year-old American head coach, who has been in the PBA since 1989.
“It was always on our mind when we progressed through the series.”
That is why hours before Game 7, Cone went to the court of the Philippine Arena.
As he looked around, he looked at every section of the stands of the gargantuan venue. And he reminded the Kings that it was them they were playing for.
“You should see me before the game, I was a wreck.
“The anxious moments came when we weren’t playing well. There were certain stretches when we didn’t play that well and lost focus a little bit,” he said as Ginebra almost played the perfect game against Bay Area on Sunday. “But we kept the lead and it seemed like when they were making a run, they would miss some shots, miss a free throw that would damper their run. We said that in halftime, they were going to make a run and we should make our poise in the second half.
“We didn’t see that run and that’s the function of the crowd. They would not let us let down,” he continued as 54,589 fans trooped to Bocaue and cheer on Ginebra — Ginebra-Pilipinas.
Beside the narrative of the Philippines versus China, Cone was also the front and center of the battle.
Cone, the winningest head coach in the PBA, was going up against Brian Goorjian, who recently steered Australia to bronze during the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
And there were a lot of sleepless nights in the Ginebra camp as Goorjian kept Cone and his staff on their toes for 21 days.
“Brian Goorjian is really special. I can honestly say that.
“He had to go through basically three different lineups this series. One with (Andrew) Nicholson, he played another way all-Chinese, then another way with (Myles) Powell,” he said praising Goorjian. “His team stayed in their flow. When they lost Nicholson, his team stayed in their flow. When they lost Nicholson, their spirit was incredible, their motor was lifted and they didn’t feel sorry for themselves. Powell played a wonderful game in Game 6.
“The three days off gave us a lot of time to adjust to him. I look at that video over and over again and that’s where you get impressed with a coach because of all of the adjustments, the things they did, and taking advantage of who Justin was guarding, where he put (Hayden) Blankley and (Kobey) Lam. He was really, really impressive and it was hard to keep it up,” he continued.
“We just had a healthier lineup and he didn’t. If he had a healthier lineup, I don’t know if we will be here on the podium.”
Ginebra’s fans though did not allow Cone and his squad to let up in the 48-minute affair.
At the end of it all, it was Gin Kings who stood tall, slaying the Dragons and giving Cone his 25th crown.
With the war over, Cone is moving from it — something that he learned from studying Phil Jackson.
On to the next battle, he said.
“For me, it’s all about moving on from that. I’m just looking forward to the next one.”
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The second game of each PBA gameday is live-streamed on SMART Sports.
