General Admission
Cornering Cone is SMC’s master stroke
By Al S. Mendoza
WHY did San Mig Coffee win again?
Only last October, San Mig Coffee won the PBA Governor’s Cup basketball title, beating sister-team Petron Blaze in a thrilling 4-3 count.
On Wednesday night, San Mig Coffee captured the PBA Philippine Cup, defeating Rain or Shine via a masterful 4-2 rout in yet another best-of-seven titular playoffs.
As a result, San Mig Coffee has completed a rare back-to-back triumph in Asia’s first play-for-pay league that was born in 1975 at the Cubao Big Dome.
If San Mig Coffee proceeds to win the PBA Reinforced Conference set to blast off shortly, it will have scored a Grand Slam of sorts.
For those not in the know, a PBA Grand Slam means one team has won all three titles staked in one season.
For sure, San Mig Coffee will go all-out in grabbing the Reinforced crown for a rare three-peat.
And for San Mig Coffee, that is not far-fetched.
A couple of years back, San Mig Coffee—still known then as B-Meg Derby Llamados or something—nailed the Reinforced title, a conference that allows teams to use one import from anywhere in the world.
But mostly though, the imports come from the US, which is just right considering the deep player reserve America has when it comes to basketball.
And you know what?
Coach Tim Cone, whether a conference has an import of none, has become the master mentor in the 37-year-old loop.
As I said, only last October, Cone had authored that Governor’s Cup victory even as he was virtually a first-timer with the San Miguel Corp. family after having left Alaska—his home team for more than two decades.
By winning the Philippine Cup on Feb. 26, Cone pocketed for San Mig Coffee its sixth All-Filipino crown for a league best record.
Add to that the more prestigious plum Cone had achieved with SMC’s latest win: a record 16 PBA crowns for Cone to surpass the previous all-time high of 15 he had shared with the legendary Baby Dalupan.
While he is a master tactician, Cone has also a flair for drama.
In his victory speech, Cone thanked two persons he considered very special: Dalupan and, yes, Ramon S. Ang (RSA), the heart and soul of San Miguel Corp.
Swayed on by deafening cheers at the post-victory bash at the Big Dome hard court, Cone said that it has always been Dalupan as his coaching idol.
“With him as my inspiration, I pursued dreams as intensely as ever,” said Cone of Dalupan. “I hope he’s watching us tonight.”
And to RSA, Cone said, “Without Mr. Ang’s trust and confidence, I would not have gone this far. To him I owe much of my coaching career today.”
Three PBA titles in barely two years with San Miguel Corp. That’s Tim Cone for you. Not yet 50, think of what he can do more to bloat his already bloated collection of trophies.
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