Tim Cone, the most victorious head coach in the history of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), is set to lead Gilas Pilipinas in the upcoming 19th Asian Games. The news came to light on Thursday, as reported by the Inquirer.
Cone, who is also the celebrated head coach of Barangay Ginebra, will be assisted by his club deputy, Richard del Rosario. The strategic team is further strengthened with Alfrancis Chua, the sports director for San Miguel Corporation and the Gin Kings’ governor in the PBA Board, taking on the role of the squad’s manager. This significant appointment reportedly came from the directive of Ramon S. Ang, the president and CEO of San Miguel.
With the Asian Games slated to commence on September 23 in Hangzhou, China, anticipation builds up as the basketball tournament itself begins three days after the opening ceremony. Gilas Pilipinas aims to improve on their previous performance where they secured the fifth place in the 2018 Jakarta games. The team is scheduled to open its campaign against Brunei under the new leadership.
In the context of Tim Cone’s tenure as the head coach, there exists a precedent of success. Not only has he held the transitional head coach position during the 2019 Southeast Asian Games hosted by the Philippines, leading the team to dominant victory, but he has also served as an assistant coach to Chot Reyes in the Fiba World Cup. However, following what Reyes perceived as an unsuccessful campaign, he resigned, paving the way for Cone to take the lead role.
Details on the composition of the Gilas team remain forthcoming, with an official announcement expected later today during a press conference at the PBA’s office in Libis, Quezon City.