Slaughter in Cone’s list of all-time PBA First 5

CEBU, Philippines —  Tim Cone, widely regarded as the winnigest coach in PBA history, has listed the name of Fil-Am giant Greg Slaughter in his all-time starting five.

This is revealed by Cone in a special series by Chuck Araneta of ESPN5 that features the league’s best starters in the eyes of seven renowned coaches in the league in Cone, Baby Dalupan, Leo Austria, Jong Uichico, Norman Black, Yeng Guiao, and Chot Reyes.

With the 7-footer Slaughter at center, rounding up Cone’s all-time PBA First 5 are Johnny Abarrientos (point guard), Jojo Lastimosa, (shooting guard), Kenneth Duremdes (small forward), and Marc Pingris (power forward).

Both Abarrientos and Lastimosa were at the cornerstone of Cone’s dreaded ‘Triangle Offense’ that catapulted the Alaska Milkmen to a rare grandslam feat in 1996.

Duremdes was an intergral part of Alaska’s championships in the All-Filipino and Commissioner’s Cups in 1998, while Pingris soared to  greater heights in San Mig Super Coffee’s grandslam run under the guidance of Cone in 2014.

On the other hand, Slaughter, who clinched a three-peat with the University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) during his college days form 2007 to 2009, found his true worth and value and became an impact player under the tetulage of Cone with the Barangay Ginebra Kings in 2017.

Interestingly, Slaughter, Lastimosa and Pingris have Cebu connections.

Slaughter’s mother is a Cebuana, the Cagayan de Oro City-native Lastimosa first shot to fame as star player of the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars, while Pingris won the hearts of Cebuano fans while playing for the Cebu Gems in the defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA).  EBV