Cone tumawid na sa B-Meg

MANILA, Philippines - Kagaya ng dapat asahan, si Tim Cone na ang tu­luyang hahawak sa Llamados bilang bagong head coach para sa 37th season ng Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

Dadalhin ng 53-anyos na si Cone sa bakuran ng B-Meg ang kanyang 13 championships at isang Grandslam noong 1996.

Ang lahat ng ito ay inangkin ni Cone habang nasa Alaska, iniwan niya kamakailan matapos ang 22 taon na pagsasamahan.

“It’s an honor to be a part of the San Miguel fa­mily. B-Meg is a great team and I am excited about the new challenge and the opportunity to bring my coaching skills to an entirely different level,” wika ni Cone kahapon.

Kaagad na sinimulan ni Cone ang team practice ng Llamados kasama sina two-time PBA Most Valua­ble Player James Yap, Ker­by Raymundo, Marc Pingris, PJ Simon at dati ni­yang kamador sa Aces na si Joe Devance.

Ang pagsasaulo sa ‘trian­gle offense’ ang na­ging prayoridad ni Cone.

“Nag-practice na kami ng triangle offense,” sabi ni James Yap. “Very challen­ging ‘yung sistema ni coach Tim pero okay naman para sa amin.”

Ang paggiya sa B-Meg, isa sa tatlong koponan ng San Miguel Corporation sa PBA bukod sa Petron Blaze at Barangay Ginebra, ay isang bagong hamon para kay Cone.

“I am turning over a new page in my life. I have given the best of my career for all of 22 years to Alaska and I’m proud to say that the foundational pieces I have helped laid have transformed it into one of the strongest teams in the PBA,” ani Cone.

“I am delighted to leave the team in a very good shape. That said, it’s time to move on and release that trapped energy to do more. I am eager to take on this new role and I look forward to working with James, Kerby and the rest of the team,” dagdag pa nito.

Si Richard del Rosario, naunang iniluklok bilang interim coach, ay magiging assistant ni Cone kasabay ng pamumuno pa rin sa College of St. Benilde Bla­zers sa National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at isang tropa sa PBA De­ve­lopmental League (D-League).