Tim Cone warmly received as Gilas coach, study claims

MANILA, Philippines – Tim Cone being appointed head coach of Gilas Pilipinas received general positive reception from social media users, a study revealed. 

According to the study by private research and intelligence agency Capstone-Intel Corporation, Cone’s appointment as Gilas coach for the Asian Games had generally positive reception online.

“On Facebook, there were 502 posts that mentioned Tim Cone, with a total of 1,282,387 reactions once all the posts are consolidated. The data shows an overall positive reception from online users regarding Tim Cone’s new position,” the agency, citing data from their social media monitoring tools, said in a statement.

From July 7, a month before the FIBA World Cup, until October 7, when the Asian Games were held, a total of 1,612 mentions of Cone as Gilas head coach from various websites, Capstone-Intel said. 

The company cited an instance where Facebook page Basketball Ground posted about Cone supposedly being the “greatest coach ever,” which garnered 87,971 (52.1%) Like reactions, 80,328 (47.6%) Love reactions, 145 (0.1%) Haha reactions, 353 (0.2%) Wow reactions and two Sad and Angry reactions each.

The high like and love reactions suggests “positive response among online users who have viewed this specific post or news article,” said Capstone-Intel.

“This positive sentiment stemming from the high love and like reactions can be attributed to the team's inspiring comeback from previous setbacks, demonstrating their unwavering determination and resilience,” the statement added.

“The significance of camaraderie and teamwork in major sporting events such as basketball is evident in their success. It is not only evident within the team itself but also extends to the players, coaches, and their devoted fans.”

“The warm reception received by Coach Cone upon joining the Gilas team further underscores the importance of unity in driving teams towards victory.” 

The agency added that fan support contributed significantly to the performance of teams during games.

“The overall morale and motivation provided by the fans can often be the determining factors in securing a championship victory,” it added.

Of the posts, 198 mentions came from X, 22 from Tiktok, 518 from various news sites, 64 from blogs and seven forums.

A total of 154 mentions came from other miscellaneous news sites and 235 were from other videos on the Internet.

Cone guided Gilas to its first Asian Games basketball gold medal in 61 years.

He took over the team from Chot Reyes following the Philippine team’s stint in the FIBA World Cup.