One on one interview with Tim Cone – Cone-fidential

MARAMI ang nagulat nang lisanin ni coach Tim Cone ang Alaska Milk. Sa loob ng 22 taon ay nabigyan niya ang Aces ng 13 kampeonato sa PBA, kasama ang pambihirang Grand Slam noong 1996. Na-interview ni BANDERA correspondent Eric Dimzon ang beteranong coach at narito ang kanyang saloobin at mga plano

.After 22 successful years, why did you suddenly ask for a release?I think the 22 successful years gives a hint. After 22 years, I just felt that I had accomplished what I could with Alaska and that I needed a change. In some respects I felt that I was battling the legacy that we had established over those 22 years and it was time to move on and perhaps start working on another legacy in another organization. I learned so much from Mr. Uytengsu’s mentoring and I feel its time to move on and teach those things I’ve learned to another organization. That would be a great legacy in itself.

Is it true that you are upset with management’s decision to release Joe Devance (who now plays for B-Meg)  from the team?
Was I upset? Certainly not. But I was disappointed since we were put in a position of having to trade him. That’s not on Alaska. That’s more on the way the league has been run over the past decade. Joe was just a trend that was developing that started with Willie Miller and Larry Fonacier and others.

Are there other players from the team who are to be released or traded as well?
That’s a question only the current coaching staff and management of Alaska can answer. But, no, to my knowledge there aren’t any imminent trades that they are contemplating on.

Is it true that you feel that Alaska has ceased to be a competitive team?
No, I feel I left them at a time when they are at their strongest. They haven’t been this strong since the mid-nineties. They have a star point guard in LA (Tenorio), one of the most important positions in pro basketball. They have a dominating center in Sonny Thoss. One of the most exciting players in the league in Cyrus Baguio. And they have great leadership in Tony Dela Cruz who brings it all together. On top of that, Jay-R Reyes is a superstar-in-waiting and they had one of their best drafts in the last ten years. So they are well-put together and I’m very confident that Joel Banal will get the most out of them. I think they have championships in their immediate future.

Are you leaving Alaska with a heavy heart?
Absolutely. A lot of marriages these days don’t last 22 years. The relationships I built in the Alaska organization will be ones that I will cherish for the rest of my life, especially with Mr. Uytengsu, which was incredibly special. I’ll also miss the coaching staff and Joaqui Trillo where special bonds were created.
Has your release affected your friendship with Fred Uytengsu?
As I said, our relationship with Mr. Uytengsu has been longer than my marriage to my wife. There wasn’t much he didn’t know about me and vice-versa. We were totally aligned philosophically in the way successful teams are run. We enjoyed working with each other and there was complete trust for 22 years. For that relationship to suddenly come to a halt is heartbreaking on both sides. But one thing Mr. Uytengsu really prides himself on is professionalism. And he was incredibly professional to me to the very end.

What are your immediate plans?
My immediate plans, now that the release has been granted, is to search out another coaching job. Where that takes me, I really don’t know at this point. I’m still searching.

Are there offers to coach another PBA team?
Yes, but nothing has been firmed up yet.

Do you have anything to say to the Alaska management and fans who have supported you in all these years?
I feel as if I gave the best years of my life — my 30’s and 40’s — to Alaska and the fans and it was an incredible ride. I love Alaska fans and I always will. They were always the most loyal fans in the league, and I’m proud to say that they will continue to stay loyal to Joel and LA and Cyrus and all the rest of the team.