TIM Cone was dead-sure he didn't want the coaching job at Gilas Pilipinas after Chot Reyes stepped down at the end of a rocky Fiba World Cup campaign.
One person changed his mind – San Miguel Corporation’s top boss Ramon S. Ang.
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Cone admitted he was reluctant to take on the post even on an interim basis at the 2023 Asian Games as Reyes is such a close friend, but added he couldn’t say no when Ang told him to accept the job for sake of the country.
“You can say no to a lot of people. But I tell you what, you can’t say no to RSA,” said Cone. “The way he asked is too special.”

SMC sports director Alfrancis Chua recounted his conversation over the phone with Ang on Monday night when he, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Al Panlilio, PBA commissioner Willie Marcial, PBA chairman Ricky Vargas, and PBA vice chairman Bobby Rosales had a meeting at the Diamond Hotel to discuss national team matters following the resignation of Reyes.
“I called Boss RSA. And I asked i f coach Tim can coach. Alam mo sabi ni RSA? ‘Tell him to coach para sa bayan. Gawin niya. Tell him I said gawin niya,'” said Chua.
Cone insisted the only reason he agreed to serve as a deputy coach at the World Cup was to help Reyes while gaining experience in the World Cup.
But on the other hand, Cone also realized the immediate need for a head coach at the Asiad with only more than two weeks away.
“I joined the World Cup team. I signed for the obvious [reason] of giving back to the country, given my family, given my livelihood, my wife, my kids. That’s always the number one thing why you serve your country," he said.

"But aside from that, it’s, number one, to serve my friend who was the head coach, Chot Reyes… Number two, I want to have that experience in terms of being a part of the World Cup and seeing the other coaches and being with super talented players that we have and who we are playing against. So it was really a growth experience for me as well. It was never my intention to become a head coach.
“But given the time frame, we only had two weeks, the preparation time, when coach Al (Chua) and the other Al (Panlilio) came and spoke to me, we needed something right now,” said Cone.

Getting the blessing of Reyes was the icing on the cake.
“I talked to Chot and he gave me his blessing. I’m always the one that is most embarrassed for it because I didn’t want to follow Chot. But he gave me his blessing. He told me that he felt I was the best guy for the job so that gave me confidence to step up,” said Cone.
Cone said the overwhelming support from the basketball higher-ups is a huge step in forming the most competitive team possible for the Asiad.
“Boss RSA and MVP, they also said really nice things so I just really feel that everyone has my back. If everyone has my back, I feel like we have a chance to succeed despite the fact that we are only two weeks away, and despite the fact that we don't have the intact team in the World Cup,” said Cone.
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