LA Tenorio is keeping his fingers crossed the coming 41st season of the PBA will finally be the time for Barangay Ginebra to win a championship after multi-titled coach Tim Cone came on board during the offseason.
Tenorio admitted the entry of the most accomplished mentor in league history gives the Kings a fresh start as they begin preparing for the new season next week.
“Lahat kami excited, lahat fresh going to this season,” said Tenorio after playing in the Nike Rise Legacy Night All-Star Game last Saturday. “I hope makalagpas naman kami sa gusto namin.”
Ginebra has not won a title since the 2008 Fiesta Conference when it beat Air21 in the decisive Game Seven of the finals.
Tenorio, however, likes Ginebra’s chances this time with Cone calling the shots.
“Nakarami na ang Purefoods. Nakarami na ang San Miguel. Sana kami naman,” said Tenorio, referring to Ginebra’s accomplished sister teams which won six of the league’s last seven championships.
[See Tenorio says Gilas still a contender even in mainstays' absence]
Tenorio said the Kings need to give back to the team after making a big bold move of bringing Cone on board in a bid to end the team’s seven-year title drought.
“It’s time for us to repay what management gave us,” said the veteran point guard out of Ateneo.
Tenorio, who played under Cone during his days with Alaska, is confident the Kings will be able to adjust to the American coach’s patented triangle offense.
“I think coach Tim can handle the whole team. He is a born teacher. Sobrang mahaba ang pasensya niya. Talagang i-popound niya sa mga players kung papaano. If he has to do basic triangle for the whole conference, he will do it,” said Tenorio.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
