TIM Cone admitted himself voting for Don Trollano and Maverick Ahanmisi to be part of the PBA All-Star Game this year.
But he’s not about to raise hell about the two failing to make it to the 24-man selection even if he thought both Trollano and Ahanmisi were deserving to be in the season-ending showcase.
After all, as Cone puts it, the All-Stars is a game for the fans.
READ: Ahanmisi not supporting All-Star 'popularity contest'
“I think the thing we forget about is it’s a fans’ game. It’s for nobody else but the fans. Yes, you want to reward those guys who are deserving, I think that’s important. But basically, it’s a fans’ game. So I don't have anything wrong with the fans picking the teams,” said the Ginebra coach.
There was noise on social media about Trollano and Ahanmisi being left out of the All-Star selection through fan balloting despite the two having fine seasons for NLEX and Converge, respectively.
In contrast, crowd darling Barangay Ginebra has eight players in the roster including team captains Japeth Aguilar and Scottie Thompson, big man Christian Standhardinger, veterans LA Tenorio, Stanley Pringle, and Nards Pinto, along with youngsters Jamie Malonzo and Jeremiah Gray.
The 64-year-old Cone disclosed he voted for Trollano and Ahanmisi to be All-Star players this year as the coach said he intended to reward players who are playing well right now.
“I voted for the All-Star teams. I did my voting. And I know three or four that I voted didn’t make it,” he said.
He refused to name the other two players he voted who didn’t make it.
But Cone is not about to raise an issue about it.
“I thought they were deserving, but that’s just the way it is,” he said. “There’s always deserving guys that don’t make it. It happens in the NBA all the time. In all sports, be it football, baseball, or basketball, soccer, it doesn’t matter.
"All-Star teams always leave deserving players off. That’s the nature of the All-Stars, not just enough spots for everybody.”
This year's All-Star game will be held in Passi City, Iloilo on March 12.
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