BARANGAY Ginebra players were most probably still celebrating – or already sound asleep – on the night the Gin Kings eliminated archrival Magnolia from the 2024 PBA Philippine Cup playoffs.
But not their coach.
Just hours after the quarterfinal Manila Clasico that ended with the Gin Kings cruising to a 99-77 win at a boisterous Rizal Memorial Coliseum last May 11, Tim Cone was spotted walking by his lonesome inside his posh village in the south, enjoying the silence and cool breeze.
LOOK: Coach Tim swims laps to stay fit inside PBA bubble
Still wearing his black Ginebra coaching staff polo shirt and shifting into shorts, Cone also carried two light weights that he curled with each hand during his walk as he snuck in a light workout.
Looks like Cone, an American by blood and Filipino at heart, has time for everything.
“I try to work out throughout the day, but I try to end the day (with walking),” said the 66-year-old mentor, who also plays golf and tennis.
Cone usually walks with his wife, Cristina, a marathoner.
“She runs during the mornings and then she walks with me at night,” Cone said. “After dinner, we go out. Or after a game, we’ll go and do a walk.”
“I just believe in it. it settles you,” Cone continued. “And it’s good exercise. It’s good exercise on top of what you normally do, like my tennis or my golf.”
“It’s just something we do all the time. It’s part of our routine, has been for years,” he added.
When pressed for time, they do short 30-minute walks. But they usually prefer the long one-hour strolls.
And it’s more than enough time to think about strategy and game plan especially this deep in the postseason.
'I'm thinking about the game'
“When you’re walking, all you can do is think, so there’s a lot of thoughts going on. You’re thinking about it all the time. I’m thinking about the game,” Cone said.
After the Gin Kings tied the best-of-seven semifinals at two apiece against Meralco with a 90-71 win in Game Four on Friday, expect Cone to do a lot more thinking as he continues his chess match with Meralco coach Luigi Trillo and Bolts active consultant Nenad Vucinic.
Count on Cristina to be Cone’s own consultant during walks.
“When I’m with my wife, she’s discussing the game with me and that makes me think. Then we have our quiet times when we walk and I’ll just focus on the game.
“That’s where I do most of my decision-making,” Cone ended with a smile.
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