Ginebra hype: Lagman admits Tim Cone is the man

Former Albay 1st district Rep. Grex Lagman is now a believer of PBA coach Tim Cone, thanks to his recent successes with the the league’s most popular team, Barangay Ginebra.

“Personally, i’m not a fan of Tim Cone. I don’t like the idea of an American being the head coach of a PBA team,” admitted the politiko-slash-basketball aficionado on this Facebook post.

“I want a Filipino coach who is as competent, willing and able to undertake the main coaching job,” he said.

Lagman, however, noted how Ginebra has “flourished under an all-American coach.”

“I now admire the guy. He left the Alaska Aces to coach San Mig Coffee and made the latter three-peat champions. Now, he has implemented a system for Barangay Ginebra making its players much better–and champions at that,” Lagman wrote.

Ginebra just booked it’s second straight finals appearance–a rarity–after besting the Star Hotshots in the semifinals of the Philippine Cup. Under Cone, the team bagged the 2016 Governor’s Cup–it’s first title win in eight years.

“Magaling talagang coach si kano! Kahit saang team dalhin, gumagaling ang players at nagcha-champion pa. Dapat si Cone ang maging coach ng Gilas Pilipinas, our national men’s basketball team which is now second in Asia,” Lagman said.

Cone, 59, has 19 titles under his belt, the most in the PBA. He began coaching in 1989.

Ginebra, which is popular because of its underdog tag, will go up against favorites San Miguel Beer in the Philippine Cup finals.