Tim Cone: ‘All-Star Game is for the fans’

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Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone during a timeout. PBA PICTURES

MANILA, Philippines-The Philippine Basketball Association’s proverbial item for coaches has weighed in on the All-Star voting that recently broke out on social media.

“There’s always going to be people who deserve it and don’t get it,” coach Tim Cone said Sunday.

“It happened in [National Basketball Association] all the time. In all sports: Football, baseball, basketball, soccer – it doesn’t matter. All-Star teams always leave deserving players,” said the nine-time All-Star mentor.

This year’s edition of the exhibition sparked a lot of exchanges on social media.

How does a guy like James Yap—the two-time Most Valuable Player who barely saw action this season—become the 22-man pool from which Japeth Aguilar and Scottie Thompson will build their respective squads?

Or how come Nards Pinto, a role player at Ginebra whose most important job is to destroy opponents, is a more logical choice than a player from a less popular club?

Then there is the case of Gian Mamuyac. How can a man who started in only 12 of the Painters’ 25 games this season be eligible to play alongside the crème de la crème of the league?

“I think we all forget about the fans, it’s a fan game. It’s not for anybody but the fans. The All-Star Game is for the fans, all of them,” Cone said.

“Yes, you want to reward the people who deserve it, I think that’s important, but basically, this is a fan game. So, I’m not wrong with the fans choosing the team,” said the most winning tactic in the PBA.

Cone also got the same tenor as several fans on social media: NLEX guard Don Trollano and Converge player Maverick Ahanmisi, who should be held.

“I thought Don Trollano deserved to go in. I thought [Maverick] Ahanmisi has been amazing… the way he plays. I tend to reward people who play well today,” he said.

But the champion’s mentor was quick to take a reality check.

“That’s just the nature of the All-Star (showcase): There’s not enough room for everybody,” he said.

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