KAPWA nagpahayag ng kahandaan sina Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone at Bay area counterpart Brian Goorjian sa kanilang title showdown sa PBA Commissioner’s Cup simula sa Araw ng Pasko sa Mall of Asia Arena.
Maaaring ang spotlight ng finals ay nasa dalawang coaches. Ngunit nagkasundo sina Cone at Goorjian na ang best-of-seven title series ay tungkol sa mga player.
“I think we both agreed that it’s going to be decided by players, not by us,” sabi ni Cone sa pre-finals presser nitong Biyernes sa Novotel Manila
“The game is going to come down to the players,” pagsususog ni Goorjian.
Naiintindihan naman na ang hype sa best-of-seven series na ito ay nakatuon kina Goorjian at Cone, dalawang matagumpay na coach.
Si Cone, nagdiwang ng kanyang ika-65 kaarawan noong nakaraang linggo, ang winningest coach sa kasaysayan ng PBA, na nagtatangka sa kanyang ika-25 championship na kinabilangan ng dalawang grand slam.
Samantala, si Goorjian, 69, ang itinuturing na “most accomplished coach” sa NBL Australia na may kabuuang anim na kampeonato. Responsable rin siya sa pagbibigay sa Australia national team ng kauna-unahang medalya nito sa Olympics makaraang magwagi ng bronze sa Tokyo Games noong nakaraang taon.
Sa kabila nito, tulad ng sinabi ni Cone,”the finals is always a players’ game.”
“The players are going to step up and shine, and that’s basically what you want for them. You want them to shine. Probably, the hype before, it will maybe me and coach Brian. But once the game starts, it’s all going to be about the players. And that’s what I’m looking forward to and watch these guys perform,” anang Ginebra coach.
Dagdag ni Goorjian, “We got into this position because we got good players. We’re playing a team that has good players and I got a team, a very talented team that I’m excited about, and we’re looking forward to that competition.”
CLYDE MARIANO
