ALASKA coach Tim Cone never had it so good. Not since their team’s grand slam year in 1996.
The Aces booked their sixth straight win and matched their best start in franchise history with a clinical 87-73 triumph over the slumping Burger King Whopper in the KFC-Philippine Basketball Association Philippine Cup at the Cuneta Astrodome.
The Aces kept a hold on the solo lead and stayed as the only unbeaten squad in the tournament.
Cone and his young troop had never experienced this kind of rousing start together.
Cone, the longest-tenured mentor in the league today, assistant coaches Joel Banal and Jojo Lastimosa and veteran guard Jeff Cariaso were the only remnants of that 1996 team, which coasted to a 6-0 start in the 1996 Commissioners Cup and eventually went on to complete the grand slam.
Cariaso, who might be on his last voyage playing in Asia’s first play-for-pay league, refused to compare his present squad to that 1996 grand slam team, where he was one of the key proponents.
“We knew the 1996 team was a special team,” said Cariaso. “But what’s pretty amazing about our present squad is that our players right now know how to stay grounded. When you’re grounded, you don’t have to worry about what happened in the past but learn to move forward.”
The multi-titled mentor heaped praises on his veteran player’s observation and likewise paid tribute to the preparation being done by every member on his team.
“If I may borrow a quote from Phil Jackson, I think it explains well why a team itself leads the team,” said Cone. “I have to say that my team is doing it on its own. They’re talking to each other, they’re policing one another, say like if there’s somebody who comes in late in practice, and they’re preparing themselves mentally and physically for every game. I bet every coach wants to see a team in that situation.”
It was a game dominated by the Aces from start to finish.
