TIM Cone’s 15th conference championship with San Mig Coffee that tied the legendary Baby Dalupan’s record is not about who is the better coach between the two. But rather, it’s more about how astounding and humbling it is to win 15 PBA titles.
First, you have to coach for quite some time in the league to win that many titles.
Cone began with Alaska and won 13 conferences with the Aces including a Grand Slam in 1996. Dalupan had a long stretch as Crispa mentor, winning nine crowns and the first Grand Slam in 1976. Then there were his five titles with Great Taste and one with Purefoods.
Staying as long as Cone has and Dalupan did in the PBA indicates that you can win championships, which is what the teams aspire for. Sure, member teams are in the league for the media exposure to help push products or services. But the competitive drive to win is also very strong in the pros and having a winning coach facilitates the process.
Second, 15 titles are a lot in a league that, of late, has seen lineups being juggled endlessly to meet salary caps or maintain parity.
Dalupan and Cone won the bulk of their titles with teams with strong cores.
Dalupan’s Crispa teams had Atoy Co, Philip Cezar, Bogs Adornado, Bernie Fabiosa and Abet Guidaben, among others, as the nucleus. Cone’s Alaska team had Johnny Abarrientos, Jeffrey Cariaso, Poch Juinio, Jojo Lastimosa and Bong Hawkins as their anchor five.
But the fact that Dalupan won with Great Taste and Cone has now two with the San Mig franchise shows versatility and the ability to motivate players to follow a system and sacrifice for team goals. The lineups may change but the mentoring remains fundamentally the same.
Third, 15 titles won against some very equally hardworking and talented coaches is also an achievement.
Cone has had to battle against Norman Black (also a multititled winner in the PBA), Yeng Guiao, Jong Uichico and good friend Chot Reyes. Dalupan is the maestro among Filipino coaches but had to match wits against younger coaches armed with enthusiasm and new ideas derived from playing experience or coaching seminars abroad.
Lastly, 15 titles won in such a volatile and unstable profession is quite a feat. Coaches have lost sleep and even jobs because of perceived mistakes in officiating or uncooperative players. No matter how strong their personalities are, coaches still have to deal with egos and talent on a basketball team.
There is the sensitive issue but necessary task of cutting players or not giving as many minutes to players who feel deprived of hardcourt time.
Dalupan and Cone may have not had to deal with this but sometimes the coaches have had to confront the desperate appeals of players’ wives to give their husbands more playing time!
Dalupan and Cone are a cut above the field and, with 15 titles each, there is no need to debate who is more masterful. Different times and contexts separate the two but winning that many titles is unquestionably brilliant.