Coach Tim Cone. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net
Through the course of coach Tim Cone’s career, there’s only a handful memories he treasures.
But in his recent trip to the United States, he made sure his friend and Miami coach Erik Spoelstra hears his once-in-a-lifetime experience coaching in front of a mammoth crowd at Philippine Arena for Game 7 of the 2017 PBA Governors’ Cup Finals.
READ: Cone can’t wait to tell good pal Spoelstra about PBA record crowd
“I did tell him,” the two-time Grand Slam winner joyfully shared to the media as he met with the Fil-American bench tactician during the Heat’s trip to San Francisco to face the Golden State Warriors.
“I went to their game against the Warriors, and I was able to spend the two days with him. After the game, I went with Erik and we walked around San Francisco for exercise for about two hours. We were so tired but we’re talking the whole time.”
Cone was pertaining to Ginebra’s Game 7 conquest over Meralco that drew 54,086 fans at the world’s largest indoor stadium in Bocaue, Bulacan.
“He always asked me about it. He asked me, ‘How did you get 54,000 people in Araneta? Sitting on top of each other?’ He really thought we played in Araneta,” Cone said laughingly as Spoelstra was unaware that the game was held at Philippine Arena. “It was really fun and he didn’t know about the new arena in Bulacan, outside the city.”
Spoelstra, however, was not surprised with the legions of fans who trooped to the cavernous venue given the Filipinos’ passion for the sport of basketball.
“He was amazed but not surprised. Those are his words,” relayed Cone. “There were 54,000 people but he said he wasn’t surprised because he know how the fans there and he knows what they’re like. He just loves the Philippines so much and the fans.”