Former Gilas Pilipinas member LA Tenorio. –INQUIRER.net file
MANILA, Philippines–LA Tenorio might make his basketball comeback through Gilas Pilipinas.
Interim national coach Tim Cone hinted at the possibility on Thursday, shortly after his appointment’s announcement at the Philippine Basketball Association’s office in Libis, Quezon City.
“You never know,” he said with a smile. “He’s going to work out with us. He said he wants to work out with the team to stay in shape.
Tenorio is nearing the end of his medical treatment for his colon cancer. The Ginebra veteran was shown hitting a triple and saying “Ang pagbabalik!” in a video clip taken by his close pal Zanjoe Marudo around a week ago.
Tenorio, a former national team fixture, was also named as a part of Cone’s coaching staff, joining Richard del Rosario, Jong Uichico and Josh Reyes.
Cone said he is considering tapping even more Ginebra players as the National Five scrambles in preparation for the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, later this month.
“We’re thinking about bringing in a couple of Ginebra players just as bodies that could help us—maybe Sidney Onwubere, or Nards Pinto,” he said.
“We might put a couple of Ginebra guys on the team—knowing they won’t make the [squad]—to help us out with practice just to help us along the way,” he went on.
Gilas convenes on Monday for its first practice geared towards the continental meet. Cone also said he is eyeing a short camp at Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna, sometime next week.