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Winning championships will never get old for Tim Cone, especially with this particular context in mind.
Thirty-seven seasons and 26 championships later, one would think that Tim Cone has gotten used to the taste of success as the PBA’s winningest coach.
Cone would be the first to tell you otherwise. Sure, making the PBA finals may seem routine these days. But the thrill, the feeling of competing on the big stage? That’s a privilege that Coach Tim doesn’t take for granted, even at this stage of his legendary career.
“The next one is going to be my favorite,” Cone said after Barangay Ginebra took down the TNT Tropang 5G to rule the Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup last Wednesday, June 17.
“So you know, it’s all about moving on, moving forward, and going forward. And this never gets old.”
Title number 26 for Cone — and 16th for Ginebra — was three years in the making, with the Gin Kings’ last title coming in the Season 47 Commissioner’s Cup against the Bay Area Dragons. They’ve since dealt with early playoff exits, along with three-straight Finals losses to a TNT side reinforced by Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.
This latest title wasn’t a cakewalk either, with the Gin Kings being pushed to seven games by Chris McCullough and the Tropang 5G. Similar to his championship wins, the thrill of playing in a Finals Game 7 still feels fresh to the champion coach.
“I was saying earlier before everybody arrived that the last two days have just been horrid, you know, waiting for this Game 7 to happen,” Cone admitted. “And it’s just been a really, really tough two days on my family, tough on friends.”
“I just was really out of it for the last two days just getting ready for Game 7. So you know, there’s still that excitement, there’s still that bad stomach and sleep. And that’s all part of it; it’s not getting old, it’s not just another Game 7…it’s special, each one of them.”
But more than his innate competitiveness, Cone knows that he isn’t getting any younger, and his coaching days will soon come to an end. It’s no longer like his early years with the Alaska Milkmen in the 1990s, or with the San Mig Coffee Mixers in the 2010s.
“They’re (championships) are getting more and more special the older I get, because I know that’s not an infinite number anymore,” Cone, now 68, admitted.
“Before when I was 35, 40, I didn’t think about the end. But I think about the end more often these days.”
This mindset carries over to Gilas Pilipinas, who are set to play in New Zealand and Australia for Window 3 of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers this July.
“So everyone now is really special, and that’s why I’m also enjoying the Gilas team. It’s just as hard if not harder than these Game 7s,” Cone said. “That’s what I try to tell the players, every time we go up against a dual window, any game we play is a championship game. We’re fighting for a championship.”
“So it’s not like we’re just playing a window. We’re fighting for championships.”
Images by Ed Simon/KLIQ Inc.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tim Cone has won 26 PBA championships as of the Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup, making him the winningest coach in Philippine Basketball Association history. His 26th title came with Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, who defeated the TNT Tropang 5G in a seven-game series in June 2025.
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel has won 16 PBA championships, with their most recent title coming in the Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup. The Gin Kings last won a championship in the Season 47 Commissioner’s Cup against the Bay Area Dragons before a three-year gap.
Barangay Ginebra San Miguel defeated the TNT Tropang 5G in seven games to win the Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup. The series was closely contested, with TNT reinforced by Chris McCullough pushing the Gin Kings to a deciding Game 7 before Ginebra claimed the title on June 17.
Gilas Pilipinas is scheduled to compete in Window 3 of the FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers in July, with games in New Zealand and Australia. Several Barangay Ginebra players are expected to join the national team setup shortly after the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals.
Tim Cone has been coaching in the Philippine Basketball Association for 37 seasons. He began his head coaching career with Alaska Milkmen in the 1990s and has also coached the San Mig Coffee Mixers, among other franchises, before his current tenure with Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.