MANILA, Philippines – Tim Cone and Jojo Lastimosa claimed the two biggest honors in the PBA Press Corps Awards Nights on Monday, November 20, after steering their respective teams to success in the past season.
Barangay Ginebra’s Cone captured his fourth regular Virgilio “Baby” Dalupan Coach of the Year plum, while TNT’s Lastimosa clinched the Danny Floro Executive of the Year award to lead the honor roll recognized by the men and women who regularly cover Asia’s pioneering basketball league.
Cone guided the Gin Kings to the Commissioner’s Cup crown as they outlasted fancied guest team Bay Area Dragon that featured former NBA players Andrew Nicholson and Myles Powell in a best-of-seven finale that went the distance.
The winningest PBA coach with a record 25 titles, Cone won the award named after legendary Filipino tactician Dalupan after also leading Ginebra to a finals appearance in the Governors’ Cup.
Cone, 65, now has five coaching awards given by the PBA Press Corps, the other one called “Outstanding Coach of the Bubble” during the one-conference 2020 season.
Meanwhile, Lastimosa earned the Executive of the Year honors for his work as the concurrent Tropang Giga team manager and interim coach.
Assuming the coaching mantle to allow original TNT head coach Chot Reyes to focus on his Gilas Pilipinas duties in the FIBA World Cup, Lastimosa made the right moves as the Tropang Giga ruled the Governors’ Cup following a six-game conquest of the Gin Kings in the finals.
With Lastimosa at the helm, TNT became the first team to beat a Ginebra side spearheaded by import Justin Brownlee in a championship series.
Other big winners included members of Gilas Pilipinas’ title-winning squad in the Asian Games as they were conferred the President’s Award.
Coached by Cone and managed by Alfrancis Chua, the 12-man crew of Brownlee, June Mar Fajardo, Scottie Thompson, Japeth Aguilar, Ange Kouame, CJ Perez, Chris Newsome, Calvin Oftana, Kevin Alas, Marcio Lassiter, Chris Ross, and Arvin Tolentino won the Philippines’ first men’s basketball crown in the Asian Games since 1962.
Magnolia’s Jio Jalalon bagged the Defensive Player of the Year award, NorthPort’s Roi Sumang crowned himself the Bogs Adornado Comeback Player of the Year, San Miguel’s Perez and Jericho Cruz claimed the Scoring Champion and Mr. Quality Minutes plums, respectively, while TNT’s Jayson Castro pocketed the Order of Merit, an award given to the player with the most Player of the Week citations.
Converge’s Justin Arana, NLEX’s Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, Blackwater’s Ato Ular, and Phoenix’s Tyler Tio and Encho Serrano made up the All-Rookie Team. – Rappler.com
