TIM CONE is now talking Olympics following consecutive victories over Jordan and Iran and what perks up his confidence are the young and tall players at his disposal-all capable of filling the void left behind by behemoth June Mar Fajardo.
‘We have a chance in the World Cup to go to the Olympics from there,’ was the highlight of Cone’s interview following Gilas Pilipinas’s low-scoring 68-56 victory over Iran in the second of two FIBA 2027 World Cup Asia Qualifiers games on Sunday night at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
On Friday night, the Philippines escaped past Jordan, 82-81, and is now 4-4 won-lost in the qualifiers, pushing Gilas a notch up the cellar in fifth spot n Group E where Australia (8-0) leads, followed by New Zealand (6-2), Iran (5-3), Jordan (5-3) and Syria (2-6) sixth and last.
‘This was really a special moment as I told them [players] in the locker room, but this was not just the goal,’ Cone said. ‘Our goal is to make the World Cup and this is a big step forward.’
He added: ‘The job is not done and we have more work to do, I think we do, I think we have some control.’
Eight teams from Asia will advance to the 2027 World Cup but with Qatar hosting the event in Doha, the slots are down to seven that is also being contested in the Group F among Lebanon (6-1), Japan (5-2), China (4-3), Saudi Arabia (3-4) and South Korea (3-4)-Qatar is also competing in the group with a 4-3 record.
Minus a recovering Justin Brownlee, almost everyone stepped up for Gilas, especially 7-foot-3 Kai Sotto, whose double-double averages of 15.5 points and 15.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists in both wins stand out for the campaign.
‘The size that we have allow us to compete with anybody internationally-and that is the key,’ Cone said. ‘Kai is a pure Filipino, June Mar [Fajardo] is pure Filipino. The thing about it is they are not just tall, but they are all equally talented. Kai plays like a point guard and he has a thinking game.’
‘If we have our best players together, we can compete with anybody, and I feel we really could,’ Cone said. ‘We are hoping to have all our best players together.’
The Philippines plays Syria on November 27, Iran again on November 30 and also Jordan on February 25 next year to complete the qualifiers.
The FIBA World Cup next year is a qualifier for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
THE crowd just couldn’t help but chant ‘MVP! MVP! MVP!’ as 6-foot-10 June Mar Fajardo held the game ball aloft to acknowledge a very appreciative crowd who bade goodbye to the 13-year Gilas Pilipinas veteran.
‘My heart is overwhelming with gratitude, so thankful,’ Fajardo told the BusinessMirror the morning after the victory over Iran where he played for seven minutes and had six points and two rebounds.
‘Yes, it was my last game for Team Philippines,’ the impending 10-time Philippine Basketball Association MVP said. ‘I am blessed that I was able to play alongside Gilas pioneers and the present crop.’
‘I will support their Olympic quest. Just like Coach Tim, I am also the happiest man to play for Team Philippines for 13 long years,’ he added.
He now joins the ranks of notable Gilas players who wound up their duty to flag and country-recently retired Japeth Aguilar who has 16 years in his resumé and the hardworking and tough-playing Marc Pingris, whose tour went four years.
Fajardo made the national team on his rookie year in the PBA in 2013 and was part of the Gilas squad that made the 2014 World Cup in Seville where he notched big numbers of 15 points and nine rebounds in an 81-79 overtime win over Senegal.
His FIBA averages are 6.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 0.7 in 70 games, including three World Cups Spain, China and the Philippines.