A special matchup for a special kickoff.
The PBA raises the curtains on its golden season tonight with fireworks from Manila Clasico, the fabled rivalry born during the late ’80s era of old-school hoops, short shorts, barreling drives and kalawit rebounds that stays burning in the hearts of the current generation.
Barangay Ginebra and Magnolia, archrivals with a large, passionate fan base, re-engage tonight to fire the opening salvo for the Season 50 Philippine Cup wars at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
And what makes the 7:30 p.m. tiff at the Big Dome – where the first PBA game was played back on April 9, 1975 – even more interesting are the men at the helm. It’s the Gin Kings’ multi-titled coach Tim Cone against his long-time player and coaching pupil LA Tenorio, who has jumped over to the Hotshots as mentor and reserve player after their Season 49 collaboration.
‘He’ll be a great coach because he is a great communicator and great with relationships,’ said Cone of Tenorio, with whom he has won seven PBA championships.
Amid all the hoopla, the debuting Tenorio is keeping his focus.
‘Yes, it’s the Manila Clasico. But at the end of the day, it’s just an ordinary game. It’s the same game we’re going to play the next day. It’s just a game. We just have to play it the right way,’ he told One Sports.
Both master and student are leading teams on a redemption tour.
Cone and the Gin Kings had their chance to win the Governors’ Cup and Commissioner’s Cup trophies last season, but were foiled by TNT each time.
Tenorio’s new charges, meanwhile, failed to get past the quarterfinals of the last four conferences to see their title drought extended to a seventh year or since the 2018 Governors’ Cup.
‘We were right there. We’re not too upset where we are as a team at this point. We know we can contend, we know we can compete,’ said Cone. ‘I think those things that happened to us last season will make our team stronger this season.’
Apart from clutch player Tenorio, Ginebra also lost wingman Jamie Malonzo (now in Korea) in the off-season.