It was hard to get the players to buy into it, at first. They were watching teams like San Miguel Beer win a Grand Slam without having to make those drastic adjustments. They had a strong team, but something was missing.
Little by little, Cone had to bite the bullet. Players were traded, many good ones, veterans who were important in close endgame situations. But the system had to be in place. It took time, and many losses. Gradually, the wins started piling up. Then the championships.
But time caught up with the old Aces. Time to bite the bullet again. Time was when Alaska was king with names like Lastimosa, Hawkins, Abarrientos and Juinio carrying the load. Cone’s heart was broken in some of the awkward trades that took places, like pieces of himself were being broken off and sold to his rivals. But it had to be done. A new Alaska had to be built.
Cone also had to rebuild his own team, his coaching staff, in the process. Many left the nest, making names for themselves. His closest friends, lieutenants and proteges — Chot Reyes and Joel Banal — were winning championships themselves. Tim was suddenly the oldest coach in the PBA. And he felt his confidence ebb.
"I felt like we were starting all over again," he told this writer last year. "San Miguel’s been on top, and we’re chasing them. Then it was our turn. Now, they’re up there again, and we want to be where they are."
He had a great bunch of guys on this new Fil-Am-laden team, but time was not being kind. Even with twice-a-day practices before the season started, the team needed to grow up fast. His former assistants knew all his old tricks, so he had to come up with new ones, as well. What nature giveth with one hand, she taketh away with the other.
"This year and last year, this team has played a Game 5, we’ve played a Game 7. We played a Game 5 last conference," Cone recounts. "The trouble is I’ve been coming up short. And I’m determined, really determined to help this team not to come up short this time. We really wanted to get over the hump. Now, we got some guys who are now experienced enough to make a big play down the stretch, big baskets," he heaves a sigh. "We kinda abandoned our triangle a little bit, because Chot knows it so well. And we just wanted to pound it inside, trying to take advantage of our size."
By a quirk of the tournament format, Alaska had to practically start all over again in the Mabuhay Cup. Just one win shy of being seeded to the semifinals, they had to go through an extra four games just to get back into contention. Then finally, a bittersweet championship, at the expense of former family members Chot, Johnny and Poch. The Mabuhay Cup was theirs, a sprinkling over life-giving water to quench their drought.
"It feels awesome," declares rookie Brandon Cablay, the high-flying guard who was the series’ revelation. "I’m still speechless. It’s amazing what we accomplished. (The losses) just made us hungry. We went through doubt. A lot of people doubted us, that we didn’t have the talent to do it. The key was teamwork. Everybody sacrificed and we did what it took to win."
For some, like journeyman center EJ Feihl, long underestimated and often traded, it was also sweet redemption.
"It’s my first time to win a championship in the PBA," the smiling giant said. "I’m so happy. I hope it never ends. When we lost Game 1, we tried to focus more, and we knew there was no tomorrow."
"It’s about three years since Coach won, so this is a great championship for us," gushed Ali Peek, whose powerful inside play was key in the finals. "We went in with a 10-game winning streak, so it’s something to be really proud of. And we were able to come out on top. There’s no better feeling than that."
Rob Duat, who won five titles with San Miguel, finally got one with the Aces, and the feeling was unique.
"This is special. This is a lot sweeter for me," he admits.
"I guess our cry tonight was we’re not gonna let it go easy," Cone concludes. "We won the battle tonight. It was a big battle."
And with a new generation of sons fighting for him, Tim Cone has come full circle, and come out on top.