Cone hit hardest by retirement of longtime collaborator Devance
MANILA, Philippines – It will take Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone a lot of getting used to in the coming PBA wars without the just-retired Joe Devance, his longtime player and friend.
“I hoped Joe would be 32 years old forever and play for me forever,” Cone told The STAR shortly after the 16-year veteran big man announced his retirement Wednesday.
Devance, 40, is leaving with 12 championships after a stellar career that started in 2007, winning most of them with Cone under the Ginebra, BMEG and Alaska banners.
“I feel naked coaching without him,” said Cone, who captured a grand slam with the 6-foot-7 Fil-Am in 2014 with BMEG/Purefoods.
“Joe had the unique understanding of how powerful relationships are in basketball and through his relationships, he was able to mold and motivate his teammates and make them better.
“He was a great teacher and team-builder, not to mention he was an incredibly skilled big man who could play any position, including point guard. But mostly, he was my friend and a great father to his children and a compassionate teammate,” he added.
Late in his career, Devance started helping Cone training the young ones and getting them acquainted with his system. When Cone was designated as coach of Gilas Pilipinas in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in Manila, he tapped Devance as one of his deputies.
“Truly, truly one of the great ones and one of the most loved players of all time. Anybody who played with him will miss him,” he said.
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