Chambers perfect fit as Gilas assistant coach, says Cone

MANILA, Philippines – With Gilas Pilipinas depleted both inside the court and on the bench, head coach Tim Cone tapped “the perfect guy” to step in as the Nationals attempt to make the Olympics.

Former Alaska Aces import Sean Chambers was enlisted to be part of the Gilas’ coaching staff a few weeks before the team flew off to Europe for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament. 

The triangle mastery of Chambers, who won multiple championships with Cone in the 90s, pushed the coach with the most titles in the PBA to hire the former import.

“Sean is, at the last minute... we couldn't get LA [Tenorio] to attend with us. He had other duties to do with the company. Josh [Reyes] is locked in with his World Cup. He's in Turkiye right now and won't be available for us,” Cone told reporters after Gilas’ 74-64 exhibition match victory over the Taiwan Mustangs on Monday. 

“We just looked around and said we're short. We're basically just basically Jong [Uichico] and Richard [del Rosario,] and Richard's the team manager. Really had one assistant along with Patrick [Partosa,] who's our analytics guy. Sean steps in, he's played with me for 13 years,” he added. 

“He knows me personally as well as anybody I've ever met. He knows our system, he knows the triangle, so he's just the perfect guy.”

Chambers is also the newly hired coach of the Far Eastern University Tamaraws. He is considered to be one of the greatest imports in PBA history. 

“And if you have ever been around him ... he's one of the most valuable people around you. We begged him and we begged FEU, and thank goodness he said yes and FEU said yes.” 

Gilas will try to punch a ticket to the Paris Olympics in the OQT starting next month, but the team will face a hard path, going up against Latvia and Georgia.