Buddies Tim Cone & Chot Reyes to give each other hell

AT lunch during the 2008-09 KFC PBA Philippine Cup Finals press conference last Monday, Tim Cone was asked if he has come across who it was between bosom buddies Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas that said: "We are friends before and after [a championship series], not during."

Cone paused, looked at the sportswriter, and said: "That was Magic."

The Alaska Aces coach need not say more. But from what transpired at the media briefing it could be surmised that his friendship with Chot Reyes, the Talk 'N Text mentor and his main adversary, might be taking a backseat in the best-of-seven series the way a similar relationship between the two NBA legends was set aside – momentarily – while both men pursued individual excellence.

Though neither presumably would get fired up so as to come close to not shaking each other's hand after a game – a mutual snub engaged in by Cone and Sta. Lucia Realty's Boyet Fernandez a year back – a psychological warfare could erupt between the two.

Already some kind of mind game has been set into motion in that luncheon event.

Traditionally, coaches, along with their star players, would grace the pre-Finals press conference to answer questions for the reporters' Game One advancer and the sidelight stories that go with it.

That day, Cone, explaining that his team was deep into serious viewing of game footage, came alone, took a seat at a table occupied by members of the PBA Press Corps, and there held court.

By design or not, Reyes, for his part, kept Cone waiting long after the Grand Slam champion coach was through eating, arriving about an hour late before mouthing off gems of quotes at the presidential table.

Asked if he thought Cone was trying to put one over him by coming alone, Reyes, whose advance party included Jimmy Alapag, Jared Dillinger, Yancy and Ranidel de Ocampo, and Mark Cardona, laughed and said: "That's Tim! I knew they had practice and that he wouldn't be bringing any of his players."

Cone said the rivalry with his former assistant would be "friendly" at best.

"I beat him, he beats me," the Aces mentor said. "It's kind of bittersweet. He's a friend of mine. I don't want him to be sad, angry and disappointed. But it's harder on our wives than with us."

In the spirit of competition, Cone said, their wives have agreed not to call or talk to each other for the duration of the Finals.

"Then they can go shopping together. And the winner will have to pay the bill."

Reyes, who had Cone as one of his assistants when he coached the RP team in the Olympic qualifier two years ago in Tokushima, hinted that the fiery nature of the Finals could be all-consuming.

"It's the Finals and we'll go hammer and thongs to win," he announced.

To which Cone responded by raising both fists and whooping in mock celebration when PBA commissioner Renauld 'Sonny' Barrios announced that the younger De Ocampo will miss today's opener after committing a Flagrant 2 foul in Game Six of their semifinal series with San Miguel Beer last Sunday.

It was Charles Barkley, I think, who once said: "You have to hate the other guys a little in order to beat them."

Friendship aside, a small dose of hostility can go a long way into making this Finals of contrasting styles and superlative talent and skills into a great championship experience.

Take it from Sir Charles, who once cost his team a playoff win by not hammering an opposing player as he was about to take the winning shot.

The player's name? Michael Jordan.


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