Protecting the crown

There is a distinct line between a coach who rests on his laurels and a tactician who keeps on working even when he’s already on top.

When Gilas Pilipinas regained the Asian Games gold medal in Hangzhou in 2023, its coach, Tim Cone, was hailed as a national hero. We still remember the script: An American mentor stepping up in the wake of the FIBA World Cup disaster. He didn’t have a longer runway to prepare a team, banking only on his big fighting heart to end a long 61 years of heartache.

But if Cone learned anything from that golden run — and the administrative nightmare that nearly doomed their chances — it is that relying on miracles is a poor business model for a title defense.

And by expanding the Gilas pool to a 30-man long list for the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Cone is sending a strong message that the era of last-minute preparation is officially over.

The inclusion of energetic young stalwarts like Converge big man Justin Araña and former De La Salle University standout Mike Phillips in the Asian Games pool is a strategic buffer designed to counter the notoriously unpredictable eligibility rules of the organizing body and the Olympic Council of Asia.

Cone still carries the scars of Hangzhou, where the coaching staff had to scramble for last-minute replacements days before departure because of rigid passport rules. We also saw a similar disaster during the 33rd Southeast Asian Games last year, where a sudden change in eligibility rules left coach Norman Black deploying what Robert Bolick branded as “Team C” of the national team.

By locking in 30 legitimate, passport-ready, and system-familiar players this early, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas is insulating itself against the worst-case scenario.

Whether the organizing committee decides to bar certain naturalized players like Justin Brownlee, Ange Kouame, or Bennie Boatwright, or impose residency restrictions on Filipino-foreign athletes, Cone will have a plug-and-play solution ready. Familiarity and chemistry will not be sacrificed at the altar of technicalities.

This absolute readiness is non-negotiable because Asia is no longer treating the Filipinos lightly. The hunters have become the hunted, and the traditional Asian powerhouse squads are sharpening their knives, ready to knock the crown off the Filipinos’ heads.

Take China, for example. The Chinese remain salty after Gilas executed a stunning, heartbreaking comeback in the Asian Games semifinals on Chinese soil.

For a nation that treats basketball dominance as a matter of national pride, that defeat remains an unhealed wound. Reports have it that a relentless, heavily funded buildup is now ongoing as the Chinese are determined to exact revenge and restore what they believe is the natural pecking order of Asian basketball.

But China isn’t the only threat looking to dethrone the Filipinos.

Jordan, the team that Gilas clobbered in the Asian Games gold medal match, has spent the last three years retooling its roster, desperate to turn its silver into gold.

Meanwhile, Japan, competing on home soil in Nagoya, is maximizing its explosive global stature with deep development pools and some National Basketball Association players ready to take the tournament by storm.

Indeed, the landscape of Asian basketball has never been more treacherous. The margin for error has shrunk to zero.

Cone’s decision to come up with an expansive Asian Games pool shows the brilliance that makes him the country’s most decorated mentor. He understands that defending a title requires a completely different mindset. You cannot just fly into Nagoya with a makeshift squad and expect the basketball gods to hand you the gold medal on a silver platter.

The 30-man pool is more than just a list of names on an SBP spreadsheet. It is a fortress built to protect the crown. Gilas Pilipinas is drawing the first blood in this Asian Games warfare, ready to prove that this time, the Filipinos will be weighed, measured and found absolutely ready.