Tim Cone Apologizes to Alaska for San Mig Coffee Walkout

San Mig Coffee coach Tim Cone took to Twitter to apologize to the Alaska Aces and coach Luigi Trillo for his team’s walkout in their tuneup game on Tuesday.

“No big deal. We asked to halt the practice game. We weren’t ready to play. My fault in scheduling it,” wrote Cone on his Twitter account.

He added that the ejection of Jerwin Gaco was not the reason for his decision to have the game halted.

“It was more about the fear of injury to our key guys than the call. We’re not in shape yet and guys were cramping. Again, my fault,” added Cone.

Cone asked the tuneup to be stopped in the third quarter shortly after Gaco was called for a flagrant foul for elbowing Eddie Laure. Trillo told InterAKTV that the call was justified.

San Miguel Corporation official Noli Eala earlier claimed that the call was the reason for the stoppage.

“Alaska-San Mig Coffee game stopped because of another bad call by refs,” wrote Eala on his Twitter account.

-InterAKTV

Alaska Aces , Jerwin Gaco , PBA , San Mig Coffee Mixers , Tim Cone

San Mig Coffee Walked Out of its Tuneup Match against Alaska

It turns out that coffee and milk don’t always make for a perfect combination.

San Mig Coffee walked out of its tuneup match against Alaska on Tuesday at the Reyes Gym after Mixers coach Tim Cone disagreed with a call by the referees.

The Aces were leading 63-50 in the third quarter when San Mig Coffee forward Jerwin Gaco was thrown out of the game for warding off with his elbow against Alaska’s Eddie Laure. Cone vehemently protested the call before leading his team out of the court.

“Cone proceeds to Alaska bench, shakes hands of Aces coaching staff. Tapos ang laro,” wrote veteran journalist Dennis Principe on his Twitter account, where he provided updates on the game.

Cone refused to take calls by InterAKTV on the matter.

Alaska coach Luigi Trillo, meanwhile, said the call on Gaco was correct, saying that it really was flagrant.

It marked the second straight day with a tuneup game involving a PBA team being halted. On Monday, a tuneup game between Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and the Qatar national team was stopped after an altercation between Kerby Raymundo and a Qatari center.

-Rey Joble, InterAKTV

Alaska Aces , Jerwin Gaco , San Mig Coffee Mixers , Tim Cone

Caguioa in Smart Gilas “I don’t want to disrupt the team’s chemistry”

Shortly after Mark Caguioa won Most Valuable Player honors, SMART-Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes sent out a Twitter message congratulating him and throwing out the possibility of the Ginebra hotshot returning to the national team.

Caguioa, who was awarded the PBA Press Corps Comeback Player of the Year on Monday night, is flattered by the idea, but said the team is doing very well without him.

“I don’t want to disrupt the team’s chemistry,” Caguioa told InterAKTV in an exclusive interview. “Man, the team won the Jones Cup and I don’t think they will still need me there. They don’t have to make any changes, except only when one of the players get injured.”

Caguioa said the team has enough firepower even without him.

“I don’t want to take away some minutes from Gary (David) and Jeff (Chan). They’ve been playing so well. Isa pa, maganda na yung samahan nila on and off the court. Guys have developed a special bonding among themselves,” said Caguioa, who played for Reyes in the national team in 2007.

“Who doesn’t want to play for Coach Chot? It’s an opportunity that hardly comes. But I have so much respect for the players who were selected there, players who have worked so hard and sacrificed a lot. To me, it would be unfair if I will be included there. They deserved their spots more,” he said.

SMART-Gilas leaves for the FIBA Asia Cup in Tokyo this week, with the Philippine team facing a tough China training squad in its opening assignment. Caguioa believes it would be tough, but anything is possible.

“You just have to believe and I’m sure the players themselves have belief in their selves and their level of confidence is higher now,” Caguioa said.

-Rey Joble, InterAKTV

Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings , Mark Caguioa , PBA , Smart Gilas

Kerby Raymundo and a member of the Middle Eastern squad got into a scuffle, Tune Up Game

The tuneup game between Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and the Qatar national team was halted after Kerby Raymundo and a member of the Middle Eastern squad got into a scuffle.

Referees decided to stop the game at the 4:57 mark of the third period.

Game over refs stop da game! Very physical game.
— DA ROCK (@AsiTaulava5) September 10, 2012

Due to basketball brawl bet Kerby and #13 of qatar the game is forced to end..final score: 53-52 qatar 4:57 in the 3rd
— Skyscraper13 (@Skyscrapper13) September 10, 2012

San Miguel Corporation executive Noli Eala posted more details on Twitter: “Game got a bit physical. Hard foul by Kerby on Qatari center. He retaliated and that’s where it got out of hand. No punches but better to stop.”

The Qatar squad is in the Philippines to play a series of tuneups against various teams, including SMART-Gilas Pilipinas last Saturday.

-InterAKTV

Barangay Ginebra Gin Kings , Kerby Raymundo , PBA , Qatar Basketball

PBA Support Fiba Asia next year

Top officials of the PBA are part of the Philippine delegation to the FIBA Asia Congress in Tokyo, Japan that will push for the country’s bid to host the Asian cage championship next year.

PBA Board of Governors chairman Robert Non, vice-chairman Mon Segismundo, and treasurer Ely Capacio will join league commissioner Chito Salud along with officials of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas led by president Manuel V. Pangilinan, vice-chairman Ricky Vargas, and executive director Sonny Barrios. Also part of the group is former FIBA Asia secretary-general Moying Martelino.

“I intend to impress upon our leaders in FIBA Asia that the PBA is one with the SBP in its quest to regain basketball supremacy here in Asia,” said Salud. “Unequivocal is our support of SBP’s quest to host the FIBA-Asia qualifying tournament here in 2013 and we want to make sure [FIBA Asia] secretary-general Hagop Khajirian of Lebanon gets that message.”

Under Salud, the PBA earlier committed its support to the national team by providing a pool of 16 players for the SMART-Gilas Pilipinas national program. It paid immediate dividends as the latest incarnation of the Philippine team won its first international tournament, the 34th William Jones Cup, in Taiwan.

The FIBA Asia Congress coincides with the FIBA Asia Cup, where SMART-Gilas will also see action beginning Friday.

Apart from the Philippines, Iran and Japan are also reportedly bidding for the rights to host the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship, which serves as qualifier to the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

Earlier, the SBP hosted Khajirian on a tour of the country’s basketball facilities. He reportedly came away impressed with the new SM Mall of Asia Arena.

“I think we were the only ones who invited him to personally inspect the venue,” said Barrios. “Seeing Hagop impressed with the venue is good news for us, but we still have to make a formal presentation.”

The last time the country hosted the FIBA Asia Championship was nearly 40 years ago. Then known as the Asian Basketball Confederation Championship, the Philippines won the gold medal in the 1973 event when the team bannered by Robert Jaworski, Mon Fernandez, Bogs Adornado among others, defeated a South Korean squad led by Shin Dong-Pa in the finals.

-InterAKTV

2012 Fiba Asia Cup , 2013 Fiba Asia Championship , PBA , Samahang Basketbol Ng Pilipinas , SM MOA Arena , Smart Gilas

GlobalPort owner Mikee Romero Plans to Build the Team around Gary David

Only one member of the Powerade Tigers starting lineup from the team that made a Cinderella run to the Philippine Cup semifinals last season remains with the GlobalPort squad that bought the Coca-Cola franchise: Gary David. The Tigers traded Marcio Lassiter and Doug Kramer last season before the team was sold. GlobalPort has since dealt Sean Anthony on draft day and JVee Casio last month, leaving David all alone.
GlobalPort owner Mikee Romero says David, contrary to rumors, isn’t going anywhere.
“I want to build my team around Gary David, so why would I trade him?” said Romero.
“We will keep Gary and surround him with players who could help him out.”
The team owner, who is currently in the United States for a business trip, said the acquisition of two-time Most Valuable Player Willie Miller for Casio was a move to try to get more scoring help for Gary David.
Romero identified David, Miller, and former Rookie of the Year Rabeh Al-Hussaini as the core of the squad. “OK kami dito with these three players,” said Romero.
-Rey Joble, InterAKTV

Gary David , Mikee Romero , PBA , Willie Miller

San Mig Coffee Tougher and Bigger

San Mig Coffee picked up three big men to shore up its frontline in last month’s PBA draft. But beyond adding ceiling, coach Tim Cone hopes the three men could also provide toughness to the team

The Mixers have signed first-round pick Aldrech Ramos and second-round choice Jewel Ponferrada. Their third-round draftee, 6-foot-9 Gian Chiu, could also get a deal.

“Aldrech is a big man who can step out and shoot while Jewel is a tough kid,” said Cone, adding that the team learned lessons from its setback against Rain or Shine in the Governors’ Cup finals. The Elasto Painters, who won in seven games, imposed its physical style on the the team then known as the B-MEG Llamados, who preferred a more finesse style of play.

On his interest in Chiu, Cone pointed to the old adage: you can’t teach height.

“I don’t know yet where Gian Chiu should come in, but he’s a project player and I think it would be worth it developing a 6-foot-9 project player,” said the coach.

The rookie trio would bolster an already impressive San Mig Coffee frontline that also includes Marc Pingris, Yancy De Ocampo, Rafi Reavis, Jerwin Gaco, and Mike Burtscher. The Mixers are also bracing for the return of versatile forward Joe Devance.

New addition, returning players

Another new addition to San Mig Coffee practice was Chris Pacana, who spent the past season with the Westports Malaysia Dragons in the ASEAN Basketball League.

“He will come in and play the wing position for us,” Cone said. “He will not play point guard because we already have too many point guards in our team.”

Val Acuna, whom the team traded away on draft day to GlobalPort, is also back with San Mig Coffee. He currently serves as a practice player for the squad.

“We cannot sign him [as a regular player],” said Cone, who explained that PBA rules prohibit players from returning to the team that traded him during the season.

-Rey Joble, InterAKTV

Aldrech Ramos , Gian Chiu , Jewel Ponferrada , PBA , San Mig Coffee Mixers , Tim Cone

Patrimonio, Duremdes, Aquino lead PBA legends vs Dubai

DUBAI – Kenneth Duremdes shot the lights out of the Al-Shabab Club basketball stadium, scoring 40 points to bail out a selection of PBA legends 109-105 against a selection of Dubai-based Filipino expatriates on Friday night.

The legends, who fell behind by as much as eight points in the first half, banked on the troika of Duremdes, Vince Hizon and Marlou Aquino in mounting an 11-0 run at the start of the third period to snatch the lead for good.

Aquino took advantage of his 6-foot-9 frame and produced 20 points, mostly from inside, and controlled the boards to contain the scrappy hosts that included former PBA player Ruben dela Rosa and others who saw action in the defunct Metropolitan Basketball League (MBA).

Duremdes and Aquino led a star-studded legends squad that also included Alvin Patrimonio, Ato Agustin, Jojo Lastimosa, Vince Hizon, Noli Locsin, Bonel Balingit, and Bobby Jose.

“Kung laro lang, kaya pa naman natin kaso nauubos tayo sa [daily] practice,” Duremdes, the 1998 PBA MVP who retired in 2008, told InterAKTV.

InterAKTV/Alfonso Ramirez
Earlier, the Philippine Expat Basketball Conference (PEBC), which organized the weekend visit of the PBA legends, “retired” the number 7 in honor of Philippine basketball’s living legend, Robert Jaworski.



“Mr. Senator, we are officially retiring jersey number 7 which means no one will be allowed to use your legendary number in PEBC-sanctioned tournaments here in Dubai,” Gerry Martinez of the PEBC said during the programme that preceeded the exhibition game.

In response, Jaworski – whose jersey was retired by the PBA exactly two months ago – thanked the organizers and said: “OK lang na gamitin ninyo ang number 7 basta sa kabutihan.”

The scores:

PBA Legends 109 – Kenneth Duremdes 40; Marlou Aquino 20; Alvin Patrimonio 13; Vince Hizon 12; Noli Locsin 11; Jojo Lastimosa 6; Bonel Balingit 4; Bobby Jose 3

Dubai All Stars 105 – Nonoy Sayon 16; Al Federiso 15; Jayson Araneta 14; Khalifa Salem 10; Ruben dela Rosa 10; Archie Cruz 8; Lito Callueng 6; Alex Miclat 5; Jeff Roque 5; Alfie Gesta 4; Alwyn Flores 4; DJ de Jesus 4; Roel Hugnatan 2; JR Go 2

-Alfonso Ramirez, special to InterAKTV

Alvin Patrimonio , Kenneth Duremdes , PBA , PBA legends , Robert Jaworski

Gary David Inspired with his Newest Baby Girl

With his wife about to deliver their third baby girl anytime soon, GlobalPort superstar guard Gary David is filled with inspiration in the days leading up to his stint with SMART-Gilas Pilipinas in the FIBA Asia Cup.

“Excited na nga ako,” David told InterAKTV. “Dagdag motivation sa akin ito sa Japan tournament namin.”

David and the rest of SMART-Gilas will leave for the tournament in Tokyo, Japan later this week, meaning he would have just a short chance to spend time with the newest member of his family, Lian Mariah Jaylaa David.

For him, it’s one of the things he has to give up for the honor of wearing the national colors. A renowned family man, he carries his family on his shoulder literally; on his right shoulder, he has a tattoo of his family, which he kisses before every free throw attempt to send a message of love to them.

“Sanay ako lagi na andyan yung pamilya ko. They’re always at the PBA games kaya yung malalayo sila sa akin, isa yun sa mga sakripisyo ko,” he said.

“Kaming mga players ng national team, alam namin na kailangan kaming magsakripisyo. May mga times na ngayon na nag-twice a day practice kami dahil bukod sa practice sa Gilas, may regular practice din kami sa mother teams naming. Pero sulit naman yung sakripisyo, lalo na nung nanalo kami ng Jones Cup.”

The 6-foot-2 pride of Lyceum said he plans to bring the image of Lian Mariah Jaylaa with him to Tokyo to serve as inspiration and motivation.

David is expected to once again play a key role for SMART-Gilas in the FIBA Asia Cup, like he did in the Jones Cup last month, when he came through with big baskets in the clutch to lift the Philippine team.

His SMART-Gilas stint caps an impressive banner year that saw him win the Best Player of the Conference plum in the Philippine Cup after leading the Powerade Tigers to a Cinderella run to the finals. He narrowly lost the Most Valuable Player award to Mark Caguioa despite leading the league once again in scoring. On Monday, the PBA Press Corps will fete David with the Scoring Champ award, a new citation created to honor his outstanding season.

-Rey Joble, InterAKTV

2012 Fiba Asia Cup , Gary David , Global Port , PBA , Smart Gilas

Fajardo, Mallari get High Passing Marks in first Tuneup Game

Rookies June Mar Fajardo and Alex Mallari played their first tuneup game in a Petron uniform on Thursday morning, and they got high passing marks.

Fajardo, the top overall pick, and Mallari, selected third overall, showed a lot of promise during their team’s 101-98 loss against the reigning Governors Cup champion Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.

“Magaling sila,” Guiao told InterAKTV. “They have a lot of potential and they give Petron a different look. We see the rise of a new era in Petron with the acquisition of young players, including Fajardo and Mallari.

“I don’t know what grade should I give them, but I will definitely give them high marks.”

Petron team consultant Rajko Toroman, graded the two rookies on a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the highest, for their performances on both ends of the court.

“On offense, I think they deserved to be graded by eight,” said Toroman. “We should be satisfied with the way they played even though this is the first time they see action for our team. On defense, they need a lot of catching up to do, so I will give them a six.”

Gabe Norwood, one of the leaders of the Elasto Painters, came away impressed by Fajardo and Mallari.

In one sequence, Fajardo caught Norwood on a solid screen to free up Joseph Yeo. “Man, he knocked me down on my butt in one play,” said Norwood. “But Fajardo looks impressive. He’s big and tall and he can play.”

Norwood was also impressed by Mallari’s play. “What’s interesting to see is how he will be able to play once Marcio [Lassiter] and Chris [Lutz] return,” said Norwood.

“But I have to give the rookies a 7.5 to 8 in a scale of 1 to 10.”

San Miguel Corporation executive Noli Eala was wowed by Fajardo’s first game.

“I haven’t checked yet how many rebounds he pulled down, but he did score 17 points and that was impressive for someone playing in his first preseason game,” said Eala.

-Rey Joble, InterAKTV

Alex Mallari , June Mar Fajardo , PBA , Petron Blaze Boosters