Two old friends, meet again.
This is one of the overriding storylines of the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals that will see the TNT Tropang Giga go up against Barangay Ginebra San Miguel. And those two friends, of course, are TNT’s Chot Reyes and Ginebra’s Tim Cone. Combined, they have won 34 championships—9 for Reyes, 25 for Cone—and are considered two of the best to ever do it in local hoops.
Expect neither to pull his punches, though. Not with this championship series serving as a de facto tiebreaker between the two champion coaches, who have faced off in the PBA Finals six times before, with each winning three.
Tim Cone vs. Chot Reyes in the Finals: A Timeline
- 1994 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals: Purefoods TJ Hotdogs (Coach Chot) vs. Alaska Milkmen (Coach Tim) – Purefoods wins, 4-1
- 1996 PBA All-Filipino Cup: Alaska Milkmen (Coach Tim) vs. Purefoods TJ Hotdogs (Coach Chot) – Alaska wins, 4-1
- 2002 PBA All-Filipino Cup Finals: Coca-Cola Tigers (Coach Chot) vs. Alaska Aces (Coach Tim) – Coca-Cola wins, 3-1
- 2003 Invitational Conference Finals: Alaska Aces (Coach Tim) vs. Coca-Cola Tigers (Coach Chot) – Alaska wins, 2-1
- 2008–2009 PBA Philippine Cup Finals – TNT Tropang Texters (Coach Chot) vs. Alaska Aces (Coach Tim) – TNT wins 4-1
- 2012 PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals: B-Meg Llamados (Coach Tim) vs. Talk N Text Tropang Texters (Coach Chot) – B-Meg wins, 4-3
Coach Chot’s Turn?
Curiously, the two coaches have alternated wins in the six times they have faced off in the finals. And if that history is any indication, it looks like the nine-time champion coach is headed for a tenth title as Cone’s Llamados won the last time the two GOAT coaches met for all the marbles.
Then again, this “pattern” is likely nothing but purely coincidental in the grand scheme of things. Besides, Cone and Reyes will be the first to tell fans to throw away all the stats and history out the way when their teams collide starting this Sunday, October 27, at the Ynares Center.
Come tip-off, though, one thing is for certain: This matchup between two terrific tacticians has the makings of another classic.
