I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times - Bruce Lee
No one talks about the Triangle System anymore. When it pops out in the news outside the Philippines, on SB Nation or The New Yorker, it will not be about an NBA or US NCAA team. It would be about Tim Cone, one of the few who still runs it and maybe the only one who still finds success with it.
When the Triangle is discussed, it often comes with a bit of surprise, almost with derision, like finding a VHS player, popping in a tape, and wondering why it’s still playing.
No one really paid much attention during the Asian Games or in the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, where Cone was the head coach of Gilas Pilipinas.
However, coach Tim put the world on notice when he led the Philippines to a dominant win over Latvia, the sixth-ranked team in world.
[Related: Justin Brownlee sizzles as Gilas Pilipinas shock world no. 6 Latvia for strong start in FIBA OQT]
The Triangle has produced 11 NBA championships, six with the Chicago Bulls and five with the Los Angeles Lakers, all under Phil Jackson. However, his disciples have not lasted in the league and the system that was once practically unbeatable during Jackson’s prime became a thing of the past.
Not for Cone.
Through a collection of Chicago Bulls tapes, Cone learned the system, taught it while learning it, and failed with it initially. But as everyone who knows anything about basketball would tell you, the Triangle takes time.
When he figured it out, Cone became close to unstoppable. Like Jackson’s 11 in the NBA, Cone’s 25 titles (and counting) in the PBA are marks that might stand forever.
But the Triangle working in the PBA isn’t news anymore. The Triangle working on the international scene against a strong European squad playing at home? That is something that can’t be brushed aside.
"I guess I’m still a dinosaur at heart, playing the Triangle,” he said after the win against Latvia.
"When I came into camp with the players, I said to them that this is what I know best and this is what I teach best, so we will live and die with this. I’ve been playing the Triangle for 30-plus years. I was mentored by Tex Winter, so I just enjoy living his legacy and keeping it going. It’s an offense that I believe in.”
[Related: 'Dinosaur at heart': Gilas coach Tim Cone shares why he loves the triangle offense]
There are many criticisms of the Triangle and Cone is well aware. It was ravaged by the media when the New York Knicks ran it with Derek Fisher as their head coach and Carmelo Anthony their best player. Analysts enumerated every reason why it can’t work anymore.
The first of which is that it takes too much time to master. 30 years into his relationship with the Triangle and Cone is still learning new ideas about it.
With Gilas though, time is something he has.
This was the entire plan even before he officially said yes. Before taking the Gilas Pilipinas job, Cone said he wished he had the same runway as the 1998 Centennial Team. But after a bronze medal in the Asian Games, the team had to be disbanded because there were no competitions to play.
With the current international basketball environment, games are guaranteed. In 2024, there have already been two from the Asia Cup Qualifiers with two more games coming later this year.
In Riga, Gilas played three games, with another three tune-up games before making it to Latvia.
"The whole part of this particular program, which is different from what we had at the World Cup, is the fact that we're going to hopefully keep these guys together over the next three to four years going into the next World Cup,” Cone said after the game against Brazil in the OQT semis.
"It’s hard to talk about this right after you lose but it's a growth experience for us. It's kind of like a 'now we know' moment. We know we can compete. How can we get that next step in which we can get a little bit better to not just complete, but win?”
There were times in the past few years when Gilas would see as many as 30 players seeing action in different qualifiers and tournaments, due largely to availability, or unavailability of players.
But that’s not going to happen under Cone’s program as he got the full commitment of the players he named and the leagues they’re a part of for the long run.
The second perceived problem with the Triangle was that it could only win championships with a Michael Jordan or a Kobe Bryant.
Well, when you have the “MJ of the Philippines” in the squad, it certainly helps right?
[Related: 'Michael Jordan of Philippine basketball': Kai Sotto gives ultimate compliment to Justin Brownlee]
Justin Brownlee is the perfect player for this system because he is as talented as he is unselfish.
Sure, he’s getting up there in age and he’ll be hovering just below 40 by the time the next World Cup comes, but what he’s doing for the program now is invaluable as he’s setting a blueprint for whoever takes his place, with the top candidate being Bennie Boatwright.
Cone’s Triangle isn’t perfect. His 30-year marriage to it hasn’t been perfect either.
"People really started to doubt it,” Cone said, recalling the Knicks’ experiment with it.
"Even I left it for a couple of years because everybody must be right, right? Everybody was saying it is a bad offense, they must be right.”
There have been peaks and valleys when it came to Cone and the Triangle. There were times when he’d take some inspiration from the Miami Heat and his good friend Erik Spoelstra. There was even a time when he tried to use the Cleveland Cavaliers' offense with Ginebra. But it just did not fit right.
The Triangle was his home, he will live and die with it.
"I still went back to it. It’s been my best friend ever since.”
[Related: 'Now we know' | After impressive FIBA OQT campaign, Tim Cone insists Gilas needs to keep getting better]
Cone’s story is about perseverance and trust. When everyone tells you what you’re doing is yesterday’s news, you don’t have to believe them.
Not everything has to be hyped. New and shiny isn’t always for the best.
Fundamentals matter.
Hours matter.
Hard work matters.
Process over popularity.
Trust over trend.
Cone has practiced this way more than just 10,000 times and the rest of Gilas is quickly catching up.