LA Tenorio has recently beaten Stage 3 colon cancer but needs to return to Singapore for checkups every six months.
LA Tenorio retains his job as assistant coach of Gilas Pilipinas.
Gilas head coach Tim Cone confirmed this to reporters on Wednesday, November 13.
Cone knows exactly what the Ginebra veteran playmaker brings to the table as part of the coaching staff, having won multiple championships together in the PBA.
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In a previous interview with Cignal TV, Cone said the court general knows his system like the back of his hand.
"He's helping us both as a player and as a coach, mentoring the players and modeling the players," he said of Tenorio.
"He knows our system better than everybody, probably even better than myself. He can coach, he can model it, that makes him very, very valuable."
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But the 40-year-old athlete could not join practice at the Inspire Sports Academy as the national team gears up for the November window of the2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
Cone bared Tenorio, who won a months-long battle against Stage 3 colon cancer, is flying to Singapore for a biannual check up.
“He has some health related things he has to do during the window. He’s gonna be missing a couple of days ‘cause he has to go back to Singapore for a coupe of checkups,” said Cone.
But the winningest coach in PBA is expecting his top lieutenant to be back once the ball starts rolling in the Qualifiers at the SM Mall of Asia Arena next week.
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“But he should be either on the bench or right behind the bench when the games starts,” he said.
“He’s gonna be part of the staff and part of the preparations. He will miss a few days at the Inspire camp while we’re there though.”
Gilas will take on New Zealand first on November 21 before squaring off against Hong Kong three days later.
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