Tim Cone wants Alfrancis Chua on the bench in Gilas’ Asia Cup qualifiers campaign

There’s nothing like facing cutthroat battles with people you trust fighting next to you.

 For Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone, Alfrancis Chua is one of them.

“I feel comfortable around him cause I know he has my back all the time. I think that’s always important, to have guys you feel like has your back,” said Cone.

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Though he doesn’t exactly have a defined role for Gilas, Chua is a gem to have on the sidelines.

After all, the Ginebra governor has a way of cultivating a connection with the players as a former tactician himself.

“The players trust him as well. He knows how to treat players. He knows how to motivate but it goes beyond that,” Cone added.

“He’s very relational with the players, and I see that Ginebra. I see that with San Miguel and Magnolia as well. But I see it more up close in Ginebra.”

And it works, too.

In fact, that was none more evident when Gilas conquered the 2023 Asian Games in China to gift the country a gold after six decades. Chua and PBA commissioner WIllie Marcia were co-managers then.

“His impact in the Asian Games in which we won the gold. He was much more responsible for winning that gold than anybody else including myself, including Justin (Brownlee). He’s one of the huge reasons why we won that gold,” he said of the executive, with whom he won multiple PBA titles.

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That is why Cone would want to have him by his side again with an active role as the Nationals go to war in the second window of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers.

Gilas takes on a Corey Webster-led New Zealand on Nov. 21 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena and Cone will definitely need all hands on deck this time, including Chua’s.

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