At the rate things are going, an Olympic berth seems within reach for Tim Cone and Gilas Pilipinas.
Tim Cone has proven time and again he is hands down the Greatest of All Time among PBA coaches.
That’s no disrespect to every legendary coaches, past and present. His accolades back that up.
[RELATED STORY: Gilas improves to 3-0, now a win away from FIBA Asia Cup; Australia, Japan score wins]
After all, apart from winning 25 titles, Cone also pulled off a rare Grand Slam twice; one with Alaska in the 1990s, another with then San Mig Coffee in 2014.
Now he’s trying to bring that mojo to international play.
Cone was officially appointed as permanent head coach in January this year, and things are already looking up for the national team.
With the 66-year-old tactician at the helm, an Olympic berth in Los Angeles in 2028 now does not seem far fetched for the basketball-crazy nation.
[ALSO READ: Justin Brownlee delivers as Gilas breaks New Zealand curse in FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers]
Check out some of Cone’s milestones so far for this edition of the national team:
2023 Asian Games gold
After Chot Reyes decided it was time to walk away from Gilas following their exit in the FIBA World Cup in Manila, Cone was tasked to lead a hastily-assembled team in the Asian Games in September last year.
There were very little expectations then from a team that had plenty of hiccups.
But Cone whipped up his magic anew and Gilas stunned home team China before frustrating Rondae Hollis-Jefferson’s Jordan to cop the country’s first gold in men’s basketball in 61 years.
[ALSO READ: 'He's doing it all': Kai Sotto stars in Gilas Pilipinas' breakthrough win vs. New Zealand]
FIBA OQT stunner
Under Cone, Gilas continued to shock the world.
While odds were stacked against them, Gilas went to battle against host team Latvia in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Riga.
The world no. 6 Latvia did not have a chance.
The Nationals raced off to a hot start and weathered a late Latvian surge to register the country’s first win against a European team since 1960.
Gilas reached the semifinals of the mini-competition where a Paris Olympics spot was at stake. But with Kai Sotto nursing a rib injury after the Georgia game, the Filipinos fell short against Brazil.
Brazil eventually punched the lone ticket to Paris.
Historic win in FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers
At this point, only a few believed a Gilas win over New Zealand.
They could not be blamed, since the Tall Blacks has had the Philippines’ numbers since they first met in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in 2016.
Before Thursday’s match, the tally was 4-0 in favor of New Zealand. But the Philippines changed the narrative.
Cone had his reasons to believe his team can conquer New Zealand and they did via a 93-89 win in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers before an electric crowd at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
This is just one year into Cone's stint as Gilas coach. Imagine what else he can do.
[ALSO READ: Paris? LA? Gilas Pilipinas' road to the Olympics begins in FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, says Tim Cone]