THERE were long queues outside the PhilSports Arena in Pasig yesterday, with fans wearing jerseys of Justin Brownlee, Dwight Ramos, Kai Sotto, and the like eagerly waiting to enter the venue.
It could be mistaken as a PBA playdate featuring crowd darling Ginebra, but it was not.
A slew of personalities connected with the Kings were there–coach Tim Cone, former MVP Scottie Thompson, Jamie Malonzo, and Brownlee.
Only this time, the four–along with center-forward Japeth Aguilar are set to represent a new iteration of Gilas Pilipinas.
For Cone, it’s about taking baby steps for now in their bid to qualify for the Paris Olympics in July or in the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
“I’ve said this before, I think I’ve said it during the Asian games, our goal, in my mind is to make the Olympics–that’s really our goal,” Cone said yesterday during the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas’ send-off for the Nationals. “Whether in Paris or whether in LA, four years or five years, our goal is to make the Olympics and we do that by qualifying in Latvia or being the best Asian team in the next World Cup.
“But to do that we have to qualify to the World Cup, and we have to qualify to the FIBA Asia Cup first,” he added.
The Philippine five leaves today for the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers.
Gilas launches its drive on the road against Hong Kong this Thursday and will take on Chinese Taipei on Sunday at the PhilSports Arena.
The second round of the qualifiers is set for Nov. 21 and Nov. 24.
Cone also wants his charges to trust the process after he was given the task of calling the shots for the next four years.
“It’s all about progression, moving forward, so that’s our goal. Our goal is to do that. But that’s not our focus. We’re not gonna be thinking about that, talking about that as a group,” Cone said.
“Our focus is what’s gonna take us to that and that’s the day-to-day process to battle.
That’s part of the process. These windows are part of the process as we continue forward.”
The likes of Brownlee, former MVP Scottie Thompson, CJ Perez, Malonzo, Chris Newsome, Calvin Oftana, Ramos, Carl Tamayo, Sotto, and Kevin Quiambao will make up the roster for the opening round of the qualifiers.
Reigning seven-time MVP June Mar Fajardo is out due to a calf injury he suffered during San Miguel Beer’s six-game title conquest of the season-opening tilt against Magnolia.
Ditto with big man AJ Edu who is recovering from a torn meniscus injury. Without Fajardo and Edu, Aguilar was tapped to beef up the squad.
“It’s really about laying the foundation from which we can build from this first window. We hope to be the foundation laying the foundation in the practice in the inspire camp.
Everything is the foundation,” Cone said. “We keep telling the guys that we’re not gonna make shortcuts, we’re not gonna jump off. We’re just gonna build consistently forward.
“It’s important that we win, but it’s more important that we build a foundation which we could bring to the next window.”
