FOR PBA great Jojo Lastimosa, Tim Cone is hands down, the greatest influence in his basketball career.
And it doesn't just have something to do with the nine championships he won while playing under the legendary mentor during their time together at Alaska.
Being organized and battle-ready going to a game was a mindset of Cone that really struck Lastimosa at heart.
"I think it was where (Alaska) I found out that preparing for a game can actually have a huge impact on the outcome (of the game)," Lastimosa said of his former coach during the Power & Play program over Radyo Singko 92.3 News FM.
"Tim was a very detailed person. He takes care of players from 1 to 15. He takes time to teach them and I think that's very important."
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The 56-year-old Lastimosa, now a deputy to coach Yeng Guiao at NLEX, came aboard Alaska before the 1991 season following a trade with Purefoods for Elmer Cabahug.
While he was coming off a championship with the Hotdogs, it was a whole new world that would welcome him at his new home, something that he learned to embrace and eventually, resulted in a noteworthy career for him.
And Cone had a lot to do with it.
"One good thing about Tim is that he connected with his players," said Jolas, one of the 25 Greatest Players in PBA history. "That's where (Alaska) my game actually picked up."
Lastimosa and Cone would team up to give the franchise a total of nine championships together, including a memorable a grand slam campaign in 1996.
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While the 10-time All-Star would move to Pop Cola in 2000, he'll find himself coming back home two years later with the Milkmen to play one more season under Cone in a fitting end to his pro career.
Lastimosa would chart a career in coaching later on, and would have no other for a model than Cone.
"That's the reason why he has so much influence in me, the way I would coach and how I would prepare my team as well," said Jolas. (RG)
