PBA chairman Ricky Vargas and vice chairman Alfrancis Chua shared excitement for the livewire showdown for the Season 49 Governors' Cup crown between their respective teams, TNT and Barangay Ginebra.
"If you notice, it's the chairman's team and the vice chairman's team in the finals," Vargas said as he joined Chua, PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial and coaches and stalwarts of the protagonists in the pre-finals presscon on a stormy Thursday at the Atrium, Enderun Colleges in Taguig.
Vargas described the best-of-seven series as "a very, very interesting finals for me, for the PBA and for the fans."
"Bakit? No. 1: It's the current coach of the national team (Tim Cone of Barangay Ginebra) versus the former coach of the national team (Chot Reyes of TNT). At saka it's the import of Jordan (the Tropang Giga's Rondae Hollis-Jefferson) versus the import of the Philippines (the Gin Kings' Justin Brownlee) and both of them Best Import (awardees)," he said.
"It's the defending champion (TNT) versus the darling of the crowd (Ginebra). It's also a conference where Ginebra and TNT will finally meet once again after a long period of time in the finals so this is going to be an exciting finals," he added.
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The race-to-four will mark the first title duel between the two since the Tropang Giga dethroned the Gin Kings via a 3-2 verdict in the Season 47 Governors' Cup Last Dance.
This will also be their maiden face-off in the season-opening conference having competed in different groups back in the elims (TNT in Group A and Ginebra in Group B).
"It's about two great coaches, maglalaban, magbahasahan ng depensa, adjustments, everything," Chua said, referring to Cone and Reyes who have been friends, coaching allies and rivals since the 1990s.
"They know each other. 'Yun nag maganda diyan. They know their style so magandang palaisipan. Parehong may national players...Sa Sunday matutuwa sigiurado si chairman - maglalaro sila na maraming fans kasi Ginebra kalaban eh," Chua added, smiling.
"Sa lahat ng mga fans ng PBA, iniimbitahan ko kayo manood ng laban namin. magandang laban po to, parehong magagaling na players, magagaling na imports, magagaling na coaches. Sana po gumanda ang panahon para puno tayo," he further said.
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"I'm looking forward to, I hope, a friendly game, with my friend Alfrancis. You know how exciting it can be and we look forward to giving the fans the best basketball each team can give. Inaanyahan ko kayong lahat to watch TNT and Ginebra fight it out for the championship. No excuses, we (TNT) will play our best," said Vargas. (OL)
