Ginebra Gears Up for Season 50: Players Excited to Link Up with New Coach Johnny A

by Lou Reyes

Ginebra head coach Tim Cone (left) with PBA legend Johnny Abarrientos. Photo: Inquirer Sports.

Barangay Ginebra fans, the wait is almost over! The Kings haven’t hit the court yet for their official Season 50 preparations, but there’s already plenty of buzz surrounding the squad — especially with the arrival of their newest deputy coach, none other than PBA legend Johnny Abarrientos.

Isaac Go, who’s still on the mend from an ACL injury, shared that the team will finally regroup right after the PBA Rookie Draft on September 8. That will also mark their first formal introduction to the “Flying A.”

“Wala pa kaming practice, wala pa ring official meeting with him. Siguro sa first day namin,” Go said.

While none of the current Kings have directly worked under Johnny A before, every PBA fan — and certainly every player — knows his legendary status. He’s a former MVP, a champion, and a trailblazer. Even more interesting, one of the Kings’ young stars, RJ Abarrientos, is his nephew. Talk about keeping it in the family!

Despite not yet joining the practices, coach Tim Cone confirmed that Abarrientos has been deeply involved with the coaching staff, attending team events and already helping prepare the crew for the grind ahead. And for longtime Ginebra fans, this is also a homecoming — Johnny A won his last championship as a player with the Kings back in 2007, before retiring in the red-and-white.

Ginebra big man Isaac Go (in red jersey). Photo: PBA Images.

So why the long break for the team? A huge chunk of the Ginebra roster and staff were tapped for Gilas Pilipinas’ FIBA Asia Cup campaign. Scottie Thompson, Japeth Aguilar, and Justin Brownlee all saw national duty, with Troy Rosario and RJ Abarrientos also spending time with the Gilas pool. With half the squad wearing the flag, Cone gave the rest of the group the green light to take advantage of a rare extended offseason.

“Coach Tim has always emphasized rest, lalo na ngayon na first time in a while na mahaba ang break for the team,” said Go. He added that for players who’ve been going almost nonstop with Ginebra and Gilas, this downtime is both refreshing and necessary.

As for Go himself, fans may need to wait until December to see him back in action — but he’s already eager to witness how the team will mesh with its newest coaching addition.

Season 50 is shaping up to be special for Barangay Ginebra. With veterans hungry for another title, Gilas boys bringing back international battle experience, and the Flying A officially on board, the crowd darlings look set to give fans another unforgettable ride.