Tim Cone Keeps Gilas Grounded Ahead of Asia Cup Showdown with Chinese-Taipei

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by Cristian Andal

Tim Cone Gilas Pilipinas
Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone (right) with national team players June Mar Fajardo (leftmost) and Kevin Quiambao. Photo: SBP.

As the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 tips off in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Gilas Pilipinas enters the tournament with high hopes and a clear goal: to bring home the gold. But while the ambition is strong, head coach Tim Cone is making sure his squad stays grounded.

The Philippines is set to open its campaign against long-time foe Chinese Taipei, with Cone emphasizing that although winning it all is the ultimate target, it’s not where their immediate focus lies.

“We’re not thinking too far ahead,” Cone shared. “Yes, we want gold. But more than anything, we’re locked in on what’s in front of us—and that’s Chinese Taipei.”

Coming off a historic gold medal run in the 2023 Asian Games, the pressure is on Gilas to prove it wasn’t a one-time triumph. However, this Asia Cup journey poses new challenges. Without injured center Kai Sotto and with strong teams like Australia and New Zealand in the mix, Gilas faces an uphill climb.

In Group D play, the real litmus test comes Thursday when the team squares off against New Zealand—a matchup expected to show how far this retooled Gilas squad can go.

Their Asia Cup appearance also carries the weight of redemption. In 2022, the team had a disappointing exit in Jakarta, missing the quarterfinals for the first time in 15 years. Prior to that, the Philippines had finished as runners-up twice: to Iran in 2013 and China in 2015.

Still, Cone refuses to let history or expectations be a distraction.

“We take it day by day. We train hard, we compete hard, and we stay in the moment,” he said.

The team’s preparations began on July 7 with weekly practices, gradually shifting to daily sessions, eventually relocating to Angeles, Pampanga, for intensive training. Gilas also logged two solid tune-up wins—beating Macau Black Bears and Jordan—to boost their confidence ahead of the tournament.

Despite the high stakes, Cone is sticking to what’s worked: focus, discipline, and unity.

“We’ll aim for gold, but we’ll earn it one game at a time,” he said.

Tip-off against Chinese Taipei is scheduled for Tuesday, 9 p.m. local time (Wednesday, 2 a.m. in the Philippines). For Gilas, the road to redemption begins now—with eyes on the prize, but feet firmly planted on the ground.