THERE is this habit—a bad one, I believe—by teams not to “shoot that ball” anymore when the game’s outcome has been placed beyond doubt. The basket would be deemed meaningless already, anyways.
Do you believe that?
If you do, then you please no one but Tim Cone, the main proponent of that habit.
That never existed before in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). It started to take root only a while back upon Cone’s urgings. So passionate is Cone about imposing it that not once but twice that he’d had heated confrontation with player/s disregarding his advocacy.
Did Cone copy that from the National Basketball Association (NBA)?
But not all teams in the NBA do that. And nobody there gives a hoot whether you heed it or not.
It’s only here that it has become a big deal of late. No, correction. It’s only Cone who gets irked when a player disobeys. Was Arwind Santos the one that Cone had confronted after Arwind disregarded it?
But let me ask you this, fellas: What’s wrong with firing the last shot of the game, with the game’s outcome no longer in doubt, when the trey, the lay-up or the jumper is of no consequence anymore?
A basketball game doesn’t stop after the final buzzer is sounded.
Same with boxing. No boxer will stop boxing, fighting, until after the final bell is banged.
Same with golf. A golfer cannot sign his scorecard until he drops his final shot or his last putt.
For, what’s the use of a rule if it’s not enforced to the hilt?
And, isn’t it funny that Cone, being the coach of the Ginebra team whose very existence is anchored on the iconic never-say-die chant, would bewail an act symbolic of a team’s undying resolve to fight to the very end, though the heavens fall?
Robert Jaworski, the legendary author of the fight-to-the-end talisman for the Gin Kings, must be rebelling in his own way.
And doesn’t every point count since the quotient system is in force in every conference? Therefore, a point that’s deliberately withheld is counter-productive since it still matters, anyway? It sucks.
THAT’S IT The PBA All-Star program on March 9 to 12 in Passi City, Iloilo, has an interesting initial cast in the three-point shot contest: Paul Lee, Arvin Tolentino, Aaron Black, Gian Mamuyac, RR Pogoy, Marcio Lassiter, Kevin Alas, Juami Tiongson, Baser Amer and the ageless LA Tenorio…The Slam-Dunk contenders include Jamie Malonzo and newbies Tyrus Hill, David Murrell and Chris Lalata. Is Chris the son of PBA great Rommel Lalata?…The PAL Interclub Golf is now on its centerpiece event, the Men’s Regular. Good luck, fellers.