AND so, it’s Tim Cone again?

Since I am not a tekkie—I shun the social media that much as I’m old-fashioned to the hilt like Ted Failon—I tend to be not up-to-date.

I learned of Cone’s appointment as coach of the Philippine team to the SEA Games basketball competition in Manila via viber.

If memory serves, the last time Cone coached a Philippine team was in 1998.

Called then as the Centennial Team, the squad saw action in the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok.

That was one of the most prepared—if not the most prepared—teams we’ve ever assembled since the American Thomasites brought the game to our shores in the 1900s.

Cone and his boys were even sent to the U.S. for meaningful scrimmages in key American cities.

Time and money were spent for this ambitious mission in a bold bid to regain basketball supremacy in Asia.

But, as in previous battles, we lost.

I covered Cone’s games in Bangkok, armed with the thought of the Philippines finally achieving victory.

We had the guts and spunk. But luck wasn’t on our side.

When we lost the battle for gold, I chased down Cone to the parking lot outside the stadium not just to interview him but to give him a good-luck gift as well: a necktie. Colored blue.

“For your battle for third against Kazakhstan,” I told him.

“Thank you, Al,” he said, giving me a tight hug, tears about to well from his eyes. “How nice of you.”

We beat Kazakhstan the following day through the last-minute heroics of Jojo Lastimosa. Third place.

But Cone’s bronze brightly shone.

For, had Kazakhstan won, it would have devastated Cone. He had all the arsenal at his disposal to win a medal. His foes were that formidable and they did spoil all the fruits of our almost year-long preparation for the gold hunt.

Still, Cone’s bronze glittered like gold.

And, in the end, the necktie got its due from Cone.

Again, at the parking lot after the game, Cone, pointing to his necktie, said to me: “Thanks again for this, Al.”

It felt like I had won the gold.