There is no fury like a lover scorned. Or, in this case, a coach spurned.
The deafening silence from Coach Tim Cone on the matter of Jamie Malonzo is more telling than any press conference could ever be. It’s a silence that speaks volumes, and it’s a silence that has become the breeding ground for a whisper campaign of misinformation and wild theories.
But here is the simple truth: Jamie Malonzo is not injured. He’s been in Jeddah, fully practicing with Gilas Pilipinas. Thirty days ago, he was a gazelle, an athletic marvel who put up 22 points on a championship-level stage. Today? He’s a well-conditioned ghost on the Gilas bench, a DNP-CD (Did Not Play – Coach’s Decision) in twin debacles against Chinese Taipei and New Zealand that have left our national team's hopes hanging by a thread.
The puzzle is not that complex, folks. Eight days ago, Malonzo signed with the Kyoto Hannaryz of the Japan B.League, turning his back on Barangay Ginebra, a PBA team also coached by Tim Cone. This is a team that stood by him, supported him, and rallied behind him during his nine-month injury rehabilitation. This is a team that watched their franchise player walk away for a "boatload of money."
It is easy to get mad at Coach Tim Cone, to question his motives, and to criticize his decision to bench a player who is arguably one of the most athletic and versatile wings in the country. A Gilas player I spoke to on the phone told me, with a hint of regret, "We could have used him. Sayang."
And you know what? Coach Tim Cone has every right to feel slighted. He has every right to feel betrayed. He is a human being, and his personal feelings are valid.
But the question we must ask is this: Is it worth it?
Is it worth it to sacrifice the interests of OUR national team—the team that represents our country, the team that carries the dreams of millions of Filipinos—for personal retribution? Coach Tim Cone can run Ginebra, a private entity, however he wants. His job is to win championships for Ginebra, a singular goal. But his job as the head coach of Gilas is far more complex. He has an accountability to the nation, and by icing Malonzo, he has put Gilas in a position to fail. It’s a bitter pill to swallow, and one that may ultimately cost us more than just a single game.
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