After Barangay Ginebra clinched a 2023 PBA Governors' Cup Finals slot last week, Tim Cone was asked about a potential decider against Meralco Bolts, which would have been the fifth such series in conference history.
Drawing from local pop culture, Cone referenced an old Philippine film franchise that churned out 15 installments in the 1980s and 90s.
"It's like 'Shake, Rattle & Roll'."
The Ginebra-Meralco series won't happen this conference, but that line was brought up on Monday at the press conference for the finals featuring the Gin Kings and the other team that did make it -- TNT Tropang Giga.
"Jojo (Lastimosa) watched every one of them," Cone said of his former player, whom he coached for most of Shake, Rattle & Roll's cinematic run and who will be on the opposite side of the court in the Finals.
"No way," Lastimosa said. "You referenced a local movie. I was surprised there. I'm sure you didn't watch that movie."
That's how well Cone and Lastimosa know each other, having won nine titles over nine seasons with the Alaska franchise as coach and captain and another two with the latter as assistant coach over five seasons.
All told, they spent around 14 seasons together.
"It's funny because getting Jojo changed the whole culture of our team back then," said Cone of the trade that brought the two together prior to the start of the 1991 season.
"We were desperate for our first championship with Alaska as an organization. It wasn't until we got Jojo that we were able to get there and actually win. It was an organizational, total culture change when Jojo came over. He's always been the leader of that team and that was a great team.
"He led us all the way through those years. Now he's the leader of his team at this point. Honestly, if we had not traded for Jojo, I can honestly say I would not be sitting here at this point right now.
"That's the kind of impact he had on my career as a coach. You get special players every once in a while. Through your career, I've had a few. Jojo's one of them. And, LA (Tenorio) and guys like that, Justin (Brownlee) and Sean (Chambers), they've been special players for me."
This is only the third time in league history that a head coach will coach against one of his former players in a PBA Finals -- and the first in 15 years.
The first time -- in 1997 -- also involved Cone, who beat former Alaska point guard Eric Altamirano of Purefoods in that season's Governors' Cup Finals. The only other time was in the 2008 Philippine Cup Finals, when Ryan Gregorio of Purefoods lost to his former point guard Boyet Fernandez of Sta. Lucia Realtors.
With due respect, those two pairings never reached the level Cone and Lastimosa achieved as professionals and friends. These two are really close.
"Every win is gonna be bittersweet," Cone said. "But we both got jobs to do and we're gonna do it to the best of our ability and there's gonna respect on both sides of the floor.
"But there's going to be really intense, intense competition. His organization really is hungry for a win and we know that and we understand that and they've played like that all conference long."
"To be honest, it's like I'm seeing myself going back with Alaska, Tim by my side," Lastimosa noted. "I'm always comfortable with Tim even when we were together as a player and as an assistant coach. It's just like coming home. I'm comfortable being around Tim."
Lastimosa is pinch-hitting for Chot Reyes this conference in his first stint as a head coach, and he already has his team in the finals.
He's humbled enough to admit that the enormity of his achievement weighs heavily on him, especially since he'll be going up against the most successful coach in PBA history, who also happens to be his very good friend and mentor.
"I never thought that I would be in this position because I was hired as a team manager and now I'm already here," Lastimosa reflected.
"And I am the first guy who's actually surprised just being here in this position and being with Tim here in the finals. And, hey, I'm not worthy to be even washing your feet, Tim. Come on."
Cone would have none of this humility.
"He's lost two games in his career so far," said Cone, referring to TNT's 14-2 record this conference. "And both of (the losses) were games he probably should have won. So he could very easily be undefeated at this point going into the finals.
"He's doing a wonderful job and I'm real proud of that. And I'm real proud that I was a part or a piece of his history.
"I'm real proud of how successful he has been. And going up head to head with him is going to be difficult. You know, he's had great exposure. I mean, not just from me, but from Chot Reyes, from Yeng Guiao. You know, he's been able to bring the best of that."
It's only been a small sample size of 16 games, but in Cone's mind, Lastimosa has been carving out his own path in terms of his coaching philosophy.
"No," was his answer, when asked if he sees anything in Lastimosa's coaching style that he may have picked up from their days with Alaska. "I think what Jojo has brought, they're a great offensive team who has learned to play great defense.
"And I think that's something that Jojo's always believed in as a younger player, that defense always wins. I think that's something it's obvious to me that he's brought to the team."
Not really correct, according to Lastimosa. As far as X's and O's go, sure. But when it comes to the little things outside the court, he says he is unabashedly copying from Cone's playbook.
"Definitely, the way Tim handled his players before, there was always that connection with the players and the way he had that relationship with me even off the court," he said.
"That's what I want to bring to TNT, that connection with the players. It's a huge help in terms of communication lines and relationships. That's the big difference with Tim.
"For him, relationships are really important. More than the system, more than the defense, more than the offense, the character part of running a team is huge for Tim. He doesn't discuss it so much. It's been overlooked because of the triangle and the way he runs his team. But the way he picks players, he wants to get players of character first more than talent."
Turning to his former coach, Lastimosa probed: "Am I right or am I wrong?"
"Thank you, Jo," came the reply from Cone.
"There you go," responded Lastimosa.
"That's why it's gonna be hard," Cone said with a wry smile. "Because he knows everything."