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PBA: When Cone, Alaska chose flag over a second grand slam

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Rey Joble

<p>Two years after winning the grand slam, Alaska put itself in a better position chasing another triple crown when it won the first 2 conferences of the 1998 season.</p><p>Kenneth Duremdes had a chance to play a full season with the Milkmen right after he was recruited by the squad in a trade late in the 1997 season.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/02/21/22/pba-the-time-alaska-fired-rehired-tim-cone-in-1993">PBA: The time Alaska ‘fired and rehired’ Tim Cone in 1993</a></li></ul><p>He was having the finest season of his career and after winning the first 2 conferences, everybody was bracing for Alaska to repeat the historic feat and become the 2nd team after the fabled Crispa Redmanizers to score 2 triple crowns.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/02/18/22/pba-looking-back-at-alaskas-journey-to-the-grand-slam">‘Beautiful thing to be a part of’: Remembering Alaska’s 1996 grand slam journey</a></li></ul><p>But 1998 was also the year Alaska had to pay the ultimate sacrifice — from the management, to the players, and the coach — as the Milkmen loaned the best of the best of their squad.</p><p>Tim Cone was handpicked to coach the Philippine Centennial Team, which was gearing up its preparations in search for the elusive Asian Games gold medal. The country had not won the gold medal since 1962.</p><p>The national team prepared for months, even participating in the William Jones Cup and went through rigorous training sessions overseas, competing against some of the tough collegiate teams in the US.</p><p>The national squad won the gold medal in the Jones Cup and settled for a bronze in the Asian Games, but with some of the key members of Alaska on loan — Duremdes, Johnny Abarrientos, and Jojo Lastimosa, and of course, Cone — their absence took a toll on Alaska&#x27;s campaign in the season-ending 3rd conference.</p><p>The Milkmen ended up dead last in the Governors&#x27; Cup, winning only 6 of 15 games.</p><p>Duremdes was enjoying his finest season, winning 2 championships in 1998, winning the season MVP and on top of that earning the privilege of being a a part of the Centennial Team. </p><p>But there was a missing piece.</p><p>Altogether, Duremdes and the Milkmen lost the opportunity of winning the grand slam.</p><p>While Alaska fans were crying over spilled milk, Duremdes had no regrets missing out on winning a grand slam since they had already achieved a triple crown of sorts. </p><p>&quot;Para sa akin, regardless of the year, grand slam na rin ’yung para sa akin kasi paglipat ko sa Alaska nung 1997 third conference, nag-champion na ako. First conference nu’ng 1998, nag-champion ulit. Second conference ng 1998, nag-champion. Three straight conferences ’yun,&quot; said Duremdes in a previous interview with this writer. </p><p>&quot;There&#x27;s so much blessing na natanggap ko nu’ng paglipat ko. Napakagandang blessing noon.&quot;</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CaBU63UgtpA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style="background:#FFF;border:0;border-radius:3px;box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15);margin:1px;max-width:540px;min-width:326px;padding:0;width:calc(100% - 2px)"><div style="padding:16px"><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:row;align-items:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:50%;flex-grow:0;height:40px;margin-right:14px;width:40px"> </div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:100px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:60px"> </div></div></div><div style="padding:19% 0"> </div><div 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transparent;transform:translateY(-4px) translateX(8px)"> </div></div></div><div style="display:flex;flex-direction:column;flex-grow:1;justify-content:center;margin-bottom:24px"><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;margin-bottom:6px;width:224px"> </div><div style="background-color:#F4F4F4;border-radius:4px;flex-grow:0;height:14px;width:144px"> </div></div><div style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;line-height:17px;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:8px;overflow:hidden;padding:8px 0 7px;text-align:center;text-overflow:ellipsis;white-space:nowrap"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/tv/CaBU63UgtpA/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color:#c9c8cd;font-family:Arial,sans-serif;font-size:14px;font-style:normal;font-weight:normal;line-height:17px;text-decoration:none" target="_blank">A post shared by Alaska Aces (@alaska_aces)</a></div></div></blockquote><div><script async="" src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/02/22/22/pba-in-the-90s-alaska-showed-its-genius-at-trade-table">PBA: Alaska series of trades in the 90s proved to be.a masterstroke</a></li></ul><p>Known as &quot;Captain Marbel&quot;, Duremdes started to become Alaska&#x27;s ultimate weapon on offense beginning in the 1998 season, but the opportunity of being called to serve for flag and country was more important above any other achievements in the PBA. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/02/16/22/pba-sadness-pride-felt-as-alaska-legends-reminisce">‘One big family’: Legends recall Alaska time with sadness, pride as franchise folds</a></li></ul><p>&quot;We had the opportunity of finishing the season as grand slam, pero sa akin, hindi ako nanghihinayang na mawala ’yun. Rewarding pa nga ’yun because representing the national team is a total different achievement. Sobra pa sa grand slam ’yun,&quot; he said.</p><p>Cone was one with Duremdes in giving more importance to the national team than winning a grand slam.</p><p>A first-time coach of the Philippine squad, being out there on the international stage had somehow completed the American mentor&#x27;s coaching career.</p><p>So even when Grand Slam No. 2 was in sight, he committed himself more to the Philippine team program at that time.</p><p>&quot;You have to remember, I was named the coach in the first conference. So I was already the Centennial coach when we won the first and the second conference and we had a chance to win the grand slam,&quot; Cone said. </p><p>&quot;There&#x27;s no way I&#x27;m gonna say, &#x27;OK, I&#x27;ll resign as coach of the national team and I&#x27;ll go for the grand slam.&#x27; I&#x27;ve already worked and developed that team for 3, 4, 5 months, practicing every Mondays, going on tours, so I&#x27;m very, very much involved with the national team program at that time.&quot;</p><p>Lastimosa, who had became a part of the national team program as an amateur, was torn.</p><p>&quot;I actually begged him to leave me behind. I said &#x27;Tim, you&#x27;re already gonna bring Johnny (Abarrientos) and Kenneth (Duremdes) and Bong (Hawkins) was injured and then you&#x27;ll take me and yourself, who&#x27;s gonna be left here&#x27;?&quot; said Lastimosa.</p><p>&quot;Sina Rodney (Santos) lang andu’n, sina Jun Reyes. Sabi ko, if I stay there, at least we have a fighting chance to at least contend a little bit, win games. And hopefully, we&#x27;re gonna be there.&quot;</p><p>But Cone wanted his team captain by his side when they battled against the best in the Asian region.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/02/19/22/pba-how-1986-draft-became-what-if-moment-for-alaska">PBA: How Alaska lost out on drafting 80s great Dondon Ampalayo</a></li></ul><p>&quot;He was my man. He&#x27;s my team captain. There&#x27;s no way I&#x27;m gonna leave Jojo behind. I&#x27;m going to need his leadership and his modeling for the team. He was a key guy. I relied on him a lot,&quot; said Cone.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/02/17/22/pba-the-time-alaska-was-known-by-another-brand">PBA: From milk to coffee, why Alaska at one point became known as Hills Bros</a></li></ul><p>Lastimosa rued the missed opportunity of winning a 2nd grand slam, but for Cone it was never a sacrifice when it came to serving the national team. </p><p>&quot;To me, it was never a sacrifice. I would do that over 10 grand slams. It did matter. It was a tremendous experience. It was bitter, very bitter ending. But the experience leading to that ending, it changed me. It made me a better person, a better coach and I&#x27;ve learned so much. My only regret is I wish I could have been able to continue in that role at that time,&quot; said Cone.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1929960" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

Alaska had a chance to score a rare second grand slam, but management and Tim Cone chose to go on a different, more nobler direction.