PBA commissioner summons Cone for critical remarks

PBA commissioner Chito Salud met with Alaska Aces head coach Tim Cone Friday regarding statements attributed to the latter criticizing the three-conference format, import handicapping and one-sided trades, among others. No sanctions were meted out, but Salud cautioned Cone from coming out with similar statements in the future. “While we acknowledge that the statements were well-intentioned and that there was no malice on the part of coach Tim, we reminded him to be more cautious in making statements to the media that tend to be harmful to the league," said Salud. The new commissioner added that he welcomed spirited debates on any league matter, but he likewise pointed out that the season format, which will revert back to the three-conference schedule, and the import handicapping scheme were already approved by the Board. “It would have been proper had he raised his points before the measures were approved by the Board," Salud said. The meeting, which lasted an hour and a half, allowed Salud and Cone to discuss several league matters, among them free agency and the salary cap. The former thanked the champion Alaska mentor for his valuable inputs, which will be taken and considered as the Commissioner’s Office takes a closer look at the current policies and programs in place. - RCJ, GMANews.TV