Ginebra, San Mig stars lead PBA All Stars vs Gilas
MANILA, Philippines – It will be Ginebra-San Mig Super Coffee vs Gilas Pilipinas when the 2015 PBA All Star Game tips off on April 6 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Top rookie center Greg Slaughter of Brgy. Ginebra, who recently withdrew his name from the Gilas pool, was the leading vote-getter in the annual festivities with a total 61,680 votes.
Joining him in the starting five will be his Brgy. Ginebra teammates Chris Ellis, who ended up with the second most votes with 44,630, and Mac Baracael (33,756). Philippine Cup Finals MVP Mark Barroca (38,628) and former two-time league MVP James Yap (38,620) of San Mig Super Coffee will join the Brgy. Ginebra trio.
Yap is the most senior in the starting unit as this year’s edition will be his 11th straight All Star appearance since entering the league in 2004. The San Mig superstar is now tied with former Purefoods great Jerry Codinera and Alaska gunner Dondon Hontiveros with the second most appearance in the annual classic.
Providing another interesting subplot is the coaching battle between the league’s winningest coach Tim Cone, who will rekindle his rivalry with his former protégé Chot Reyes. The current Gilas coach started his PBA career as Cone's assistant at Alaska before he went on to win to win eight PBA titles on his own.
Great friends off the court, Cone and Reyes are arguably the two best coaching minds in Philippine basketball today.
Cone has recently won his 16th PBA championship surpassing the legendary coach Baby Dalupan. Reyes, meanwhile, was the only five-time Coach of the Year before steering the national team to a historic silver medal finish in the FIBA Asia Men’s Championship last year.
The All Star reserves will be voted by league’s coaches with Asi Taulava of Air21 bidding to become the player with the most stints. Taulava currently shares the record with San Mig Super Coffee team manager Alvin Patrimonio, who both appeared in 12 All Star games.
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