Barangay Ginebra San Miguel head coach Tim Cone branded LA Tenorio as a “warrior” following his successful return to the Philippine Basketball Association after a bout with Stage 4 colon cancer.
Cone said he is happy to see Tenorio back in action after surviving a nine-month battle with colon cancer that put his life and career at risk.
In his first game since winning over the Big C, Tenorio recorded six points and six assists in 26 minutes of action, prompting the Kings to book a 110-99 win over Terrafirma late Sunday at the Philsports Arena.
“This journey he is on now just legitimizes everything in his career. He’s got that warrior spirit and he has it back then in Alaska and Ginebra,” Cone said.
“I always called him the warrior. Now it’s even more so in this journey he is on.”
Tenorio has been one of the country’s most consistent players after playing 744 consecutive games since being drafted fourth by San Miguel Beer in 2006.
But the impressive streak came to an end when he missed the Kings’ 112-104 win over Meralco in March due to a “groin injury.”
But later on, Ginebra announced that Tenorio was battling a Stage 4 colon cancer that will effectively sideline him in the coming months.
Six months later, Tenorio revealed on social media that he was already declared cancer-free after undergoing treatment in Singapore.
The former Ateneo de Manila University star even joined Gilas Pilipinas as part of Cone’s coaching staff when it competed in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou last October.
Cone said Tenorio’s playmaking, leadership and experience boost their campaign despite already posting a 4-1 win-loss card in the season-opening conference.
“He’s basically a coach on the floor and a coach in practice so he knows what we do back and forth. He’s very insistent that we do it so he’s not afraid to be vocal and teach. It’s a huge thing to have him back,” Cone said.
