NO Chot, no Tim.

With calls for resignation of Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes reaching fever high following the country’s fourth straight setback in the FIBA World Cup 2023, assistant coach Tim Cone made it clear he is not interested in taking over the job.

The multi-titled Barangay Ginebra coach clarified that Reyes is still the most qualified coach to handle the team in the coming 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou later this month.

“If Coach Chot goes, I go,” Cone told One Sports.

“Some assistant coaches join a team with the hope of eventually becoming the head coach, but that’s not me. I’m here to serve as Coach Chot’s pleasure. I’m only here to support him because I believe in him,” added Cone, who holds the records as the winningest PBA coach with 25 championships.

The 65-year-old American coach, who was tapped as Gilas’ defensive coach during the FIBA World Cup, said he believes Reyes is still the right person for the job.

“I’ve been with this program for a year now, and I genuinely believe that he is still the  best man for the job. I think the steps that he has taken are correct, and we’ve never really been out of any games.’

Cone, who led the Philippines to the gold medal in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games in Manila and 1998 William Jones Cup in Taipei in   slammed critics for blaming Reyes for the team’s four losses.

“If you have 12 coaches in a room, they will coach any game 12 different ways. In the Philippines, you have 110 million coaches, all with opinions. But as an assistant coach here. I’m the one who sees it up close, and I think he’s done a great job,” explained Cone.

He  claimed it is really hard to win in the FIBA World Cup “because you’re going up against great teams.”

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas-supported Philippines lost all its four matches so far.

The Filipinos lost to world No. 23 Dominican Republic (81-87, world No. 42 Angola (70-80)  and world  No. 10 Italy (83-90) in the group phase; and World Cup debutant South Sudan, (68-87) in the classification round.

Before the loss to South Sudan, the Filipinos managed to stay competitive and lost only by an average of seven points in their first three assignments.

The Philippines is already the first host country to lose  its first three games since Colombia in 1982.

Still looking for its first World Cup win  since 2014, the Philippines concludes its 2023 campaign with a highly-anticipated match up against fellow Asian campaigner China.

The last time the Filipinos won a game in the FIBA World Cup was 81-79  in overtime against Senegal  on Sept. 3, 2014 in Seville, Spain with  Andray Blatche and Jimmy Alapag leading the way with 18 points apiece.