WATCH: PBA Season 47 Governors’ Cup Finals Press Conference [Apr. 3, 2023]

It’s a title series which TNT coach Jojo Lastimosa describes like a ‘coming home’ party for him.

In his first PBA finals as a coach, the 59-year-old Lastimosa will have the opportunity to go up against his former mentor in Tim Cone as Barangay Ginebra and TNT dispute the Governors’ Cup championship starting Easter Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Lastimosa and Cone are no strangers to each other, having been together during Alaska’s dominant title run in the 90s which produced a total of nine championships including a rare grand slam in 1996.

Now, they’re on the opposite side, with Cone gunning to extend his record to 26 league titles, while Lastimosa is eyeing a breakthrough crown in his first conference as a coach.

But while they maintained the respect for each other, everything will have to be set aside once the best-of-seven title series begins.

‘I’m always comfortable being around Tim. I’m excited to be on the same floor with him. There’s so much respect. He’s done so much for the game, and I’m just here to learn and we’ll see how it goes,” said Lastimosa, 59, during the finals presser Monday at Novotel Manila.

Cone, 65, agreed with Lastimosa, his long-time team captain and deputy coach at Alaska.