Tim Cone has confirmed that Barangay Ginebra plans to reintegrate LA Tenorio into the squad

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel shocked the Philippine basketball world by placing Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) “Iron Man” LA Tenorio’s contract on the unrestricted free agent list (with rights to salary).

However, this move has little to do with Tenorio’s performance and more to do with his current role as head coach of the Gilas Pilipinas Youth team. It allows him to focus fully on the team’s preparations for the upcoming FIBA Asia Under-16 Cup SEABA qualifiers, scheduled from May 24 to 30 in Angeles, Pampanga.

The decision suits both parties, as it also enables Barangay Ginebra to reactivate the contract of guard Jayson David, who has spent most of the season on the team’s reserve list. This was Tenorio’s idea, as he would not be able to give 100 percent to the team during this period.

Tenorio, for his part, was back on the Barangay Ginebra bench — in civilian clothes — to support his team after fulfilling his duties with Gilas Youth, where he led them to a six-game sweep in the FIBA Under-16 Asia Cup SEABA qualifiers.

Barangay Ginebra head coach Tim Cone confirmed to the media that management will use the next few days to figure out how Tenorio can return to their roster.

GILAS | WATCH:

“Ginebra” chants rain on Gilas Youth head coach LA Tenorio, who guided the team to a 6-0 record via winning margin of 39 points in the FIBA U16 Asia Cup SEABA Qualifiers.

Gilas Youth wins gold over Indonesia, 70-40. | @philipptionary pic.twitter.com/6MbzyhKhGI

— Rappler Sports (@RapplerSports) May 30, 2025

“We have a week to figure out what to do with that. He means a lot to the organization. He means a lot to the coaches and to his teammates. We want to have him around in the playoffs. We just got to figure out exactly what to do. Jayson’s on the roster to stay for sure. We got to look for some other alternatives,” Cone stated.

Widely recognized as the PBA’s “Iron Man,” Tenorio holds the record for the most consecutive appearances in league history — 744 straight games — until a sports hernia ended the streak last season. The feat earned him the admiration of fans and the nickname “Iron Man.”

He is also one of the most decorated players in PBA history, having won eight championships, four PBA Finals MVPs, one Best Player of the Conference award in 2013, and ten PBA All-Star selections over his illustrious career.

Meanwhile, Barangay Ginebra are currently in fourth place in the Philippine Cup standings with a 6-3 win-loss record and have two more games left to secure a top-four finish.

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