Tenorio’s presence continues to motivate Ginebra Kings in semis series

The Barangay Ginebra Kings are aiming to retain the PBA Governors Cup championship, and veteran coach Tim Cone believes that there is no better way to honor their fallen captain than to do so.

LA Tenorio made a touching gesture by showing up at the Ginebra bench in Game 1 of the team’s semifinals series against San Miguel Beer, just three days after he publicly announced that he had been diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer.

The defending champions won 121-112 against the Beermen, giving them the head start in the best-of-five series and fulfilling Tenorio’s hopes for the team.

Cone expressed his appreciation for Tenorio’s presence and selflessness.

“He honors us with his presence. Hopefully, we can honor him by continuing to play hard and playing his image,” Cone said.

Despite his health condition, Tenorio has been showing up at Ginebra practices and even volunteered to join Cone’s coaching staff temporarily as he prepares for chemotherapy next month.

Cone referred to the veteran playmaker out of Ateneo as a ‘valuable leader’ and recognized the whole team’s appreciation for his selflessness.

Tenorio went straight to the Antipolo Cathedral for a prayer session after Game One. The Antipolo Cathedral shared a Facebook post of the Ginebra team captain praying before the Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage and being prayed over by a priest and several religious brothers. The post revealed that Tenorio has been a devotee of Our Lady of Antipolo since he was a child and that he is a former altar boy.

“He pleaded for prayers for steadfast recovery,” the caption read.

Shortly after the Kings’ win over the Beermen, Tenorio politely declined an interview as he had a prior appointment to visit the Antipolo Cathedral.

Ginebra Kings’ journey to the championship has taken on a deeper meaning with Tenorio’s battle against cancer. The team aims to bring him joy and success, and they are determined to repay him for his selflessness by winning the PBA Governors Cup championship.

LA Tenorio’s fight against cancer is a reminder of the resilience and strength of the human spirit. As he continues to battle this disease, he knows that he has the support of his team, his community, and his faith. And as the Barangay Ginebra Kings take to the court, they will do so with Tenorio’s spirit and determination in their hearts.

As Coach Cone said, “Of course, we’re doing this for LA and it doesn’t need to be said, and I don’t think it needs to be repeated.”

The team’s actions on the court will speak for themselves, and they hope to make their captain proud.

Meanwhile, LA Tenorio’s unwavering positivity and leadership are keeping the Barangay Ginebra Kings motivated in their ongoing PBA Governors Cup semis series against San Miguel Beer.

According to Ginebra import Justin Brownlee, Tenorio’s approach to the situation has been invaluable to the team.

“When you have a problem, you can’t think about the problem, you only gotta think about the solution,” Brownlee recounted Tenorio saying.

“That was a valuable piece of information that he gave us. We’re behind LA, and we’re with him through his battle.”