Barangay Ginebra reported for practice a week ago and LA Tenorio said coach Tim Cone will not stop telling the team to forget about the Commissioner's Cup title win.
One can understand why.
Ginebra will be playing three games in the next six days. The first challenge is at 7 p.m. Friday against the 0-3 Columbian Dyip at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
"Coach Tim has always reminded us to move forward and forget the championship last conference. He is pushing us really hard every day to work hard also," Tenorio told ESPN5 on Thursday.
After Columbian, Ginebra faces league-leader Alaska (3-0) on Sunday, before taking on NorthPort (0-2) next Wednesday.
Tenorio said Cone continues to remind them of the difficult path they had to the championship last conference when the Kings limped to a 1-5 start. Only a strong run in the final half of the eliminations helped Ginebra make the playoffs and from there, barge into the finals where the Kings eventually dethroned San Miguel in six games.
"Our mindset starting [Friday's] game is to start strong. We don't want a repeat of what happened to us last conference when we had a slow start. When that happens again this conference, we might not even make the playoffs," Tenorio said.
Although he's got some aches and pains as well on his body, the two-time PBA Finals MVP said he's ready to go in the season-ending conference, which Ginebra has dominated the last two years.
Import Justin Brownlee will also be back to lead the Kings' title drive.
Brownlee will likely be matched up with Columbian import Akeem Wright, who is averaging 30.7 points, 15 rebounds and five assists in his team's three straight losses to start the conference.
Ginebra is gunning for a third straight PBA Governors' Cup crown.