|
The PBA imbroglio
ON THE 10th of February 2002, the Philippine Basketball Association
(PBA) will unveil its 28th season. But like 1998, the Year
of the Horse is not just any other sports calendar, it's the
year of the Asian Games in Pusan, South Korea in September
and once again in the name of flag and country, the premier
professional league in the continent will contribute its share
of players to the elusive quest for the gold medal in basketball.
The teams seeing action for the first two conferences would
be diluted of attractions from their star players. Unlike
1998 when the selection process was very simple, this time
around the powers that be decided to hold try-outs to compose
two RP training teams that will participate in a regular PBA
conference, namely the Governors Cup from February onwards.
Cagers from all the leagues were invited to the try-outs
that began December 10, be it amateur or professional and
the coaching staff headed by Ron Jacobs picked 17 PBA stars
before the suspension of the try-outs for the holidays a week
later. But like a plot in a Greek tragedy, Coach Ron Jacobs
suffered a massive stroke that is keeping him bedridden until
today. With the road to the feisty coach's full recovery getting
dimmer and dimmer, PBA Commissioner Jun Bernardino pulled
out all stops to bestow duty and privilege to other big name
skippers but it was Jacobs' long-time lieutenant, San Miguel
Coach Jong Uichico who was designated to continue the job
vacated by Jacobs.
Corked at 30, the aspirants to the Philippine Basketball Team
to the Asian Games are composed of 14 Filipinos with foreign
blood and four playing outside the PBA. Fil-Ams Chris Clay,
Jeffrey Flowers, Jimmy Alapag and Metropolitan Basketball
Association star Rommel Adducul - luminaries left out in the
annual PBA draft for a variety of reasons - are the only ones
not belonging to any PBA team. Also chosen by Uichico to be
selected to the Philippine team are Johnny Abarrientos, Patrick
Fran, EJ Feihl, Olsen Racela, Dondon Hontiveros, Boyet Fernandez,
Chris Calaguio and Raffi Reavis. While the 17 personally handpicked
by Jacobs are Danny Seigle and Danny Ildefonso of San Miguel,
Kenneth Duremdes and Ali Peek of Alaska, Davonn Harp and Mick
Pinnisi of Red Bull, Marlou Aquino and Dennis Espino of Sta.
Lucia with Eric Menk of Ginebra, Asi Taulava and Don Camaso
of Talk 'N Text, Poch Juinio, Rudy Hatfield and Jeffrey Cariaso
of Coca-Cola, Andy Seigle and Noy Castillo of Purefoods and
Shell's Chris Jackson.
Clay, Flowers and Alapag's entry to the national team is still
conditional. They have to obtain a clearance from the Department
of Justice to attest to their Filipino lineage, the same reason
why they were ineligible to join the Rookie Draft. They are
given until the end of the first conference to secure necessary
documents to attest to their eligibility. The composition
of the two teams is yet to be determined and announced. After
the Governors Cup, the final choices will be trimmed to the
final 12 excluding alternates and represent the Philippines
in Pusan, South Korea September 29 to October 14.
Without their banner players and the league adapting to amateur
rules, teams would compensate by having two imports in the
first conference standing a combined 13 feet and would serve
as thirst-quencher with their athleticism. But even without
the complications of the Asian Games, the PBA is still locked
in a myriad of confusion. The sale of both Purefoods (previously
owned by Ayala Corp.) and Cosmos Bottlers (parent company
of Pop Cola) to San Miguel Corporation brought forth four
teams with the same owner - San Miguel, Barangay Ginebra,
Purefoods and Coca Cola Tigers (formerly Pop Cola Panthers).
The former ruling of the PBA Board of Governors of a corporate
owner not having more than two teams in the league is being
set aside at the moment.
The disgruntled Tanduay franchise was also sold to Airfreight
2100 - Federal Express for a cool P75 million and absorbed
the players left over by the Rhum Masters. But the PBA newcomer
decided that Bong Hawkins, Noli Locsin and Zaldy Realubit
do not fit in their system and placed the trio on the trading
block. However, no team expressed interest in their services
so Fed Ex took it upon itself to buy out the remaining contracts
of the three.
But franchise officials would only honor the Uniformed Players
Contract (UPC), which the defunct Tanduay team submitted to
the Commissioner's Office excluding the undeclared, near-dubious
side contracts entered into by the players with the Tanduay
management. Latest reports indicate that Bong Hawkins is still
seeking arbitration of his contract while Noli Locsin has
settled on a 50% buy-out scheme and has signed with Batang
Red Bull.
Talk 'N Text meanwhile is still without a coach. The Basketball
Coaches Association of the Philippines (BCAP) are rising in
arms against the hiring of American tactician Bill Bayno as
replacement for Louie Alas who was fired at the end of last
season. BCAP contends that hiring Bayno would mean depriving
Filipinos of a chance to coach in the PBA.
Due to the national training pool, the barometer in the first
conference would not be the best team but the best 1-2 reinforcements.
Of course on paper, the more talented locals belong to Barangay
Ginebra, that is, if Jun Limpot, Bal David and Vergel Meneses
stay put and Shell with only Chris Jackson surrendered to
the pool. But nothing is definite. It's not final whether
the players signed up before the opening day will remain with
the team the entire 2002. Trades are always possible and while
the league undergoes an ambitious Asiad masterplan, fans are
on tenterhooks on the latest developments. *
Back to top
Next: Sports bits
|
