THE new season of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) kicks off on Sunday, with Star and Rain or Shine squaring off in the lone opening duel at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The game is set at 5:15 p.m. The PBA prepared a two-hour program for the traditional parade of muses of the 12 teams starting at 3 p.m.
Just like in the past, San Miguel Beer and Talk ‘N Text are the favorites in the season-opening Philippine Cup, with Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, under new coach in Tim Cone, as the dark horse in the 12-team field.
The PBA ushers a new era with a modified set up but with the same goal—solidify its billing as the No. 1 sports entertainment in the country.
Chito Narvasa, the new commissioner who replaced Chito Salud, now the league’s president and CEO, wants the games to be simple for the fans to understand and get a deeper connection with the league.
And to accomplish that, Narvasa, the league’s seventh commissioner, hopes the PBA would live up to expectations by providing quality games.
“Basketball is a simple game,” Narvasa said during the press launch of the 41st season on Tuesday at the Diamond Hotel in Manila. “And that’s what we want for the fans, the players and the league to understand.”
Robert Non, the incoming chairman from San Miguel Beer, said the new set up will lead the PBA to greater heights and cement its reputation as the premier source of entertainment for Filipinos.
“With the new set up in the PBA, I believe uunlad at uusbong ang PBA and cement its place as the No. 1 sports entertainment in the Philippines,” Non said.
Changes are in the offing, but not immediately. These include possible addition of new teams and the revival of its long-cherished dream of having its own coliseum.
Last season the league welcomed two new franchises—Kia, now Mahindra and Blackwater. NLEX took over the Air21 franchise.
But Salud said the expansion may not happen soon.
“More teams want to join the league, but we want our new three teams to have a bigger fan base before we accept new teams,” Salud said.
For the new coliseum, Non said it has been the league’s dream to have it own, but it would have to wait awhile because of economic reasons.
For the meantime, the league will still utilize the Smart Araneta Coliseuma and the Mall of Asia Arena, as well as the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City. Games are also scheduled in Dubai on November 6 (Mahindra against Alaska) and November 7 (Ginebra against Alaska).
The Beermen, who won two of the three titles last season, and the Tropang Texters are the overwhelming favorites in All-Filipino tournament while the Kings, under the multititled Cone, could finally end a drought of almost a decade with the acquisition of reigning National Collegiate Athletic Association Most Valuable Player Earl Scottie Thompson of Perpetual Help.
“It’s still San Miguel and Talk ‘N Text then the rest of us are dark horses,” NLEX Governor Ramoncito Fernandez said.
The Beermen are intact with only two additions in Ryan Araña and Bryan Heruela, while the Tropang Texters added youth to their frontcourt in Moala Tautuaa and Troy Rosario, the 1-2 picks in the draft.
“The pressure is there, but the players are looking forward to the new challenge,” said Non, adding that reigning MVP June Mar Fajardo (foot) and Marcio Lassiter (hamstring) are not in the best shape.
Ginebra will also be a threat while Rain or Shine and Alaska have been consistent last season. The Elasto Painters have their third pick in Maverick Ahanmisi and what they called the “steal of the draft,” Don Trollano.