Grassroots program ng MBA totohanan

Hindi lamang sa salita ang Metropolitan Basketball Association ukol sa grassroots development, gusto nitong masangkot dito, direkta man o hindi.

Isa sa mga pangunahing desisyon na ginawa ng pro league sa pagpasok ng 2002 season ay huwag magkaroon ng team na nakabase sa Metro Manila para sa season na ito, dahil sa ang national capital region ay mayroon pang dalawang liga na naglalaro dito nang full time.

Ito ay ang Philippine Basketball Association at ang Philippine Baskteball League kaya naman naisip ng MBA na mas mainam na "mag-full blast" sa paglalaro sa mga lalawigan.

"We are spearheading the construction of modern facilities in many places outside Metro Manila, since it is really part of the MBA’s objective as a truly national sports league to help grassroots development," pahayag ni Santi Araneta, chairman ng Multi-Regional Basketball, Inc. na siyang mangangasiwa sa MBA. "In fact our new facility in Batangas City which will open in September is the first of four or five being built or planned across the country in conjuction with the MBA."

Bukod sa Batangas, ang iba pang stadium ay ang iba’t ibang pasilidad sa Davao City, Olongapo at Pampanga. "We are also helping to repair other venues which we will be using this season such as the one in Lipa City, Cagayan de Oro’s Mindanao Polytechnic State University and San Fernando’s Bren Guiao Convention Center," dagdag pa ni Araneta.

"We do want to give more opportunities to players based in the areas outside Metro Manila, the chance to perhaps make a living playing basketball without having to permanently relocate to the NCR," wika naman ni Commissioner Chito Loyzaga na dati ring sikat na professional basketball player. "In line with this, we will be requiring teams to have more involvement from local-based players beginning at least in the first conference of 2002," dagdag pa ni Loyzaga.

Plano ng MBA na magbalik sa full home-and-away format kapag umangat na ang kundisyon ng ekonomiya sa bansa.