PBA Governors Cup lures talented imports

All 10 imports representing what is probably the best crop to come out for the season-ending Governors Cup have been accounted for, making it all systems go for the 2001 Philippine Basketball Association season’s final offering which opens Saturday at the Ynares Center.

There will be four newcomers in the current batch, and all of them have impressive credentials that can rival those possessed by the six returnees with Swift’s Rossell Ellis getting the chance to strut his stuff when the Panthers play Sta. Lucia and Damien Owens in the opener.

Ellis, who had a stint with the Detroit Pistons in the last National Basketball Association pre-season, will be coming off a remarkable stint with the Chicago Skyliners in the American Basketball Association.

He will be matched up with Owens, the hardworking Sta. Lucia reinforcement who came in late but almost took the Realtors all the way to the Final Four of the Commissioner’s Cup.

All the imports will be at the Office of the Commissioner at 10 a.m. today for a briefing and orientation with officer-in-charge Renauld Barrios.

Purefoods will again be reinforced by Derrick Brown, the Best Import last year, while Alaska has recalled Sean Chambers for yet another tour of duty, with the Aces trying to finally fill in all the missing links in a team that was revamped just before the start of this season.

San Miguel and Red Bull, winners of the first two tournaments, will not see action until Wednesday.

Lamont Strothers has checked in as healthy as ever and is expected to make all the difference for the Beermen while Ray Tutt will try to give Red Bull a second straight title after that epic upset of the Beermen for the Commissioner’s Cup.