MBA to do away with player bonuses

Describing it as a cancer that’s slowly but surely killing the sport that millions of Filipinos follow with a passion, the Metropolitan Basketball Association earlier this year decided to do away with allowing won-game and placement bonuses in individual player contracts beginning this season.

Instead, the league will be giving team placement bonuses totaling P3.6 million for the year, the division of which will be decided by the managements in consultation with the players and coaching staff, who have worked hard to earn it.

"The idea of giving bonuses to players for winning games will be a thing of the past for us," said MBA commissioner Chito Loyzaga in explaining the fledgling pro league’s radical move away from what had been a given in the local basketball scene for many years now. "Players are already given salaries to play their best, as stipulated in their contract as professionals. To do their best should mean going out every game and trying to win it for the team."

"Millions of other Filipinos would love to be in their shoes, playing a game and earning a good living for their families," said MRBI chairman Santi Araneta. "Which is why I’m backing Chito’s edict in this regard 100 percent. There shouldn’t be any more won game bonuses. However, we do want to reward excellence and inculcate a strong team spirit which is why we are giving a sort of prize pot to the teams which do well," added the youthful sports executive.

"Many companies who want to be involved in sports are already turning their backs on it because of the tremendous costs of maintaining a basketball team," said Mon Tuason, the league’s director for marketing and business development. "To do so wisely, one must keep a close eye on the budget and thus try to keep a cap on non-fixed expenses like bonuses."