PBA fans treated to festive, lavish rites

Before a wildly-cheering crowd, amid heart-thumping music and under a rain of colorful confetti, the opening of the Samsung-PBA’s 29th season yesterday proved to be as lavish, as glittery and as star-studded as advertised.

The Araneta Coliseum was filled to the rafters, its parking area packed as early as two hours before the 4 p.m. opener as the PBA, the country’s premier basketball league, raised its curtains to yet another season of intense hardcourt action and great entertainment as well.

"This is a testimony to the triumph of the Filipino spirit of creativity," said commissioner Noli Eala, who described the PBA as the "people’s game" and "players’ league" during a short but meaningful speech at the centercourt.

"The PBA is a league with a nose for what you want, an ear for what you say and a heart for what you feel. For today, you didn’t have to be here. But you chose to be with us and for this, the PBA will never forget you," he added as he pointed to the crowd.

After highly-applauded number from actress Vina Morales and rapper Andrew E, the 10 participating teams made a dramatic entrance, each one of them coming from the lower box stands and down to the court, their team captains escorting their lovely muses.

The biggest round of applause, as expected, was reserved for the league’s most popular ballclub, Bgy. Ginebra, which had the sultry and sexy screen siren Aubrey Miles as muse.

Purefoods had the young and lovely Maxene Magalona, San Miguel Beer April Tolentino, Shell Phoemella Baranda and Red Bull a couple of statuesque beauty titlists in bloody red attire. The other teams had head-turning muses as well, like Alaska, FedEx, Sta. Lucia, Talk N Text and Coca-Cola.

With the teams gathered at centercourt and the board members gathered in an impromptu stage, chairman Jun Cabalan declared the 2003 season open.

"We will focus (this season) on our gratitude to this special segment — the fans. Because it’s you who have made the PBA the success story of today," he said.

Then everybody made an exit, leaving a court to be swept clean, and a game to be played. — Abac Cordero