Foreign cast shapes up for PBA joust

It’ll be a battle royale in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Asian Invitationals starting July 20 as three foreign teams are likely to play in the tournament which is an innovation of the Second Conference.

The original idea was for only two overseas clubs to participate but the PBA is considering to include a third in the wake of a deluge of calls from abroad to widen the participation.

The top five finishers in the All-Filipino Cup eliminations — Red Bull, San Miguel Beer, Coca-Cola, Fedex, and Talk ‘N’Text — are guaranteed to play in the Invitationals. A sixth slot is reserved for another PBA club, the winner of a qualifying tournament to be held as a bonus attraction during the All-Filipino Finals.

The national team playing in the Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam late this year is also assured of a ticket to the Invitationals. Then there are the foreign teams — two or three, depending on what the schedule can accommodate.

Confirming interest to play are the Yugoslavian national junior team, the LG Sakers of South Korea, and the Blue Stars of Lebanon. The Japan Basketball Association (JABBA) had previously backed out due to the SARS scare but now that the Philippines has been removed from the World Health Organization watchlist, a Japanese team is asking if a slot is still available.

Former Talk ‘N’ Text coach Bill Bayno said he’s ready to bring in a US team made up of Fil-Ams, college standouts, and former National Basketball Association (NBA) stars. Bayno said he himself will coach the team in the Invitationals.

PBA commissioner Noli Eala said priority will be given to Asian teams although he’s open to the participation of a Yugoslavian team because Filipinos can learn a lot from the European game in improving their chances in future international competitions.

Filipino businessman Jack Rodriguez is sponsoring the Yugoslavian squad which will send in players standing no more than 6-5. That means 7-foot, teenaged NBA draft prospect Darko Milicic will definitely not be in the roster.

The LG Sakers recently made it to the Final Four of the Korean championships after tying Tongyang for the best record of 27-11 in the regular season. The club finished second in 1998 and 2001. The Sakers are led by crack guard Kang Dong Hee, 6-7 Pyo Phil Sang, gunner Cho Sung Won, and 6-5 Song Young Jin. Coach is Kim Tae Whan.

The Blue Stars are coached by Paul Caughter of New York. Caughter, 54, has extensive overseas experience as a coach in Taiwan (where he won titles in 1997 and 1998), Scotland, Finland, Greece, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Belgium and Kuwait.

The Lebanese mainstays include 6-1 hotshot Roni Fahed (who played for the Lebanon squad that took second place at the 1999 Asian Basketball Confederation championships), 6-1 Lebanese-Canadian Charbel Chibany, and three former junior stalwarts Mohamed Dagher, Robert Dagher, and Elias Rizakaliah.

The Blue Stars tied for fourth in the 10-team Lebanese Division I this year. Among the imports who played in Lebanon this season were ex-PBA cagers Sherell Ford, Jaime Watson, Julius Nwosu, Tony Madison, Joe Stephens, and Leland McDougall.