Board says PBA cagers may also play for Gilas in third conference

BORACAY, Philippines – It’s now up to Jimmy Alapag and Kelly Williams if they want to be with Smart Gilas Pilipinas and still be part of Talk n Text, which is chasing a grandslam feat in the pro league.

This also applies to Asi Taulava and Dondon Hontiveros if they want to play for both the national team and their PBA teams.

Basically, that’s the decision of the PBA board of governors with regards the status of the four players for the Governors Cup.

One condition set by the board is that these players must play all games – not just a few – if they decide to maintain their ties with their mother teams in the season-ending tourney.

Thus, there’s the possibility that these players join the national team only in the final month of its preparation for the 2011 Fiba-Asia men’s championship in Wuhan, China in October.

“The players borrowed by Smart Gilas retained the option of playing in the third conference provided that if they decide to play, it’s from start to finish. And if they decide not to play, it’s from start to finish,” said PBA commissioner Chito Salud.

“But there’s no question that they will play for the national team by September,” Salud added.

It would be remembered that SBP’s original request is for the chosen PBA players to be pulled out of their mother clubs for the entire third conference so they train with the Nationals full-time for four months.

This was agreed upon by the PBA team owners in their meeting in a meeting early in the year.

Talk n Text, however, is now saying Alapag and Williams themselves want to stick it out with the team with the rare grandslam opportunity there.

“It’s a very, very rare opportunity that Kelly and I will have. First and foremost, to represent the country. Representing our country in the game of basketball is probably unlike any other country just because of how passionate we Filipinos are about the game. To be back to the national team is a huge honor and we’re looking forward to it,” said Alapag.

“At the same time, knowing that we have an opportunity to help Talk ‘N Text achieve a grand slam is an honor and a blessing. Kelly and I understand we have a huge task ahead of us, but we’re excited and we know we have to put in the work for TNT and of course for Gilas,” Alapag added.

In the same meeting here Saturday, the board resolved the draft issue stemming from Barako Bull’s leave of absence.

It had become a thorny issue since Barako Bull’s 2012 first round pick will be exercised by Talk n Text. The Texters acquired the draft rights in a previous trade deal.

In the end, the board decided Barako can’t be considered dead last during its absence in the second conference.

Barako (or Talk n Text) is thus out of the running for the top pick in the next draft.

For them not to go deeper in the draft order, Barako Bull governor Manny Mendoza said team owner George Chua is now looking at the option of reactivating the franchise in the third conference.

“Actually, it has always been an option for the team,” said Mendoza.

However, it’s highly unlikely Barako can form a team with only two weeks to go before the third conference opens.