PBA unravels new season

It won’t be quite as spectacular as previous season-opening extravaganzas but the message of oneness with the Filipino nation is what will make the PBA’s 39th anniversary launch a memorable event this afternoon.

PBA commissioner Chito Salud said the program will be straight to the point, nothing lavish, nothing extravagant. But it will deliver a strong message that the PBA is united for the country, that its heart is with those stricken by Yolanda and the league will do its share in inspiring the less fortunate to rise above adversity.

When newly designated PBA chairman Ramon Segismundo conceived of the theme “One PBA, One Philippines,” Yolanda had not yet entered the Philippine area of responsibility. He thought of the theme as a way to promote democratization and the goal of league expansion through “One PBA.” For “One Philippines,” Segismundo had in mind the synergy between the PBA and Gilas and the glory road to the FIBA World Cup in Spain next year. When Yolanda wreaked havoc in the South, the theme even became more appropriate, relevant and timely.

PLDT chairman Manny V. Pangilinan put it into perspective in his speech at the recent PBA Press Corps Awards Night in the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club. “The story of Gilas and the recent tragedies remind us that we’re tied together in this life, in this nation, in basketball – that the despair of some touches us all,” he said. “Gilas supplies a lesson to our recent disasters. If you were sitting at the concrete stairs of your home in Tacloban which got blown away by typhoon Yolanda or sleeping on the dirt floor of an evacuation center in Zamboanga or looking for your loved ones beneath the earthquake rubble of your barangay in Bohol, one cannot imagine how he can see hope in his future. But that is precisely the message – that every time, after a storm or flood or earthquake, our people have come back to build anew. We cannot leave our destiny to the scourge of nature alone.”

* * * *

Gilas’ remarkable story of courage will forever be a glowing chapter in the history of Philippine basketball. Qualifying for the FIBA World Cup and finishing second in the FIBA Asia Championships will always be remembered as milestone feats in Gilas’ journey. “Sana maski papaano, ang kwentong Gilas ay magsilbing inspirasyon sa ating bayan, lalo na sa mga napinsala ng lindol at nasalanta ng bagyo,” said MVP. “Tulad ng Gilas, kaya natin lahat bumangon. Puso, laban Pilipinas.”

To underscore the spirit of unity, the PBA and TV5 are undertaking a major nationwide hook-up of three games to be played in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao today. It’s never been done before but that fact has never stopped the PBA from dreaming and doing extraordinary things.

A three-way opening ceremony will get the ball rolling at 2 p.m. on TV5. First to parade are Meralco and Talk ‘N’ Text set to play at 3 p.m. in the Cebu Coliseum. Then, Alaska and Rain Or Shine will take their bow from the University of Southeastern Philippines gym in Davao City where their game is scheduled at 5 p.m. Finally, the spotlight will focus on Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and San Mig Coffee who are playing at the Smart Araneta Coliseum at 3 p.m. The other teams not playing today will also parade at the Big Dome – Globalport, Air 21, Barako Bull and Petron.  The Ginebra-San Mig Coffee game will be aired live at 3 p.m. on TV5 while the Meralco-Talk ‘N’ Text contest will be shown live also at 3 p.m. on Aksyon TV. The Alaska-Rain Or Shine encounter will be telecast live at 5 p.m. on TV5 after the Ginebra-San Mig Coffee outing. The Meralco-Talk ‘N’ Text game will be replayed on TV5 later that night.

The parade will not be complete without muses – Lauren Young for Air 21, Fila Guia Hidalgo for Alaska, Teresa Fajksova for Barako Bull, Maxene Magalona for Globalport, Koreen Andrea Medina for Rain Or Shine, Bianca Reyes (Sophie Albert) and Stephanie Rowe for Meralco, Gretchen Ho for Petron, Chanel Morales and Danielle Montano Lee for Talk ‘N’ Text, Marian Rivera for Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and Jessy Mendiola for San Mig Coffee.  At presstime, it still wasn’t certain if Mendiola could appear for San Mig Coffee because of a conflict in her TV schedule. Alaska pulled the rug from under the others by choosing Hidalgo, Mutya Ng Davao, as its muse to court the hometown crowd.

* * * *

Facelifts were the order of the offseason as teams signed up 22 rookies and 24 veterans switched teams. Then, there’s the return of Kelly Williams who left the league midway the Commissioner’s Cup because of health issues. Williams has found progress in the treatment of his blood disorder and is now back with Talk ‘N’ Text. Gilas coach Chot Reyes said he’ll closely monitor Williams’ performance and decide if the Machine Gun from Oakland University could be ready to reclaim his spot on the national squad in time for the FIBA World Cup.

Globalport and Barako Bull were the busiest teams in terms of wheeling and dealing players. The Batang Pier enlisted six rookies and brought in four veterans from other teams while the Energy Cola welcomed two newcomers and six transferees. Among the 22 freshmen, three were long shots to make it – Alaska’s Chris Exciminiano, Globalport’s Jopher Custodio and Talk ‘N’ Text’s Eliud Poligrates. Exciminiano, who turns 25 today, is 5-10 7/8 and half-American (his father is William Green Veins). Custodio, 26, played for MLQU and stands 6-1 5/8. Poligrates, 26, is from Southwestern University and played a year with the Cagayan Valley Rising Stars in the PBA D-League.

The Philippine Cup format will be inter-intra in the eliminations which end Jan. 19. Teams are split into two groups – Air 21, Alaska, Barangay Ginebra, Petron and Rain Or Shine in Group A and Barako Bull, Globalport, Meralco, San Mig Coffee and Talk ‘N’ Text in Group B. A team plays groupmates once and contenders in the other bracket twice. The top eight finishers advance to the quarterfinals where No. 1 plays No. 8 and No. 2 faces No. 7 with the top seeds enjoying a twice-to-beat advantage and No. 3 takes on No. 6 and No. 4 battles No. 5 in separate best-of-three series. The semifinals and finals will be best-of-seven affairs.

There are 70 games in the elimination schedule with seven Saturday and two Tuesday doubleheaders. On Christmas Day, Air 21 meets Globalport and Petron tangles with Barangay Ginebra in a twinbill at the Mall of Asia Arena. The packed calendar includes back-to-back-to-back doubleheaders on Nov. 22, 23 and 24, Dec. 27, 28 and 29, Jan. 10, 11 and 12 and Jan. 17, 18 and 19. A game in Dipolog City between Meralco and Petron is scheduled on Dec. 14.