PBA at 40: Stronger, better, bigger than ever

SEOUL, Korea – The Philippine Basketball Association looks forward to a spectacle of a season spread over 10 months as it celebrates its 40th year with a bigger field, talent-laden roster and serving the kind of action that feeds the passion of the nation.

It will be ushered in with an explosive double-header pitting expansion teams Kia Motors versus Blackwater and old rivals Barangay Ginebra and Talk n Text at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan on Oct. 19.

The season calendar was the first tackled and approved in the annual planning session of the PBA board of governors at the Novotel Ambassador Gangnam Hotel here.

“It’s an exciting season with the PBA having important projects to celebrate its milestone 40th year,” said board chairman Patrick Gregorio.

Vice chairman Robert Non of San Miguel Beer, San Mig Coffee’s Rene Pardo, Ginebra’s Alfrancis Chua, Meralco’s Al Panlilio and Ryan Gregorio, Globalport’s Erick Arejola, Alaska’s Dickie Bachmann, Barako Bull’s Manny Alvarez, Rain or Shine’s Mert Mondragon, NLEX’s Ramon Fernandez, Kia’s Ginia Domingo and Blackwater’s Dioceldo Sy, Silliman Sy and Wilbert Loa were also here, working together to chart the league’s course for the season.

“The annual media press conference on Oct. 7 at Shangri-La Edsa and the Chairman’s Ball on Oct. 14 at Resorts World Manila usher in the season proper,” Gregorio said.

Coinciding with the premier showing of the PBA documentary “A Nation Passion,” the Chairman’s Ball will gather together all PBA officials, players and their wives for an evening of nostalgia.

Five days later, the much-awaited PBA Season 40 finally gets under way, a yearlong celebration highlighted by grand festivities on April 8 where the league honors its 40 greatest players of all time.

The league is sticking to its three-conference format starting with the Philippine Cup followed by two import-laced tourneys.

A new innovation is a handicapping system for imports in the Commissioner’s Cup and in the Governors Cup.

The top eight after the elimination round of the Philippine Cup will be playing with imports with a height limit of 6-foot-9 in the second conference. The bottom four will be allowed imports of unlimited height.

For the Governors Cup, the handicapping will be based on the performances of the teams in the first two conferences. The top eight will play with imports with a height ceiling of 6-foot-5. The bottom four are allowed imports of unlimited height.

Meanwhile, PBA commissioner Chito Salud and the league chair are to meet with their counterparts with the Korean Basketball League Thursday to look for possible areas of cooperation or tie-ups.

Salud sought the meeting to make the most of their Seoul visit.

“We’re reaching out with our Asian counterparts,” said Gregorio.

“The commissioner requested for that meeting to find out about their league (the KBL), about their plans, about their format and see if we can align, and, who knows, maybe we can play a few games together,” Gregorio also said.

The PBA board chair said this is an offshoot of the recent Manila visit of the LG Sakers, who played a series of exhibition games against PBA teams.

The Sakers’ Manila visit was highlighted by a game versus the Barangay Ginebra Kings that drew a big crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.