All on same page

Whenever there are FIBA windows and major international competitions like the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, SEA and Asian Games, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) has been assured of total cooperation from basketball stakeholders in terms of clearing league schedules to free up players who are on the national team.

First to commit to SBP was the PBA. A clear example was the PBA adjusting its calendar to stage only two conferences this season. The Governors Cup was shelved until the next campaign when the PBA will revert to the three-conference format. It wasn’t a coincidence that the recent Commissioner’s Cup ended last Feb. 14 and the ongoing Philippine Cup began last Feb. 28. In the first FIBA Asia Cup qualifying window, Gilas played Hong Kong last Feb. 22 and Chinese-Taipei last Feb. 25. Last year, the PBA delayed its season opening to make way for the FIBA World Cup, another instance where the pro league displayed its cooperation with SBP.

In Gilas head coach Tim Cone’s 12-man lineup, six are from the PBA – Scottie Thompson, JuneMar Fajardo, CJ Perez, Calvin Oftana, Jamie Malonzo and Chris Newsome. Three are from the Japanese B-League – Kai Sotto, AJ Edu and Dwight Ramos. One is from the UAAP, Kevin Quiambao. Carl Tamayo and Justin Brownlee are studying their playing options at the moment. The Japanese B-League wasn’t a party to the SBP agreement but is committed to set aside 10 days from its season for players to join their national teams in FIBA competitions. That’s a requirement from FIBA. The problem is both the SEA and Asian Games are not under FIBA’s purview so the Japanese B-League is not mandated to release national players to participate in non-FIBA-sanctioned tournaments.

The next SEA Games will be held on Dec. 9-20, 2025 in Thailand and the schedule is in conflict with the Japanese B-League’s. The next Asian Games will be staged on Sept. 19-Oct. 4, 2026 in Nagoya. This season, the Japanese B-League started last Oct. 5 so since Nagoya will host the coming Asian Games, it’s likely the opening could be postponed by a week.

Of the collegiate leagues, only the UAAP has a player on the Gilas roster. The UAAP’s 87th men’s basketball season is likely to start in September so it will run smack into the schedule of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifying second window on Nov. 21-24. The Philippines will face New Zealand on Nov. 21 and Hong Kong on Nov. 24, both at home.

A meeting was held at Marco Polo last Jan. 5 with stakeholders to agree on a coordinated schedule. Attending were SBP chairman Sen. Sonny Angara, SBP vice chairman Rep. Robbie Puno, SBP president Al Panlilio, PBA chairman Ricky Vargas, PBA Ginebra governor Alfrancis Chua, PBA San Miguel Beer governor Robert Non, SBP executive director Erika Dy, Cone, Gilas team manager Richard del Rosario, Em Fernandez of Ateneo, Mark Molina of FEU, Nongnong Calanog and Oliver Bunyi of La Salle, Herc Callanta of UP and Dax Castellano of St. Benilde. The consensus was to pledge full cooperation with SBP.

Cone said he’s sticking to a 12-man lineup. It’s difficult for players to come and go because familiarity with the system of play is compromised. Cone would rather maintain a core to pull out from wherever they’re playing and keep it intact. This way, players build an identity with Gilas and cement their commitment. If a player is injured or isn’t able to participate, Cone will tap a replacement, preferably someone exposed to his style. In the recent window, Cone brought in Japeth Aguilar to replace Edu but left a spot vacant with Fajardo sidelined.