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PBA predicts banner season
By Nelson Beltran, The Philippine Star
MANILA, Philippines - After a 10-week break, the Philippine Basketball Association re-opens shop Sunday with officials
optimistic of a banner season following changes and innovations geared towards further improving the games and the
league itself.
Some stars playing for new teams plus the entry of promising rookies spice up the 35th PBA season kicking off with a lone
match pitting Purefoods Tender Juicy and Burger King at the Araneta Coliseum.
The league actually opens the season tomorrow with a formal rite enshrining the third batch of honorees to the PBA Hall of
Fame at the Makati Shangri-La.
On Sunday, the league will do away with lavish opening show that has marked every PBA inaugurals to save some funds
which it intends to donate to victims of typhoon Ondoy.
However, PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios said there would still be the traditional parade featuring the 10 competing
teams and their respective muses.
Barrios and the league board are upbeat the PBA will remain as vibrant as ever, picking up from where it left off in 2009. The
2008-09 PBA season ended with the San Miguel Beer-Barangay Ginebra finale drawing record gate receipts of P11 million.
“We’ve done some changes. That’s the easy part. The hard part is the execution. But with the support of the commissioner’s
office and the PBA board, our confidence is very high another banner season is in the offing,” said league board chairman
Lito Alvarez.
“The league has become a lot more balance. Any team can beat anybody in any given night. This will be an exciting
season,” said vice chairman Rene Pardo.
The new season was formally launched in a press conference at the Diamond Hotel sponsored by Coca-Cola and Smart
Bro.
The KFC Philippine Cup opener alone is an exciting match pitting two teams which underwent a major revamp during the
off-season.
It should have been a game featuring the top pick but Japeth Aguilar has opted to play for the RP developmental team Smart
Gilas. Alvarez, however, remains optimistic they would be able to sign up Aguilar.
Burger King has other new recruits in Chico Laneta, Ronjay Buenafe, Orlando Daroya, Ronnie Matias, Mark Yee and
Richard Yee. Purefoods, on the other hand, has regained the services of Paul Artadi and Marc Pingris while also acquiring
freshmen Rico Maierhofer and Chris Timberlake.
The other newcomers are Chris Ross and Francis Allera of Coca-Cola, Nur Jam Alfad, Marcy Arellano and Jervy Cruz of
Rain or Shine, Joshua Urbiztondo, Charles Waters and Mark Benitez of Sta. Lucia, Mike Burtscher of Alaska, Kevin White of
Ginebra, and Ogie Menor, Bruce Viray and Bryan Faundo of Barako Bull.
Among veterans playing for new teams are Rico Villanueva and Rich Alvarez for Ginebra, Aris Dimaunahan and Yousif
Aljamal for Barako Bull, Dennis Espino, Ken Bono, Marvin Cruz, Larry Rodriguez and Norman Gonzales for Coke, Jeff Chan,
Mark Telan and Mike Hrabak for Rain or Shine, Arwind Santos, Denok Miranda and Mike Holper for San Miguel, Gabby
Espinas, Chris Pacana and Ardy Larong for Sta. Lucia and Mark Isip for Talk n Text.
Smart Gilas is an added attraction while playing as guest team in the Philippine Cup where Talk n Text is defending the
crown it won over Alaska last year.
Making up the Smart Gilas team is Chris Tiu, Mark Barroca, JV Casio, RJ Jazul, Dylan Ababou, JR Cawaling, Rey Guevarra,
Ryan Buenafe, Mac Baracael, Aldresh Ramos, Jason Ballesteros, Magi Sison, Greg Slaughter, Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Junmar
Fajardo, Paul Lee and import CJ Giles.
The team is not in contention for the championship but result of its games will reflect on the standings of its opponents.
The 10 regular teams play double-round robin in the eliminations with the top two automatically making the semis, the next
three gaining outright quarterfinals passage and the next four figuring in wild card battle for the last quarters seat. Only one
team is eliminated after the prelims.
By Nelson Beltran, The Philippine Star
MANILA, Philippines - After a 10-week break, the Philippine Basketball Association re-opens shop Sunday with officials
optimistic of a banner season following changes and innovations geared towards further improving the games and the
league itself.
Some stars playing for new teams plus the entry of promising rookies spice up the 35th PBA season kicking off with a lone
match pitting Purefoods Tender Juicy and Burger King at the Araneta Coliseum.
The league actually opens the season tomorrow with a formal rite enshrining the third batch of honorees to the PBA Hall of
Fame at the Makati Shangri-La.
On Sunday, the league will do away with lavish opening show that has marked every PBA inaugurals to save some funds
which it intends to donate to victims of typhoon Ondoy.
However, PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios said there would still be the traditional parade featuring the 10 competing
teams and their respective muses.
Barrios and the league board are upbeat the PBA will remain as vibrant as ever, picking up from where it left off in 2009. The
2008-09 PBA season ended with the San Miguel Beer-Barangay Ginebra finale drawing record gate receipts of P11 million.
“We’ve done some changes. That’s the easy part. The hard part is the execution. But with the support of the commissioner’s
office and the PBA board, our confidence is very high another banner season is in the offing,” said league board chairman
Lito Alvarez.
“The league has become a lot more balance. Any team can beat anybody in any given night. This will be an exciting
season,” said vice chairman Rene Pardo.
The new season was formally launched in a press conference at the Diamond Hotel sponsored by Coca-Cola and Smart
Bro.
The KFC Philippine Cup opener alone is an exciting match pitting two teams which underwent a major revamp during the
off-season.
It should have been a game featuring the top pick but Japeth Aguilar has opted to play for the RP developmental team Smart
Gilas. Alvarez, however, remains optimistic they would be able to sign up Aguilar.
Burger King has other new recruits in Chico Laneta, Ronjay Buenafe, Orlando Daroya, Ronnie Matias, Mark Yee and
Richard Yee. Purefoods, on the other hand, has regained the services of Paul Artadi and Marc Pingris while also acquiring
freshmen Rico Maierhofer and Chris Timberlake.
The other newcomers are Chris Ross and Francis Allera of Coca-Cola, Nur Jam Alfad, Marcy Arellano and Jervy Cruz of
Rain or Shine, Joshua Urbiztondo, Charles Waters and Mark Benitez of Sta. Lucia, Mike Burtscher of Alaska, Kevin White of
Ginebra, and Ogie Menor, Bruce Viray and Bryan Faundo of Barako Bull.
Among veterans playing for new teams are Rico Villanueva and Rich Alvarez for Ginebra, Aris Dimaunahan and Yousif
Aljamal for Barako Bull, Dennis Espino, Ken Bono, Marvin Cruz, Larry Rodriguez and Norman Gonzales for Coke, Jeff Chan,
Mark Telan and Mike Hrabak for Rain or Shine, Arwind Santos, Denok Miranda and Mike Holper for San Miguel, Gabby
Espinas, Chris Pacana and Ardy Larong for Sta. Lucia and Mark Isip for Talk n Text.
Smart Gilas is an added attraction while playing as guest team in the Philippine Cup where Talk n Text is defending the
crown it won over Alaska last year.
Making up the Smart Gilas team is Chris Tiu, Mark Barroca, JV Casio, RJ Jazul, Dylan Ababou, JR Cawaling, Rey Guevarra,
Ryan Buenafe, Mac Baracael, Aldresh Ramos, Jason Ballesteros, Magi Sison, Greg Slaughter, Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Junmar
Fajardo, Paul Lee and import CJ Giles.
The team is not in contention for the championship but result of its games will reflect on the standings of its opponents.
The 10 regular teams play double-round robin in the eliminations with the top two automatically making the semis, the next
three gaining outright quarterfinals passage and the next four figuring in wild card battle for the last quarters seat. Only one
team is eliminated after the prelims.