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PBA ready to meet challenges
By: Zean Macamay, Journal Online
THE Philippine Basketball Association is ready to face challenges ahead, and has made the necessary changes in its rules
to lift the level of entertainment notches higher.
Commissioner Renauld ‘Sonny’ Barrios says they will attempt to make the league’s 35th season a banner one, and
Chairman Lito Alvarez is putting his business mind into the equation on how to build the league profitable during his short
term.
Yet three days before the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup kicks off at the Araneta Coliseum, the center of talks still hovered around
on a player who may not play at all.
Japeth Aguilar remains doubtful whether he will play for Burger King or not. Alvarez is not losing hope, but the Whoppers’
team manager is not that unwise either to allow their No. 1 draft pick to get away with something that will disrespect the
league.
“Don’t be surprised if Japeth will be playing for Burger King on Sunday,” Alvarez said, smiling.
And then he turned serious.
“I have offered him the best of both worlds,” he said. “He will have all or nothing. This is a no-brainer situation. I have talked
to Japeth’s family, and Noli Eala, the executive director of the SBP (Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas), has assured me that
they have not offered anything to Japeth.
“This is something I think the SBP can resolve. I have a lot of respect for Mr. MVP (Manny V. Pangilinan, SBP Chairman). I
think if he will intervene in this situation, the matter can be settled. However, parang meron silang (SBP) alam na hindi ko
alam. Bakit parang malakas ang loob pa rin ni Japeth?”
A Burger King team without Aguilar certainly takes out a lot of glitter in its drive to win a first-ever crown in what will be Yeng
Guiao’s final conference as a coach. Guiao, who has never won a Philippine Cup title, is to leave his head coaching job to
seek the Pampanga governorship next year.
There’s no doubt that San Miguel Beer, Purefoods, Talk ‘N Text and Ginebra are the teams to beat in the season-opening
conference. But Guiao has assured Alvarez that with or without Aguilar, the Whoppers will give the top contenders a good
fight.
The Whoppers begin their campaign right away on Sunday against Purefoods, a team that has fared miserably that past two
conferences but is regarded as one of the top picks this time with the return of Marc Pingris and guard Paul Artadi.
Chemistry is also expected to be smooth now for the Giants, who acquired Nino Canaleta and Don Allado last season.
The Beermen, the recent Fiesta Conference champions, have been overwhelmingly chosen as the team to beat with a line-
up that could form two teams with all-star cast. Ginebra, if healthy and whether Mark Caguioa could return, is another highly-
regarded ball club and so is Talk ‘N Text, the defending champion seeking to become the first team since 1985 to win the
Philippine Cup two years in a row.
On Wednesday, Alaska battles Barako Bull, a team which suffered a great loss in team manager and former Chairman Tony
Chua, before Ginebra squares off with San Miguel Beer.
The tournament will also feature a guest team in Smart-Gilas, the team tasked to reclaim a berth in the Olympic Games. The
Nationals will see action for the first time on Friday against Burger King at 2:30 p.m.
In its efforts to make the games more exciting and fair, the PBA has altered some rules through the recommendation of the
competition committee made up of coaches and managers.
Among the noteworthy changes are the monkey ride, which now allows a player to hang on to the rim after a dunk, the
extension of the three-point line from 20.6 inches to 22 inches, and the slapping of a punishment for flopping, an act by a
player falling down to fake a foul. The first flopping violation will result in a warning, and a technical foul for the second.
By: Zean Macamay, Journal Online
THE Philippine Basketball Association is ready to face challenges ahead, and has made the necessary changes in its rules
to lift the level of entertainment notches higher.
Commissioner Renauld ‘Sonny’ Barrios says they will attempt to make the league’s 35th season a banner one, and
Chairman Lito Alvarez is putting his business mind into the equation on how to build the league profitable during his short
term.
Yet three days before the KFC-PBA Philippine Cup kicks off at the Araneta Coliseum, the center of talks still hovered around
on a player who may not play at all.
Japeth Aguilar remains doubtful whether he will play for Burger King or not. Alvarez is not losing hope, but the Whoppers’
team manager is not that unwise either to allow their No. 1 draft pick to get away with something that will disrespect the
league.
“Don’t be surprised if Japeth will be playing for Burger King on Sunday,” Alvarez said, smiling.
And then he turned serious.
“I have offered him the best of both worlds,” he said. “He will have all or nothing. This is a no-brainer situation. I have talked
to Japeth’s family, and Noli Eala, the executive director of the SBP (Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas), has assured me that
they have not offered anything to Japeth.
“This is something I think the SBP can resolve. I have a lot of respect for Mr. MVP (Manny V. Pangilinan, SBP Chairman). I
think if he will intervene in this situation, the matter can be settled. However, parang meron silang (SBP) alam na hindi ko
alam. Bakit parang malakas ang loob pa rin ni Japeth?”
A Burger King team without Aguilar certainly takes out a lot of glitter in its drive to win a first-ever crown in what will be Yeng
Guiao’s final conference as a coach. Guiao, who has never won a Philippine Cup title, is to leave his head coaching job to
seek the Pampanga governorship next year.
There’s no doubt that San Miguel Beer, Purefoods, Talk ‘N Text and Ginebra are the teams to beat in the season-opening
conference. But Guiao has assured Alvarez that with or without Aguilar, the Whoppers will give the top contenders a good
fight.
The Whoppers begin their campaign right away on Sunday against Purefoods, a team that has fared miserably that past two
conferences but is regarded as one of the top picks this time with the return of Marc Pingris and guard Paul Artadi.
Chemistry is also expected to be smooth now for the Giants, who acquired Nino Canaleta and Don Allado last season.
The Beermen, the recent Fiesta Conference champions, have been overwhelmingly chosen as the team to beat with a line-
up that could form two teams with all-star cast. Ginebra, if healthy and whether Mark Caguioa could return, is another highly-
regarded ball club and so is Talk ‘N Text, the defending champion seeking to become the first team since 1985 to win the
Philippine Cup two years in a row.
On Wednesday, Alaska battles Barako Bull, a team which suffered a great loss in team manager and former Chairman Tony
Chua, before Ginebra squares off with San Miguel Beer.
The tournament will also feature a guest team in Smart-Gilas, the team tasked to reclaim a berth in the Olympic Games. The
Nationals will see action for the first time on Friday against Burger King at 2:30 p.m.
In its efforts to make the games more exciting and fair, the PBA has altered some rules through the recommendation of the
competition committee made up of coaches and managers.
Among the noteworthy changes are the monkey ride, which now allows a player to hang on to the rim after a dunk, the
extension of the three-point line from 20.6 inches to 22 inches, and the slapping of a punishment for flopping, an act by a
player falling down to fake a foul. The first flopping violation will result in a warning, and a technical foul for the second.