More dynamic, vibrant PBA in season 41
INQUIRER PHOTO/AUGUST DELA CRUZ
TOKYO – Back as chairman of the PBA board, Robert Non hopes the Philippine Basketball Association would sustain its gains and become a more dynamic, vibrant league that is watched everywhere.
“We’ve long envisioned the PBA to be a way of life among Filipinos,” said Non. “We want to sustain that attitude by giving the fans what they crave for – our product which is exciting, thrilling basketball.”
The San Miguel Beer executive is back in the saddle as PBA chieftain as they chart the league’s courses of action for the 41st PBA season in a five-day planning session from Aug. 9-13. at Tokyo Hilton here.
“Chairman Patrick Gregorio’s tenure was a success story in the PBA and we’d like to sustain that growth,” said Non, league chairman in 2012 when he sat as board representative of Ginebra San Miguel.
PBA Season 40 was another banner season where the league hit the P200-million mark on gate receipts for the second straight year.
The season commenced before a record crowd of 52,612 at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan – a smashing start in the Philippine Cup that concluded in a blockbuster full seven-game finale between San Miguel Beer and Alaska Milk.
During the gab here, Gregorio and outgoing commissioner Chito Salud will report their accomplishments in the season just past then the board will formally elect its new set of officers including Non as chair, Erick Arejola as vice chair and Chito Narvasa as the league’s ninth commissioner.
Also present here are Meralco’s Al Panlilio, NLEX’s Ramoncito Fernandez, Ginebra’s Alfrancis Chua, Star’s Rene Pardo, Barako Bull’s Manny Alvarez, Alaska’s Richard Bachmann, Rain or Shine’s Mert Mondragon, Blackwater’s Wilbert Loa and Kia’s Tom Alvarez.
PBA@40 drew tremendous support from corporate sponsors, including Nickel Asia Corporation that brought the 2015 PBA All-Star Game in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.
There’s also the well-attended two-game swing by the league in Dubai during the season-ending Governors Cup.
Three new ball clubs in Kia, Blackwater and NLEX, the entry of Pacquiao as Kia playing coach and the unveiling of Asian imports spiced up the season where the San Miguel Beermen emerged as double champs while the Talk n Text Tropang Texters reemerged as Commissioner’s Cup winners.
So exciting and interesting was the season that the league is planning to keep the format for Season 41.
Still up for discussion is the height ceiling for the reinforcements in the two import-laden tourneys – the Commissioner’s and the Governors Cups.
The incoming commissioner said he would make rounds of the 12 teams and get the inputs of the coaches insofar as officiating is concerned.
Narvasa will have his first official function during the PBA Rookie Draft on Aug. 23 at Robinson’s Place in Ermita.
The 2015-16 season opens on Oct. 18. (SB)
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