Blackwater will not field a team for the inaugural PBA 3×3 season.
The reason for this is the cost-cutting measures parent company Ever Bilena has undertaken in the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Team owner Dioceldo Sy admitted that Ever Bilena Cosmetics’ sales have been “badly hit” by the health crisis, thus the tough decision to not send a representative to the inaugural league targeted to start this year.
“We begged off like Alaska. Cost-cutting,” the billionaire businessman told Tiebreaker Times, Monday.
“Badly hit tayo, mga make-up non-essential.”
The Bossing are the second PBA member team not participating in the new league next to Alaska. The Aces decided not to partake to avoid conflicts since their governor Dickie Bachmann is also the PBA 3×3 chairman.
With this, only 10 member clubs are in, along with Zamboanga Valientes and Master Sardines, who earlier submitted a letter of intent to join. The league has said that there are three more guest companies who have shared their intent to join the tournament.
The past weeks have seen teams begin construction of their 3×3 crews, starting with Meralco and TNT. The two teams signed up highly-touted talents Jason Brickman and Jeremiah Gray, respectively, to one-year deals.
Phoenix Super LPG also made a move by picking up forward Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser. Other teams, meanwhile, are looking to assign their picks in the recent Rookie Draft in their own 3×3 squads.
The Valientes have ex-pro Rudy Lingganay and Gino Jumao-as in their team. The MLV-backed squad is looking at former PBA players JR Cawaling and Jens Knuttel as possible reinforcements.
