Chooks-to-Go Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League commissioner Kenneth Duremdes laid out the possibilities that might be executed for the fourth season of the fastest-growing regional basketball league.
For starters, Duremdes announced in a memo dated April 28, that the opening of the fourth season of the MPBL will be moved to a later date as June 12 is not feasible with the stalled Lakan Season still has a maximum of seven games left.
He also said that next season will also depend on how many teams will join.
“Marami kasing teams na tinamaan din nitong [COVID-19] virus. May ilang teams na nagpadala na ng feeler na magte-take ng leave of absence next season,” said Duremdes on an Instagram live session with Cedelf Tupas over at the MPBL’s official Instagram account.
“Napakaimportante nating malaman kung kaya pa ba ng team owners magpatakbo ng team, kapag makita ng league na wala talaga, we might cancel the season.”
But the commissioner reiterated that these are all just plans and the first objective of the league is to finish the Lakan Season playoffs first, “then we go from there”.
Another alternative that Duremdes said was the possibility of playing in closed-door venues.
“Kung i-allow tayo to finish the Lakan Season with the restriction of no fans allowed, yes. Four teams na lang yan, definitely kailangan na natin ito tapusin.”
The Chooks-to-Go-backed league once pulled a closed-door affair last March 11 in Game Two of the North Division Finals between San Juan-Go for Gold and Makati-Super Crunch at the Filoil Flying V Centre.
Another plan that is subject to the approval of league founder Sen. Manny Pacquiao is a new format that would limit the games of the season.
“We will limit the games at magkakaroon tayo ng sariling tournament lang ng South at sariling tournament alone ng North division. Hindi na sila magcro-crossover,” Duremdes said.
“Magkikita na lang yung champion ng North at South sa National Finals. In that way, malilimit natin yung games.”
In the 31-team pool Lakan Season alone, the league already played a whopping 498 games including the playoffs, with at least five more games to be played.
The fourth season of the MPBL is the second of five seasons Chooks-to-Go will back.
Story by Justin Valencia
