The PBA is revising its 2025 Philippine Cup schedule to make way for Meralco’s Basketball Champions League Asia (BCL Asia) 2025 campaign.
All team managers have been notified of the development and agreed on the said change during a conference call held on Monday.
“Nagpapasalamat ang PBA sa mga teams sa pang-unawa nila, naiintindihan din naman nila,” said Commissioner Willie Marcial, adding that the complete schedule will be released on Tuesday. “At lahat naman sila, sumang-ayon.”
The reigning Philippine Cup champions have been chosen to carry the fight for the PBA and for the country in FIBA’s highest club competition on the continent, which takes place on June 9-15.
The venue will be announced soon.
Meralco is no stranger to taking part in the joust, having competed in the 2018 edition when it was still known as the FIBA Asia Champions Cup.
There, the Bolts managed to reach the semifinals and ultimately finished fourth in the contest, with Petrochimi of Iran emerging as the eventual winner.
About seven years later, the MVP Group-owned ball club is coming in armed with much more experience in international basketball, thanks to their stints in the last two East Asia Super League home-and-away seasons.
With another overseas campaign in their calendar, Meralco will most likely play within a compressed schedule in the coming weeks to gain more leeway to rest and gear up for the prestigious week-long showpiece.
Coach Luigi Trillo and his staff are currently tied at seventh in the conference standings with Phoenix as both teams sport identical 2-3 win-loss records.
“Nagpapasalamat ang PBA sa Meralco sa pagtanggap ng imbitasyon natin sa kanila para rito sa BCL Asia,” said Marcial as the PBA is finally sending an emissary to the tilt after begging off from last year’s tournament.
Meralco will have its hands full in the BCL Asia as it is joining the champion teams from the B.League, KBL, and the CBA, in addition to two clubs from the FIBA West Asia Super League and from the BCL Asia-East as well.
Al Riyadi are the defending champions after a mighty five-game sweep of the 2024 meet held in Dubai, with star guard Wael Arakji earning MVP honors.
