The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) will lend its players to Gilas Pilipinas for the 19th Asian Games set later this year in Hangzhou, China.
Commissioner Willie Marcial said that the Board of Governors has OK’d national team head coach Chot Reyes’ plan to include pros to the squad bound for the September 23-October 8 meet during their recent meeting.
With that, the league will once again tweak its Season 48 schedule — just like what it has done in the ongoing wars mainly due to the FIBA World Cup.
Initially targeted to open in September, the next season will commence at around mid-October to give way for the Asiad, which was supposed to be held last year but got postponed due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Season 48 Rookie Draft will instead be held in September, the exact date and location of which to be announced soon.
“Sa halip na magsisimula tayo ng September, October na tayo,” the amiable executive told reporters Friday. “Siguro, mga after a week (ng Asian Games).”
Multiple revisions have been made by the PBA to give way to Gilas. The current Governors’ Cup, for one, is being played in a compressed schedule to give ample time to the men’s team bound for the 32nd SEA Games.
The league will then enter a long break after the ongoing season although it made sure to remain active during the lull, with a preseason tournament featuring all member teams in May-July set to take place.
Asked about the format for Season 48, Marcial said that the league will stick to two conferences as originally planned — similar to Season 46.
But it has yet to be decided whether it will play the Governors’ Cup or the Commissioner’s Cup for the second conference, he added.
It could be remembered that the PBA played the Governors’ Cup back in Season 46 featuring imports 6-foot-6 and under.
Also discussed during the recent board meeting aside from Gilas matters were the return of the league’s other activities such as the D-League and the Batang PBA, as well as possible rule changes that include the challenge system.
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The second game of each PBA gameday is live-streamed on SMART Sports.
