As keen as it is to stage an import-laden conference, the PBA is very much aware that it could be easier said than done given the current situation.
Commissioner Willie Marcial said that there are factors to consider in bringing in foreign cagers. These mainly include travel restrictions for those coming from overseas as part of the authorities’ measures in stemming the spread of COVID-19.
“One, papayagan ba ng gobyerno natin na pumasok ang dayuhan? Two, papayag ba mga imports natin na lumaro rito? Three, papano kung magpapalit ka ng imports?” he said in a virtual press conference, Friday.
“Eh ‘di ba, may mga quarantine-quarantine pa ‘yun? Pag-aaralan lahat ‘yun kung papaano.”
Marcial said that tackling such a matter could begin a month before the first conference’s end on October; or even early in the season as the league keeps itself up-to-date with the national government’s resolutions.
“Kasi matatapos tayo this conference, mga October eh. So by September, or ito habang nagsisimula, pag-aaralan na natin,” he said.
It remains undetermined as well whether the second conference will be called Governors’ Cup or Commissioner’s Cup.
Asia’s pioneering pro league did not have an import-laden conference for its 45th season due to the pandemic. It only played the Philippine Cup in a bubble set-up mounted at the Clark Freeport Zone in Pampanga.
The last time imports played in the league was in the 2019 Governors’ Cup. It featured a bevy of great talents, bannered by three-time Best Import Allen Durham, Justin Brownlee, and former NBA player KJ McDaniels.
