The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) has begged off from participating in the inaugural Basketball Champions League Asia (BCL Asia).
Commissioner Willie Marcial cited the league’s busy 2023 schedule as the main reason why the league opted not to take part in the tournament, formerly known as the FIBA Asia Champions Cup.
The competition’s schedule is on June 9-15 in Dubai, UAE.
“Hindi pa tayo masyado nakaka-recover mula sa nakaraang taon,” the league chieftain said. “Nakiusap tayo sa FIBA, naintindihan naman nila.”
The PBA remained busy after a prolonged 2022-23 season as it became heavily involved with the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas’ (SBP) co-hosting of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 with Japan and Indonesia.
That’s aside from the league’s commitment to the Gilas program, where it lent players to the men’s national team – from the World Cup Qualifiers, to the 32nd Southeast Asian Games, then all the way to the World Cup proper.
PBA teams, particularly TNT and Meralco, became more occupied as well by representing the league in the 2023-24 EASL home-and-away season.
Thus, the league’s decision to not play in the maiden BCL Asia festivities, although Marcial said that they will be joining the tournament in 2025.
It remains to be seen if the SBP will send another team to the BCL Asia similar to what it did in the 2017 Champions Cup.
There, it fielded Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas that featured Gilas Cadets and was mentored by Chot Reyes.
The BCL Asia inaugurals will see champion teams from Asia, in addition to the finalists of the FIBA West Asia Super League (FIBA WASL) Final 8.
Indonesia’s Pelita Jaya Basketball and the NS Matrix Deers of Malaysia are also in after punching their tickets through the two-round Qualifiers.
