The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) has announced the date for its Season 48 Rookie Draft.
Commissioner Willie Marcial stated that the event will take place on September 17 at Market! Market! in Taguig. This marks the first time since 2010 that the league will host the annual event in the shopping center owned by Ayala Malls.
The PBA Esports Bakbakan tournament had already brought the mall chain and the league together, and the return of the Rookie Draft to BGC was a part of the discussions when they recently partnered for the PBA 3×3.
“Draft po tayo sa Market! Market! sa September 17,” shared the affable executive during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum on Tuesday.
Leading up to the draft, there will be the Draft Combine scheduled for September 12-13 at the Gatorade Hoops Center in Mandaluyong.
The PBA started accepting draft applications on July 20, with the deadline for submissions set for September 10.
Following a successful PBA On Tour event, the league is expected to get even busier as it approaches the new season.
Post the draft proceedings, a pre-season press conference is scheduled for October 10 at the Diamond Hotel Manila. This will be followed by a Media Day two days later, the location for which is yet to be determined.
The Season 48 opener is slated for October 15 at the SMART Araneta Coliseum. Game schedules for the season will be announced at a later date.
In the meantime, the league is actively preparing for the PBA Usana Run, which is set to take place on September 24 at the Bridgetowne Destination Estate in Pasig.
Season 48 will comprise of only two conferences, allowing PBA stalwarts to also contribute to Gilas Pilipinas in the FIBA Basketball World Cup and the Asian Games.
