The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) approved the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas’ (SBP) plan to reel in TNT players for Gilas Pilipinas in the FIBA World Cup 2023 Asian Qualifiers’ first window later this month.
League chairman Ricky Vargas said that the Board of Governors unanimously agreed to help out the federation gear up for the global meet by adjusting the schedule of the 2021-22 Governors’ Cup resumption.
“I’m very pleased to say that the PBA will once again adjust its schedule to allow some players from Talk ‘N ‘Text to play with Gilas — not only during the window but also for practice,” he said in a virtual press conference, Friday.
The PBA is still working on the conference’s elimination round schedule, but Vargas said that it will be constructed in a way where the Tropang GIga will play as many games as possible to start practicing for Gilas early.
“It begins on the 11th. So upfront, mas maraming games ang gagawin in terms of scheduling to allow TNT to play as many games as they can so that they can go out early and work for the February bubble,” he said.
“Hahabol na lang sila at the end,” added Vargas, himself the flagship MVP franchise’s governor. “The PBA is working on the schedule.”
And as was mentioned earlier, there won’t be any stoppage whatsoever even if PBA players will once again play for the national team.
“As we play in Gilas and commit with Gilas, tuloy pa rin ang PBA basketball which will start on February 11,” said Vargas.
The idea of TNT making up most of the Gilas crew for the upcoming tournament was from re-appointed head coach Chot Reyes, given the time constraints and manpower crisis as the program practically hit the reset button.
Reyes and his wards are presently in Batangas gearing up for the resumption, together with some of the Cadets in Juan Gomez de Liano, Jaydee Tungcab, Will Navarro, Tzaddy Rangel, and naturalized center Ange Kouame.
Dwight Ramos is also part of the pool and will enter the bubble soon. The do-it-all, 6-foot-4 guard came all the way from Japan as he was allowed by mother ball club Toyama of the B.League to suit up for the Philippine team.
“Thank you to the support of the PBA that we are able to at least have a semblance of a lineup for the February window,” said SBP President Al Panlilio, who graced the presser together with Vargas and Commissioner Willie Marcial.
Vargas said that the Board held an ‘excellent’ meeting, and discussed also was the league’s support not just for the upcoming window, but for the World Cup proper per se to be hosted by the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia.
“We also discussed a little bit not only about the February support for Gilas, but also, we’re looking forward to continuing the support up to the World Cup ’23,” said the former SBP vice chairman.
