Just like what it has done numerous times in the past, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) will alter its schedule to help out Gilas Pilipinas for the upcoming 2023 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers later this February.
But it won’t disrupt whatsoever the 2021-22 Governors’ Cup, which resumes on the 11th after a month-long break.
In a report by the league’s official website, Commissioner Willie Marcial said that TNT will play about four to five games once the conference continues, and will then give the team all the time it would need for the Qualifiers.
The Tropang Giga will reinforce the Nationals as reappointed Gilas head coach Chot Reyes no longer has the time to build up a pool for the February 24-28 meet, where they will battle South Korea twice, New Zealand, and India.
“Ayaw naman i-disrupt ni coach Chot ang PBA. So ang plano niya, mag-inject lang ng TNT players sa Gilas for the qualifiers set in the last week of February,” Marcial told PBA.ph.
“What we would do now is to adjust our schedule to accommodate the request. Paglalaruin na agad namin ang TNT sa Governors’ Cup resumption, four to five games, para pagdating ng FIBA qualifiers, libre na ang TNT players.”
Reyes met with Marcial and other league officials via Zoom to present his plans for the upcoming tournament.
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) found itself asking for the PBA’s assistance once again as the Cadets-laden pool that wowed many last year isn’t available. The first batch of Gilas draftees have been released to the league, some have signed with overseas teams, while the rest are locked inside a bubble in their respective universities.
The league’s Board of Governors will hold a meeting to craft a resolution on the matter requested by Reyes.
Reyes, who returned to the PBA last year after being away for nine years, is once again steering the program to take the place of Tab Baldwin, who stepped down from the post to focus on the Ateneo Blue Eagles instead in the UAAP.
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