PBA bares calendar for 2005 season

After the 2004-05 transition season, the Philippine Basketball Association holds its first regular season under its revised calendar starting with the import-laced tourney kicking off Oct. 2 at the Araneta Coliseum.

The PBA has drawn its 2005-06 calendar of activities, tentatively scheduling its annual All-Star festivities on Nov. 24-27 and the second conference starting the first Sunday of March.

Being considered to host the All-Star Week are Laoag, Palawan and Lucena. Cebu hosted last year’s All-Star event with the North squad whipping the South team.

Laoag City Mayor Mike Fariñas has verbally expressed their intention to host the event to PBA technical chief Perry Martinez. Quezon Governor Willie Enverga, meanwhile, made known their own intention to host the event to PBA commissioner Noli Eala.

PBA operations chief Rickie Santos said they’re still studying the requirements to be presented to the prospective host bidders.

Santos also said they’ve yet to finalize the schedule of games in the first conference which is to feature imports with a height ceiling of 6-foot-6.

The PBA scheduled the reinforced conference ahead of the All-Filipino tourney this season with the belief that the teams would have easier time recruiting talented imports during this period when the NBA and other major leagues abroad are off.

Despite the exit of Shell, the league is employing practically the same format as in the previous tourney. The nine teams figure in a double round-robin affair in the classification phase with the top two teams automatically advancing to the semifinals and the rest to clash in wildcard battles.