PBA to SBP: Let's craft a concrete national cage program

TOKYO – With the modified FIBA scheme running smack with the PBA calendar, PBA officials are now pressing the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas to make a concrete long-term national team program or find the best way to move forward.

The PBA board of governors insisted they’re willing to cooperate with the national cage federation but they must work on a new arrangement that is acceptable to all Philippine basketball stakeholders.

“We’re getting back to the old system, and this should not be the case,” said returning PBA board chairman Robert Non in announcing their decision to call on the SBP to come up with a clear program for “the constitution, formation and supervision of the national team.”

“We want a clear program that all stakeholders will agree to,” said PBA president/chief executive officer Chito Salud, adding they’re ready to sit down in a meeting with the SBP.

The PBA board, including representatives from the MVP Group (Talk n Text, Meralco and NLEX), was in unison in the need to craft a concrete program especially with the complete overhaul of the format and calendar of the qualifying events for the FIBA World Championship and the Olympics.

“It starts November 2017. It looks like on a quarterly basis, meaning quarterfinal disruption (to the PBA),” said Salud. “There are solutions to that. There have been several arrangements in the past. We need to revisit that. If not one is acceptable, then the arrangement must be modified. Or we need to find a new one.”

The board is calling for a halt in the pick-up system from the PBA roster.          

“We want to see the SBP plan and we can give inputs,” said Non.

“It should not be pick-up from the PBA every time there’s an international competition. At kapag hindi napagbigyan, mangsisisi. There’s a better way where we can work hand in hand. All teams are willing to cooperate,” Non also said.

Personally, Non is batting for the return of the programs run by Northern Consolidated Cement under coach Ron Jacobs and the original Gilas Pilipinas under coach Rajko Toroman.

“The PBA is amenable not to draft (members of the prospective national pool of amateur players) in the next five years. Or if we draft, there’s a connotation that the player drafted will be made available any time there’s a FIBA competition,” said Non.

To simply put, the PBA wants to help in a manner least disruptive to the league.

“But the willingness and desire to help is there,” Salud stressed.