Reading intention

“When you have value, you have control. The thing is, I know my worth, and I refuse to let anyone tell me how to use it. That’s the deal. And you could have that, too.”

– Toya Turner as Sister Mary, “Warrior Nun”

The PBA’s reaction to Thirdy Ravena’s decision to play in the Japanese B.League raised questions about players’ future as professionals. In 2018, the league instituted a ban on draft prospects who skip the Rookie Draft for two straight years. The rule was meant to protect the parity of the league by preventing players from avoiding being drafted by teams they do not want to play for. But this rule was put in place right before playing in other leagues like the MPBL or in other countries was a viable option. Now, the rule deserves re-examination.

The term “draft dodger” was originally coined to refer to young adult American males who evaded mandatory military service enforced by the US government before World War II until 1973. Draft dodgers were considered irresponsible and unpatriotic. This was why Muhammad Ali was vilified and stripped of his boxing license in the prime of his career.

Just like rules school leagues install to prevent student-athletes from transferring to rival colleges, even if it’s to pursue the course they want, it is a question of motivation or intention, which no rule can assume to know completely.

There are rules which may be construed as restrictive, but are for the protection of all parties concerned. Foremost among these rules is the prohibition against playing basketball outside league games. This is to avoid unnecessary risk of injury. After all, you may unknowingly be in a game against someone who is either clumsy or overly rough. There are some players, however, who request exemption. A couple of PBA players have requested to be allowed to play on the national team whenever they want to. In the NBA, players are allowed to participate in charity games – often their own – where nobody plays any defense and it’s all for fun. Michael Jordan famously had a “love of the game” clause, in his contracts, allowing him to play in charity games, or even put on a dunking exhibition before North Carolina games. He even had a covered court constructed beside the set while filming “Space Jam” in 1997.

Towards the 1990’s, the NBA prohibited players from driving motorcycles, jet skis, heavy machinery and the like, since those modes of transportation are considered less safe. Doing so was considered a violation of their contract with the team. This regulation has been imitated by other foreign basketball leagues.

The most well-known case of this was Jay Williams, the excellent Duke guard drafted second overall to Yao Ming in 2002. Williams was like Derrick Rose before Derrick Rose, and was hoped to resurrect the Chicago Bulls in the post-Jordan era. At the end of a disappointing season with a squad of immature rookies, Williams took a joyride on a motorcycle. But instead of pressing on the brakes, he accidentally squeezed the accelerator, wrapping himself around a lamppost. It took two teams of doctors 16 hours to put him back together. His career never recovered. When this writer interviewed him in 2007, he admitted that it was the worst decision he had ever made.

The PBA is at a crossroads. On one hand, they have to protect the quality of play by maintaining parity. It’s only good business. On the other hand, they don’t want to be perceived as trying to “own” players or stunt their growth out of selfish interest. One model that may be informative is the Northern Cement model of the late Danding Cojuangco. The Philippine team forged a gentleman’s agreement with the PBA that its players would not be drafted or hired by any teams in the league for five years. The EDSA revolution caused the players to be conscripted en masse (except for Allan Caidic) as the new San Miguel Beer team at the end of 1986.

Perhaps players who choose to start their pro careers elsewhere can negotiate a time frame in which they will enter the PBA, on a case to case basis. After all, they will bring new knowledge and experience that will also add excitement to the league when they come home.