3x3 awaits go-signal

MANILA, Philippines — PBA 3x3 committee chairman and Alaska governor Dicky Bachmann said yesterday he’s confident that 14 teams will play in the inaugural 3x3 season to start as soon as games are once more allowed in NCR according to the guidelines of the IATF, MMDA, DOH and GAB.  At the moment, 13 teams are confirmed but one more entry has signified it will pay the P2 million joining fee soon.

Alaska has begged off from participating out of delicadeza because of Bachmann’s role as committee chairman. Blackwater will also skip the competition, leaving 10 PBA teams in the cast with three or four “external” squads. Rain Or Shine will play as Sista Super Sealers and NLEX as Cavitex but the eight other PBA teams remain the same. The three confirmed “external” teams are Pioneer Pro Tibay, Platinum Karaoke and Zamboanga Valientes.  Big Boss Cement may be the fourth “external” squad.

Over 25 PBA veterans are in the lineups, including NorthPort’s Jervy Cruz, Sean Manganti and LA Revilla, Cavitex’ Larry Fonacier, TNT’s Almond Vosotros and Lervin Flores, Magnolia’s Pao Javelona, Val Acuna and Joseph Eriobu, Platinum’s Dylan Ababou, Karl Dehesa and Yutien Andrada, Zamboanga’s JR Cawaling, Meralco’s Joseph Sedurifa and Dexter Maiquez, San Miguel Beer’s Louie Vigil, Bacon Austria and Dan de Guzman, Phoenix’ Nico Salva and Michael Gamboa, Ginebra’s Dennice Villamor, Sista’s Prince Rivero and Terrafirma’s Matt Salem and Roider Cabrera. Zamboanga initially named PBA veterans Gabby Espinas, Rudy Lingganay and Mark Cardona in the Valientes roster but struck them out in the latest lineup.  Zamboanga’s cast now consists of Cawaling, Embons Bonleon, David Sebastian, Das Esa and Gino Jumao-as.

“We’ll end up with 14 teams,” said Bachmann. “We’ll wait for the PBA to be allowed to start in NCR again then give the teams two weeks to practice before we’re a go. We plan to hold three conferences, six legs each with games on Saturday and Sunday. Minimum salary is P50,000 a month and maximum is P150,000.”

PBA 3x3 tournament director Joey Guanio said each conference will end with a Grand Finals after six legs. The champion of each leg will receive P100,000, runner-up P50,000 and third placer P30,000. The prize for each Grand Finals champion is P1 million with P350,000 for second place and P150,000 for third. Each team may enlist four to six players.

Fil-foreigners who failed to submit DOJ and BI documents to qualify for the last PBA draft despite holding Philippine passports will be permitted to play as per FIBA eligibility rules. Meralco’s Jason Brickman, Phoenix’ Brandon Ganuelas Rosser and TNT’s Jeremiah Gray are in this list. Brickman, 29, is a two-time NCAA Division I assist leader. Rosser, 26, played for the University of California at Riverside D-1 varsity while Gray, 25, suited up for the Dominican University of California in D-2.