PBA returns to normal

Overseas, provincial games coming up

MANILA, Philippines — Its successful 46th season in the books, the PBA is preparing a stacked three-conference calendar beginning June with possible overseas and out-of-town gigs.

“Maraming activities next season,” commissioner Willie Marcial told The STAR.

Season 47 actually gets off the ground with the re-staging of the Draft Combine for rookie applicants from May 11 and 12 and the actual Rookie Draft on May 15 at the Robinsons Place Manila. Because of the pandemic, the league did away with the Draft Combine the last two years and conducted the Season 46 selection process virtually.

Action officially kicks off on June 5 with the centerpiece Philippine Cup to be followed by two import-flavored tournaments.

During the new season, Marcial said the pro league will participate in the inaugural East Asia Super League, welcome the Hong Kong Dragons guest team to the fold in the middle conference and help out Gilas Pilipinas in its international stints like the Asian Games.

By the third conference, the vision is to bring the games to fans outside Metro Manila.

“Dahan-dahan nating ibabalik yung out-of-town games. Siguro mga one or two and baka maglaro din tayo sa Dubai na matagal nang nagre-request sa atin. Pati yung All-Star baka sa third conference kasi puno tayo sa first two conferences,” said Marcial.

He said the league is aiming to gradually bring back as well its shelved corporate social responsibility endeavors like the Home Court and Campus Tour, where it visits different barangays and schools.

The finer details of the Season 47 program will be finalized this weekend when the Board of Governors sits down in a planning session in Boracay.

The PBA is looking to build on the momentum from its staging of the All-Filipino and the Governors’ Cup and the return of the crowd amid the challenges of the pandemic.

“Roller-coaster itong past two years. Mag-i-start, mawawala. Pero hindi pa rin ako nawalan ng pag-asa na makakabalik tayo,” said Marcial.

After full bubble All-Filipino meets in Clark and Bacolor, the league held the Governors’ Cup in a closed-circuit setup and eventually opened the matches to a live audience. A high of 20,224 spectators turned in for Friday’s Game 6 at the MOA Arena.