MANILA, Philippines — Once again, the ugly, underground practice of PBA players playing in unsanctioned games has resurfaced. The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters have cracked the whip on Beau Belga and Rey Nambatac. Belga and the NLEX Road Warriors’ JR Quinahan were involved in a brawl in a game in Cebu early this week. The Magnolia Hotshots’ Jio Jalalon and the NorthPort Batang Pier’s Robert Bolick were also reportedly there. Jalalon has since been docked half a month’s pay. Granted, the conference had just ended, and the teams are in for a long off-season. Still, the athletes in question are bound by their Uniform Players’ Contracts (UPCs), which are strong legal documents.
Let’s be clear. This practice has been going on for as long as players have been paid to play basketball in this country. In 2007, this writer played in a celebrity fund-raising game for a university, against their varsity team, which was reinforced by a couple of alumni. One of the reinforcements was a past NCAA Most Valuable Player who was already playing in the PBA. (Most recently, said player has been seeing action in the MPBL.) The noble intentions of the game notwithstanding, the player in question was not permitted to risk injuring himself, as he was already an asset of a professional team.
In the US and other countries, basketball players have many restrictions built into their contracts for their own protection. They are forbidden from engaging in activities which may cause them physical harm, like operating heavy machinery or driving motorcycles or even jet skis. Michael Jordan was the first recorded exception to the ironclad exclusivity of a contract, as he had a “love of the game” clause built into his pact with the Chicago Bulls. It basically rendered him free to play the game whenever he felt like it. For sure, Bulls management was praying that he would never get hurt doing so.
The most notable violator of these restrictions was Duke University’s Jay Williams. Williams, a 6’2” guard, was the second overall pick of the 2002 NBA Draft, behind only Yao Ming. Think about that. He was supposed to be the next big star of the rebuilding Chicago Bulls after Jordan. At the end of his rookie season, Williams rode a motorcycle (in violation of his contract), accidentally squeezed the accelerator instead of the brake, and violently wrapped himself around a lamp post at full speed. It took two teams of doctors 16 hours to put him back together. His career was all but over. When this writer interviewed him a few years later, he said it was the biggest mistake he had ever made.
When an athlete signs a playing contract, it is a commitment. He or she is getting paid much more than the average person to play exclusively for that team. The player is committing his value to the team. Even in Europe, where most teams play in two leagues at the same time, a player can only play for one team. Even if it was an alumni league, or the player’s own charity game, even in the off-season, they must, at the very least, procure written permission to play elsewhere. Even during lockouts, NBA players must get written permission from the league and their mother teams before playing in exhibitions anywhere else. Or else, they can only – at most – do drills or conduct clinics. Hmm, sounds familiar.
What does it mean when a player plays outside of the limitations of his or her contract? First, they don’t respect their team, their league, or their contract. They’re doing it for the extra pay, which may be a good amount, but one that will definitely not replace their regular income or bonuses from the PBA. It is irresponsible to risk injury for a meaningless exhibition, more so against imports who could seriously hurt you. And to even be involved in an on-court fight is the height of unprofessionalism.
Lastly, it is supremely ignorant to think that you won’t get caught. Everybody in the gym has a camera in their phone, genius. Everyone there has multiple social media accounts. Did you seriously think you weren’t going to be photographed or recorded? Were you that arrogant, or did you believe that you were untouchable? If you aren’t satisfied with your pay, renegotiate your contract. If you want to play more, your team can arrange scrimmages or tune-ups. Don’t be an idiot throwing away the job that millions of your countrymen wish they had. You’re insulting everyone who respects and admires you.