SEOUL, Korea – Nikkhah Bahrami, Fadi El-Khatib, Sam Daghles, Anton Ponomarev, Kim Mingoo, Lin Chi-chieh. Players like them will soon be pounding the PBA hard court.
In a maverick move, the Philippine Basketball Association opens its door to Asian players in its coming season – the milestone PBA Season 40 – in an effort to attract the Asian fans and the Asian advertising market.
“The board agreed to try it for one conference specifically and exclusively for marketing outside the country and within the Asian region,” said PBA board chairman Patrick Gregorio.
“It’s another way of looking at the PBA as the No. 1 professional league in Asia,” added Gregorio, the proponent of the groundbreaking idea.
The PBA introduces the “Asian integration” in the season-ending Governors Cup with the PBA teams allowed one player each with a height ceiling of 6-foot-4.
Asian recruits will be on top of the regular imports playing in the season-ending Governors Cup. Ineligible are naturalized Asian players.
“It’s optional. And why 6-4? It’s the average height of Filipino players,” said PBA commissioner Chito Salud.
“But it’s still tentative. Everything will be finalized as the governors cleared things with their principals (team owners),” Salud added.
The board chairman, however, is convinced his proposal would help the league increase its fan base and firm up its stature as the No. 1 pro league in Asia.
“Imagine if you recruit Korean players. I heard Korean population in the Philippines has hit a million,” Gregorio said.
“We want to showcase the league in the region. We’re reaching out as we target big sponsors in the region like Samsung and LG,” Gregorio also said.
Blackwater team owner Dioceldo Sy and Ginebra board representative Alfrancis Chua – a multi-titled coach in the defunct PBL – remembered the mania brought by the participation of former Chinese star Ma Jian in the PBL in the 90s.(pr)
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