Marcial: Imports’ height limit stays

The Philippine Basketball Association has no plan of changing the height limit among imports who will see action in the Commissioner's Cup in October.

PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said the 6-foot-9 height limit will stay despite an uproar from some quarters, including a former import in Lester Prosper.

"It's final," Marcial said.

"It was already decided by the PBA board of governors."

Prosper, a journeyman who saw action for San Miguel Beer and Terrafirma, reacted to the prescribed 6-foot-9 height limit, which is a shade lower than the 6-foot-10 limit used in the previous staging of the Commissioner's Cup last year.

Prosper took to social media his appeal, saying that reinstating the 6-foot-10 height limit will bring back some familiar faces – including himself.

"PBA, please keep the height (limit) at 6-foot-10, so we can keep the familiar faces and some new faces in the city," posted Prosper on his social media page.

"Manila is like New York City of basketball in Asia. I love coming to your country. You change this rule, I'm going to be away from my friends and people who have helped life me up spiritually in times that I needed them."

Prosper became endeared to Filipino fans when he started reaching out to the community, doing basketball clinics for free and connecting with them the closest possible way he can.

Aside from Prosper, several notable names are expected to be left out because of the new height limit like Nick Rakocevic and potential import Ange Kouame.

Rakocevic, the Serbian-American reinforcement, led Magnolia to a semifinals stint in last year's campaign of the same tournament.

Kouame, the 6-foot-10, naturalized player of Gilas Pilipinas, will start playing as import of Rain or Shine for the William Jones, but because of the height limit, he won't be eligible to play.