PBA makes key adjustments

The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is making some adjustments to adhere to the clamor of fans and adjust to the globalization of the game.

PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said they will continue to get a taste of international action as they affirmed their participation in the East Asia Super League (EASL) and the Basketball Champions League (BCL) Asia.

Marcial said that the PBA board of governors is already in talks with EASL chief executive officer Henry Kerins about the schedule of the local clubs who will represent the league in the prestigious tourney.

Last year, the TNT Tropang Giga and Meralco represented the league. Although they suffered an early exit, the Bolts are using the experience they gained in their PBA campaign as they made it all the way to the Philippine Cup best-of-seven finals series against San Miguel Beer.

Prior to that, EASL powerhouse Bay Area Dragons played as a guest team in 2022 in which it pushed Barangay Ginebra to the limit before surrendering the Commissioner’s Cup title.

Marcial said talks are ongoing and he expects their teams to use the EASL to raise their level of play.

“We’re going to have a meeting next week to talk about the schedule and which teams will join, how the tournament format will be and how to help. But at least we are okay with the EASL,” Marcial said.

Aside from the Filipinos, also joining the upcoming EASL season are the Ryukyu Golden Kings and Hiroshima Dragonflies of the Japan B. League, Busan KCC Egis and Suwon KT Sonicboom from the Korean Basketball League, and the New Taipei Kings and Taoyuan Pauian Pilots from the P. League+ in Chinese Taipei.

Marcial also confirmed the league’s commitment to joining the BCL Asia next season.

“The PBA will join the BCL Asia in 2025,” Marcial said, adding that they were supposed to make their commitment last year but they had a very busy calendar due to their hosting of the FIBA Basketball World Cup and participation in the 19th Asian Games.

In preparation for the EASL and BCL Asia, Marcial stressed that they have decided to remove the height limit of imports who will see action in the next Commissioner’s Cup.

With the height limit of 6-foot-9 among reinforcements gone, elite big men like 6-foot-11 Dwight Howard, 6-foot-11 Andray Blatche, 7-foot-4 Tacko Fall, and seven-footer Thon Maker are expected to get hired.

He also floated the idea of giving teams the go-signal to hire two imports while inviting a guest team to join the reinforced conference, similar to what they did in 2023 when the Dragons and the Kings attracted a record-breaking crowd of more than 54,000.

“As of now, teams can have imports at any height for the Commissioner’s Cup. The board approved my proposal of no height limits for imports,” Marcial said.

“We could see two imports in each team since a guest team could field two imports as well. Even if the guest team joins or not, the idea can be done.”