PBA should open its doors but…

The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) should open its doors and allow new teams to enter. Just last week, reports surfaced that Starhorse Shipping Lines had expressed its willingness to acquire the Terrafirma franchise.

No official statement has been released, but sideliners claimed that the Quezon Province-based shipping firm, founded in 2008 by businessman Victor Reyes, had already shaken hands with Terrafirma franchise holder Jose Alvarez and team governor Bobby Rosales to the tune of P100 million.

Now, the ball is in the court of the PBA board of governors. Rosales has to solicit its approval for the franchise transfer, which will formally allow the Sea Titans to compete starting next year — the league’s 50th season. Prior to Starhorse, another businessman is reportedly knocking on the doors of the PBA.

Frank Lao, a distinguished restaurateur who runs Strong Group Athletics, is also said to be interested in owning a PBA franchise. Of course, Lao has the technical know-how — and the wealth — to run a professional team that can compete against the big guns of the league.

For the uninitiated, Lao has been spending a fortune to bring in former National Basketball Association (NBA) stars to power his club, Strong Group Athletics, in invitational leagues abroad. In fact, he is responsible for recruiting former NBA stalwarts like Andray Blatche, Dwight Howard, Chris McCullough and Andre Roberson.

In the recent Dubai International Basketball Championship, Lao paraded no less than four-time NBA All-Star DeMarcus Cousins to serve as the cornerstone of the star-studded team, which is composed of the best Filipino players outside the PBA, such as Ange Kouame, Rhenz Abando, Dave Ildefonso, Mikey Williams and National Collegiate Athletic Association Most Valuable Player Justine Liwag.

Aside from Strong Group, Lao has also been supporting a pair of professional volleyball teams, Farm Fresh and Zus Coffee, as well as a number of high school and collegiate squads. He also has a stake in the PBA team Converge, with his son, Jacob, holding an executive position.

So, if Starhorse and Strong Group have the experience and financial muscle to slug it out against the heavyweights of the PBA, why does it appear that they are having a hard time making it into the league?

Well, it is no secret that two conglomerates are at the top of the PBA food chain. San Miguel Corporation (SMC) of industrialist Ramon Ang owns three teams: San Miguel Beer, Barangay Ginebra and Magnolia. Meanwhile, the MVP Group of businessman Manny Pangilinan also has three squads: TNT Tropang Giga, Meralco and NLEX.

The rest of the league is composed of independent teams like Converge, Blackwater, Terrafirma, Rain or Shine, Phoenixt and NorthPort.

In short, the league is designed perfectly, with nobody holding the majority. Both the SMC and MVP blocs don’t have a direct monopoly of power, and they have to reach out and solicit the support of the six independent teams if they want to make decisions that could affect the league.

But accepting new teams isn’t easy. The league also has to protect itself, as well as the players, coaches and staff, by carefully checking the background and financial records of its applicants to ensure that they have a war chest big enough to fulfill what is stipulated in the contracts.

How many times have we seen “professional teams” suddenly folding up without honoring the live contracts of their players? Or squads involved in illegal activities like game-fixing, point-shaving, or other forms of gambling? We don’t want that to happen — not in a league that provides entertainment to Filipinos.

But at the same time, the PBA also has to accelerate its growth. As it enters its golden anniversary, it has to inject a new level of excitement by featuring teams that are not afraid to bang bodies with the big boys of the league, like the Kings and the Tropang Giga. It has to create new rivalries and develop new heroes who will ignite the interest of basketball fans around the world.

Yes, the PBA should open its doors for new teams to enter. However, it has to do so gently — and very carefully — to ensure that no fox can enter the henhouse.