Saving the All-Star Game

The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) will not be holding its All-Star Game this year due to “security concerns” in the host province — Davao.

Well, we understand where the league is coming from.

At this point, the local leaders of Davao are in crisis mode following the detention of their political patriarch — former President Rodrigo Duterte — at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands. Understandably, it’s really tough to throw one big party if the host is stressed out.

But the All-Star Game is more than just a spectacle — it’s a tradition. It’s an annual conclave that gives players a chance to take a short pause so they can give back and bring joy to their legion of fans.

Recently, part of the All-Star festivities was an outreach activity where less-fortunate fans got to mingle with their basketball heroes before walking away with a bagful of rice, canned goods, soap and a heart full of golden memories.

The All-Star Game started in 1989 when the league’s popularity was at its peak. At the time, Benjie Paras was a red-hot rookie from the University of the Philippines while fresh faces like Alvin Patrimonio, Jojo Lastimosa and Jerry Codiñera were preparing to take over from the old guards like Philip Cezar, Ramon Fernandez and Hector Calma.

It was only fitting that the game ended in thrilling fashion with the Veterans eking out a thrilling 132-130 victory over the Rookies, Sophomores and Juniors (RSJ), much to the delight of the thousands of fans who trooped to the Philsports Arena to witness the passing of the torch from one group of stars to another.

Since then, the All-Star Game has become a red-letter day for players and fans alike.

Over the years, the league has done a tremendous job keeping fans at the edge of their seats. They switched the format from the RSJ versus the Veterans to North versus South, and the National Team versus PBA Stars. The PBA even took a page from the National Basketball Association playbook by tapping the top vote-getters to serve as team captains who will assemble their own teams.

The All-Star game had become a must-watch annual event that the league cancelled only twice in 36 years. The first time was in 2002 due to the players’ participation in the Busan Asian Games and the second was during the pandemic from 2020 to 2022 when all league activities were stopped.

That’s why it’s truly odd for a league like the PBA to shelve an activity that brings so much joy and hope to its supporters. It didn’t only stop a spectacle, it doused fuel on the speculation that its fan base is crumbling.

On the surface, dropping the All-Star Game due to the absence of an organizer looks logical. But as far as the optics and imaging are concerned, it’s a major blow as it gives the league the ugly reputation that it is no longer as marketable as it used to be, especially with the best players now taking their talents to countries like Japan and South Korea.

But can the All-Star Game still be saved? Yes, definitely.

Instead of looking for a local organizer in the province, why doesn’t the league hold it at the historic Rizal Memorial Coliseum — the venue that hosted the first-ever game of its precursor in the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association?

Remember that just a few months ago, the league celebrated its 50th anniversary. The celebration was highlighted by the unveiling of 10 new members of the 50 Greatest Players, as well as an encounter between the league’s pioneer teams in San Miguel Beer and Meralco at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

Isn’t it just fitting — and nostalgic — to hold the All-Star Game in the venue that is considered the birthplace of the league using the old format and wearing retro jerseys? And to spice things up, why doesn’t the league invite the stars of yesteryear, including Elmer Cabahug, the Cebu-based sniper who emerged as the first-ever Most Valuable Player of the All-Star Game in 1989?

You see, having no host province isn’t really a major setback for the staging of this year’s All-Star Game. There are a lot of ways to hold it — only if the league would be creative and sincere in its goal of recognizing the top achievers while putting a smile on the faces of its loyal supporters.