A call to action

Tonight, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) will open its doors to a new breed of stars as it holds its Annual Rookie Draft at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall.

It’s going to be a glamorous — yet emotional — affair for the 128 players as they will formally see the culmination of all their hard work and sacrifices to make it to the most prestigious professional basketball league in the country.

Jason Brickman is projected to be one of the early picks together with former University of the Philippines (UP) standout Juan Gomez de Liaño, 6-foot-10 slotman Geo Chiu, Filipino-Italian scorer Dalph Panopio and former National Collegiate Athletic Association Most Valuable Player Will Gozum.

In short, this year’s draft pool doesn’t lack for talent. It is so deep that sideliners couldn’t predict who will be picked by the franchise that owns the top choice — Terrafirma.

But as the Dyip executives step onto the stage to announce their choice, it will become glaringly obvious that many of the country’s most celebrated collegiate and amateur stars like Kevin Quiambao of De La Salle University and JD Cagulangan of UP will not be around as they had brought their talent overseas. This isn’t just a missed opportunity for the teams that could have drafted them; it’s a symptom of a much larger, troubling trend that puts the future of the league in a precarious situation.

The exodus of top Filipino players to foreign leagues, particularly in Japan, Korea and even Dubai, has become a torrent rather than a trickle. Before Quiambao and Cagulangan took a one-way flight to Korea, players like Dwight Ramos, Kai Sotto, Carl Tamayo, SJ Belangel and Rhenz Abando had all abandoned their PBA dreams for greener pastures abroad.

Their decision to leave wasn’t a swipe at the PBA. It was a clear-eyed acknowledgement of how the global sports market works. If they have the opportunity to earn P2 million to P5 million a month to secure their family’s future, why would they stay in the PBA where they will only earn a maximum of P420,000?

But the “brawn drain” isn’t just about money. It’s based on the players’ desire to face new challenges and get greater exposure on the international stage.

In Japan and Korea, they play as imports, going up against bigger and stronger foreign players everyday in practice and actual games. That’s why whenever Gilas Pilipinas convenes for an international assignment, it is very obvious that Ramos, Sotto, Tamayo and AJ Edu can hold their ground against international stars, proving that they are getting better training and exposure than their PBA counterparts.

Times have truly changed and the PBA needs to adapt.

It should come up with new guidelines to encourage young players, especially from high school and college, to throw their names into the draft pool. It could lower — or completely remove — the minimum age requirement just like in the Euroleague or raise the salary cap to P1 million a month to make it somewhat competitive in the global sports market.

It’s sad to see the PBA — the oldest professional league in Asia — reduced to a secondary destination, a consolation prize rather than the pinnacle of a Filipino basketball player’s career. It’s no longer about basketball; it’s about surviving the fierce competition in the global sports market.

There is no doubt the future of the league is hanging in the balance. The PBA has to make some key adjustments or bear the pain of seeing yet another top prospect pack his bags for another country.