Daily Tribune
PBA commissioner Willie Marcial and Macau team owner Jacky Fung (center) formalize the Black Bears’ entry in the Commissioner’s Cup next month. Also present during the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement are PBA operations director Eric Castro, Macau Black Bears (MBB) delegate Jacque Ruby, MBB president Lukas Peng, PBA vice chairman Alfrancis Chua, The Asian Tournament executive Joe Wang and MBB team manager Mark Dandan.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY OF PBA
The Macau Black Bears Sports Club is finally taking its act to the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
PBA officials and management of the Macau-based ballclub formally signed a Memorandum of Agreement, making the Black Bears as the special guest team in the Commissioner’s Cup set to kick off on 11 March.
The contract-signing was held in Macau on Friday with PBA board vice chairman Alfrancis Chua and commissioner Willie Marcial personally meeting the top brass of the Black Bears, led by president Lukas Peng.
This marks the third time a foreign guest team will be competing in the Commissioner’s Cup after the Bay Area Dragons in Season 47 and Hong Kong Eastern in Season 48.
Marcial said the same concessions given to both Bay Area and Hong Kong Eastern will be applied to Macau
The Black Bears have been a familiar fixture in leagues around Asia.
They previously campaigned in the defunct ASEAN Basketball League, and currently play in the East Asia Super League and the Asian Tournament.
Prolific point guard Damian Chongqui, Omari Peek-Green, Phoenix Shackelford, and 7-foot-6 Sam Deguara are among the familiar figures for the Black Bears.
Garrett Kelly serves as the coach of Macau.
