ON THE surface, the PBA making the entry of Fil-foreign players easier is geared to make the games more exciting and livelier for the fans.
The unexpressed reason? To make up for the outflow of talent that threatens Asia’s first pro basketball league.
“Malakas ang lure ng ibang bansa, like Japan and Taiwan, so the prospect of losing players, who may be future PBA superstars or can immediately make an impact, is there,” claimed a long-time PBA insider.
“In fact, nag-start na exodus,” added the informant. “So ano solution ng PBA? Medyo luwagan na requirements ng Fil-foreigners, specifically Fil-Ams, para mapunuan ‘yung mga nawala at mawawala pa.”
The latter scenario has been realized when PBA Chairman Ricky Vargas and Commissioner Willie Marcial last Tuesday said the rules for Fil-foreigners who want to join the PBA draft have been relaxed.
“We will basically look at Fil-foreigners less stringently now,” said Vargas. “As long as they have Filipino blood and they can get their (Philippine) passport, they are able to come and play for us.”
Before, Fil-foreigners needed to get a Department of Justice affirmation and a Bureau of Immigration certification as additional requirements to be able to apply for the PBA draft.
Said eligibility rules were put in place at the height of the “Fil-Shams” controversies in the late 90’s to early 2000’s but have been deemed moot and academic in these changing times.
“Basta may Philippine passport, puwede na silang mag-apply for the draft,” said Marcial.
“Ang hindi lang puwede sa rule na iyon, ‘yung mga naturalized players natin tulad ni (Marcus) Douthit at (Andray) Blatche.”
That should pave the way for the PBA entry of such high-profile Fil-Am players like Jason Brickman, Jeremiah Gray and Brandon Rosser, who were among those disqualified from last March’s Season 46 draft due to lack of either or both DOJ and BID papers.
But there’s more. According to Vargas, the cap on Fil-for players from each team would be increased to seven from the previous five.
“That way, we will make the PBA exciting and we will bring the world to the PBA. Parang NBA,” Vargas said. “But at the same time, trying to also balance it so that we will be able to give jobs to our players na nandito.”
“Kaya naman five lang ang limit noon para ma-proteks’yonan mga homegrown,” explained Marcial.
“Kung madagdagan man ngayon, at least lamang pa rin ‘yung true-blue Filipino players sa bawa’t team na hanggang 15 ang lineup sa Philippine Cup at 14 pag may import ‘yung conference.”
The PBA’s latest move is totally understandable, according to the insider, since ballclubs cannot hope to at least match the $20,000 (roughly P1 million) salary a player gets for each month of a 10-month season in the Japan B. League.
