The PBA players in attendance pic.twitter.com/vbUM1zXlLH
— Camille B. Naredo (@camillenaredo) November 14, 2016
MANILA, Philippines – Stakeholders of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) on Monday were one in expressing optimism and hope as the league opens its 42nd season this coming Sunday at the Araneta Coliseum.
Coming off a banner year that saw three different teams rule the three conferences, PBA officials are confident that Season 42 will feature parity and competitiveness among the 12 squads.
"Siguro, ito na ang isa sa pinaka-exciting again na PBA," added Romero, who touted the presence of members of the Gilas Cadets in each team. "We expect na ang PBA, bakbakan lang kami ng bakbakan diyan."
PBA commissioner Chito Narvasa, for his part, stressed a "focus on excellence" on all fronts for this year – from the owners to the players, even to the media and to the fans.
"As for the PBA itself, I have demanded integrity, dedication to our duties, and a relentless desire to look for ways to improve," he said.
The All-Filipino Cup will open on November 20 with defending champion San Miguel taking on the Star Hotshots. The Beermen are gunning for a third consecutive title, and team governor Robert Non says they will again rely on their veteran core to lead the way in their title defense.
"Kailangan talaga ng matinding preparation," said Non. "All of the other teams, nag-build din. Meron kaming rookies, but I don't think prepared na sila. So we will rely on our battle-ready veterans to defend the All-Filipino crown."
The team they played in last season's Finals, the Alaska Aces, are also raring to get back to work after a difficult campaign in the Governors' Cup.
"We had a longer break in the past few weeks," said Alaska governor Dickie Bachmann. "So for this coming season, everyone's healthy and hopefully, we get back to the finals."
Meanwhile, the protagonists of the recent Governors' Cup – Meralco and Ginebra – are also entering the new season with confidence.
"We're very excited," said Meralco alternate governor Ryan Gregorio, who was there in place of Al Panlilio. "We will not have Jimmy Alapag anymore but … Jimmy will be an assistant coach for player development. A lot of excitement for the Bolts this conference."
"It's gonna be hard because we're missing Justin Brownlee, but the players right now learned and believed that they can win," said Ginebra governor Alfrancis Chua. "I hope they can carry it."
Four teams will feature new coaches: NLEX, Star, Rain or Shine, and TNT KaTropa.
"Coming from a very forgettable season last year, there's nowhere to go but up for the Star Hotshots," said Star governor Rene Pardo. "We acquired two good players in the draft – Chris Javier and Jiovani Jalalon, and they're blending well with our new coach, Chito Victolero."
Rain or Shine, meanwhile, will now be handled by Caloy Garcia, while NLEX will be coached by Yeng Guiao.
Given the change in coaches and rosters, as well as the interesting rookie draft, Narvasa is hopeful that they can match, if not surpass, what they were able to achieve in the recent season, especially as teams become more and more competitive.
"I'm hoping that teams like GlobalPort and Phoenix, Mahindra and Blackwater can come in, and we're hoping that they can reach that (championship) level," he said. "If we're able to do that, the more fans the PBA is going to have. 'Yun ang hinahabol namin."
For more sports coverage, visit the ABS-CBN Sports website.
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