No PBA Games Until May: The Explanation

Last week, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) indefinitely suspended all of their activities as a precautionary measure to prevent PBA players, coaches, personnel, media men, and most importantly, the PBA fans, from being infected by the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) which put the entire Metro Manila in community quarantine since yesterday. Initially, the league was hoping to resume in three weeks as long as things are normalizing by then. But given the fact that Metro Manila has been put in a community quarantine and, the fact that the number of those who are affected by the said virus is is still multiplying at an alarming rate, PBA fans, Filipino basketball fans in general,  might wait longer than expected because we might not see our favorite PBA stars next month.

That is according to PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial himself.

While the community quarantine will only last for a month, for now, the earliest that the PBA will be able to open its door to the fans is May as Marcial pointed out that the extra two weeks after the current community quarantine will be ending, will be given to PBA teams to get themselves back into basketball shape. Why? As another precautionary move to prevent the already-fast spreading of the virus, the PBA has directed the teams to stop holding practices during the quarantine period as compliance to the government's directive to avoid gathering a huge number of crowds. 

Originally, May is when the Philippine Cup is already on its closing stages but given our current situation, the season-opening conference might go as far as August. And that if the May resumption happens. If not, that's a different scenario. 

In the end, Marcial pointed out that players who want to stay in shape, are free to do so in gyms but he also stressed that it would be for the safety and health of everyone if the players can do it at home. 

Photo is from ABS CBN Sports