PBA drafts bubble plans inspired by the NBA

The resumption of training after the downgrade on the lockdown was relief for the professional leagues, as they hope that the five-month wait to return to action.

One such league is the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), in which the teams are already back to work in a reduced capacity, as teams such as Ginebra, Rain Or Shine and Alaska have been the first to hold their workouts.

For both league chairman Ricky Vargas and commissioner Willie Marcial, the second step is now finding their preferred bubble locations. The league saw the success of the NBA bubble as its inspiration.

“Nandito na tayo. May own feeling as part of the Board as chairman, we do not have a choice. May model na e, and the model is the NBA, so we just have go ahead and look forward to the time na maglalaro na tayo whether it’s the NBA way or a more innovative way,” said the former POC president in Tuesday's Philippine Sportswriters' Association Forum.

Marcial said that the Asia's oldest pro basketball league is looking for locations on its bubble plan, with the usual abode of the Araneta Coliseum part of their shortlist, alongside in Pampanga, Batangas and Zambales.

In addition to the aforementioned sites, they are looking also at the INSPIRE Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna but the National University-academy owned facility has been reserved already to Chooks-to-Go 3x3.

“Kung mapapapunta nga sa sinasabi ni chairman na bubble, ipi-present ko sa kanila (Board) yan, ilalatag ko sa kanila at tapos titignan namin kung ano ang pinaka-magandang option,” he said.

Although the Board of Governors are excited about the proposal to resume play, Vargas admitted that it will come with a huge financial cost in addition to the lockdown that already put a strain to the finances of everyone because of the coronavirus pandemic that halted them after only playing just one game into the new season.

“So we will have to look at our own financial kung puwedeng sagutin ng PBA yan or will it be shared within the teams. So these are important issues that we have to discuss in the Board.”

However, he knows that there should not be any time to be wasted as they hope that the sooner the games resume, the better.

“I agree with what Alaska team owner Fred Uytengsu said that there is going to be pressure financially for the team if these goes on for a longer period of time. Not only for the teams, but for the PBA itself,” he added.

“More importantly, we don’t want the PBA’s popularity to lose out also, that we are not doing anything. Our fans could be more aggressive than us and we’d like to satisfy also all of their concerns.”

With the resumption of the league's training, it is a positive step towards tip-off.

“We are ready. This is a very good start, and we are ready to do what we’re supposed to do,” Vargas said.

Photo: PBA