PBA 40th season fires off at Phl Arena
President Noynoy Aquino will be represented by Secretary Joel Villanueva on the special occasion tipped to draw a crowd of over 50,000 in the spanking, new venue on the eastern shoulder of the North Luzon Expressway.
It’s a fitting venue for this mammoth event, a grand season opener marked by the entry of three new ball clubs, including one bannered by sports icon Manny Pacquiao.
Another highlight is the presentation of Gilas Pilipinas which made the nation proud with its riveting performance in the FIBA World Cup in Spain last month.
PBA Season 40 will be declared open by league board chairman Patrick Gregorio then hostilities begin with the keenly awaited match-up between newcomers Kia Motors and Blackwater Elite.
Pacquiao has promised to take a break from his training for his coming fight with Chris Algieri to play in this particular game and finally live his dream of competing as a PBA player.
The entry of Kia Motors and Blackwater, and NLEX’s takeover of Air21 have made the PBA a 12-team league, adding importance to the league’s 40th anniversary celebration.
The NLEX Road Warriors, a dominant franchise in the PBA D-League, make their own PBA debut against the Globalport Batang Pier on Tuesday over at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
As for the mainer in today’s inaugurals, crowd darling Barangay Ginebra tangles with former Philippine Cup three-peat champ Talk n Text.
The opening ceremonies, also graced by a bevy of beauties serving as muses, start at 1:30 p.m. followed by the Kia-Blackwater tiff at 3:00 p.m. then the Ginebra-Talk n Text setto at 5:15 p.m.
The Kings and the Tropang Texters are considered among the teams to watch this season along with reigning four-peat champ Purefoods Star (formerly San Mig Coffee), Rain or Shine, San Miguel Beer and Alaska Milk.
In last year’s all-Filipino tourney, the Kings made it to the semifinals while the Texters were stopped by eventual champs the San Mig Coffee Mixers in the quarterfinals.
Both made some improvement in their lineups with Ginebra acquiring Joseph Yeo and rookie Rodney Brondial and Talk n Text enlisting top draftees Kevin Alas and Matt Ganuelas along with former star Jay Washington.
A bigger change at Tropa is the elevation of Jong Uichico from assistant coach to head coach with a consultant in Tab Baldwin.
Both teams are eager to make significant strides as the Kings have been without a crown for seven years now while the Texters have sunk down after being the league’s premier team with five crowns from 2008-2013.
It’s an exciting match-up pitting Greg Slaughter, Japeth Aguilar, Mark Caguioa, LA Tenorio and Mac Baracael against Kelly Williams, Jay Washington, Larry Fonacier, Jayson Castro and Ryan Reyes.
Uichico has said Ranidel de Ocampo and Jimmy Alapag would get some more rest after their strenuous stint with the national team during the PBA offseason.
On Tuesday, Rain or Shine and San Miguel Beer clash at 7 p.m. to accompany the GlobalportNLEX tussle at 4:15 p.m.
The following day also at the Big Dome, the Purefoods Star Hotshots start their chase for a fifth straight crown as they square off with the Alaska Milk Aces at 7 p.m. The Meralco Bolts and the Barako Bull Energy play in the 4:15 p.m. curtain-raiser.
Special arrangements have been made to avoid traffic problem in going to the Philippine Arena located between the Marilao and Bocaue NLEX exits going to Baguio.
Kia, in coordination with Jam Liners, offers free rides to the playing venue and back to Manila.