PBA teams OK release of key cagers for Asia Cup
TAIPEI – Coach Chot Reyes gets to tap the best and the brightest in the pro league, his SEABA 12 and the core of the Team Gilas competing in the Jones Cup for the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup next month in Beirut.
This developed as PBA commissioner Chito Narvasa announced yesterday that all the PBA teams have agreed to release Gilas pool members to the national team that vies in the Asian meet slated Aug. 8-20 in Lebanon.
“Lahat susuporta dun sa FIBA Asia (Everyone will throw full support in the FIBA Asia campaign),” said Narvasa in a phone conversion with a small group of Filipino sportswriters here.
Narvasa confirmed that June Mar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, Calvin Abueva, Terrence Romeo and Allein Maliksi will be available for national team duty in Beirut.
“All the teams, after explaining (of the schedule and everything, they agreed). They just have to be aware of what’s happening,” said Narvasa on why it took a while before all the teams gave their nod on the Asian meet.
Fajardo, Aguilar, Abueva, Romeo and Maliksi are among 19 PBA players included by Reyes in their 24-man roster from which the Final 12 will come.
Other SEABA campaigners Andray Blatche, Raymond Almazan, Troy Rosario, Jayson Castro, Jio Jalalon, Matthew Wright and RR Pogoy are in the list along with Gabe Norwood, Norbert Torres, Kevin Alas, Baser Amer, Mac Belo, Kevin Ferrer, Chris Tolomia, Carl Bryan Cruz, Bobby Ray Parks, Kiefer Ravena, Kobe Paras and Fil-German Christian Standhardinger.
Narvasa said the PBA ball clubs will release their players to Gilas in accordance with the agreement of the PBA and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas – 60 days before the tourney among the Gilas cadets and 15 days among the PBA veterans.
The PBA will just try to find a way to soften the impact of the conflict of the Lebanon meet with the PBA Governors Cup that fires off today.
“It always affects the PBA whenever there is a change in (FIBA) schedule. We’ll discuss it with (SBP president) Al Panlilio and coach Chot Reyes,” said Narvasa.