Gilas future depends on SBP plan – Chua

WITH the historic Asian Games gold medal run in the just-concluded men’s basketball tournament, the next question now is will the San Miguel Corp. (SMC) bloc continue supporting the Gilas Pilipinas team in future international competitions?

Gilas team manager Alfrancis Chua, who serves as SMC sports director, shared that the first thing all basketball stakeholders will have to do at this point is go back to the drawing board and check their respective schedules.

Tim Cone celebrates with members of GIlas Pilipinas AFP PHOTO 

For one, the PBA, according to Chua, already made its own sacrifices by taking a five-month break from competition to give way to Gilas’ participation in the 2023 FIBA World Cup and the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

The PBA also moved its supposed Season 48 opening from October 15 to November 5.

“When we were there (in Hangzhou), I’ve been telling them (Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas officials) that we have to play now, especially on what’s coming up. We have to check the schedules of the PBA, which we all know will run smack with the schedule,” Chua said in a press conference held at the PBA office in Libis, Quezon City on Monday, October 9.

The Philippines is bracketed in Group B with New Zealand, Chinese Taipei, along with Hong Kong in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup, which will be played across three windows beginning in February 2024. The other windows will be held in November 2024, and February 2025 in a home-and-away format.

Chua stressed that asking the PBA again to lend its players won’t work since the pro league’s own tournament will be ongoing at that point.

“If we are going to ask for PBA players again, that won’t work because we have our own league going on at that point,” said Chua, who has been the PBA’s most successful sports official after building champion teams with San Miguel, Ginebra and Magnolia, three squads that are under the SMC umbrella.

PBA chairman Ricky Vargas said given this dilemma, a basketball summit should be the next step to ensure all stakeholders, referring to the PBA, along with collegiate leagues like the UAAP and NCAA, could work well and map out a specific plan with the SBP.