By REYNALD MAGALLON
The PBA hopes to welcome the 49th Season not only with a touch of beauty and glamour but also with bolder innovations in its great desire to restore the luster and popularity of the league.
The PBA is set for its return to action with the Season 48 Leo Awards rolling out the red carpet to the Season 49 opening rites at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday, Aug. 18.
Looking back at the colorful season, the league is set to honor the outstanding players from the last year, highlighted by the awarding of the 48th Season Most Valuable Player at 4 p.m. before the parade of teams featuring their lovely and beautiful muses at the 5 p.m.
Raising the curtain to the Season 49 action is the clash between strong title contenders Magnolia and Meralco at 7:30 p.m. before an expected huge crowd especially with opening day tickets are priced at only P49.
At the Leos, all eyes should be on seven-time Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel as he looked to be on pace of bagging an unprecedented eighth MVP plum although teammate CJ Perez and Terrafirma’s
Christian Standhardinger are out to play spoiler to the Kraken’s historic night.
Olympic and sporting beauties as well as beauty queens and celebrities grace the hardcourt as they join their teams in the opening ceremonies that also featured performances from popular singer-songwriter Arthur Nery, rapper Heb Avi and actress Angeli Khang.
Singer-actress Julie Anne San Jose is back as one of the muses, having been part of Magnolia last year, although this time, she will be with Barangay Ginebra.
Olympian Aleah Finnegan will be the muse of Meralco while volleyball star Jema Galanza will be parading with Phoenix. NorthPort, meanwhile, will be with figure skater Charmaine Skye Chua as San Miguel will feature two-time SEA games medalist in karate Jamie Lim.
Other teams tapped beauty queens and celebrities with Blackwater to be joined by Miss World Philippines 2024 Krishnah Gravidez, Converge by streamer, host and model Myrtle Sarrosa, and Magnolia by actress and model Rere Madrid, the rumored partner of Gilas Pilipinas big man Kai Sotto.
NLEX will be with host and beauty queen Inday Fatima, Rain or Shine with beauty queen Sophia Bianca Santos, Terrafirma with pageant icon Annabelle Mcdonnel and TNT with its last year’s muse and Eat Bulaga host Atasha Muhlach.
Meanwhile in the opening game of the season, the Bolts and the Hotshots are getting the chance to be the first one to test the new playing field that now features a four-point line – the first time to be implemented as part of an official game in all of history.
An interesting sidelight as well is who will become the first player to ever hit a four-pointer with Magnolia boasting a slew of long range bombers led by Paul Lee and Meralco has the likes of Chris Newsome and Allein Maliksi as well.
The Bolts, the Philippine Cup champions, are also welcoming back Allen Durham and will be pitted against a retooled Hotshots that not only added sophomore big man Zav Lucero during the offseason but also has tapped NBA caliber import Glenn Robinson III as import.
