By REYNALD MAGALLON
Innovative, bold and ambitious.
The PBA is trying to break boundaries and norms, even trailblazing a new era in the game of basketball as it hopes to use the upcoming Season 49 to trumpet what would be an even bigger celebration for the league’s golden anniversary next year.
Beginning with the four-point shot, along with a few more tweaks on the league rules, the PBA is living up to the billing as one of the premier entertainment basketball leagues in the world.
“Maraming ,mangyayari sa 49th season na we will try out. We’re starting out with the four point shot we have received 60 percent from the purist bakit nyo gingagwa yon 40 percent comments from the players and others involved that a good way of doing it,” said PBA chairman Ricky Vargas during the Season 49 pre-season press conference on at the EDSA Shangri-La Manila on Wednesday, Aug. 14.
“Matagal nang iniisip ng ibang liga ito. Kahit NBA and FIBA, iniisip nila ito dahil tayo, PBA entertainment basketball tayo,” he added as the PBA is set to become the first league in the world to adopt the four-point shot in an official game.
Apart from the four-point shot, the PBA is implementing a new format to the Governors’ Cup with teams divided into two groups with six teams each.
They will play a double-round robin with the top four from each group battling in a crossover quarterfinals that is now on a best-of-five affair instead of the usual of twice-to-beat and best-of-three series.
“I think the journey of the 50th anniversary begins today on the 49th,” said Vargas.
“It’s a journey, it’s a rephase, it’s not an event, it’s the new PBA for the next 50 years. We begin now, the 49th season,” he added.
On top of the four point line, other rules set to be implemented this conference are the removal of the backboard violation and the restriction of the official suspension.
Players will not anymore be called for a violation if they take a shot from behind the backboard while they will only have 15 seconds leeway for players who got hurt and went down on the court to stand up and resume to action.
Coaches, meanwhile, will no longer be called of a technical foul if they go beyond the hash mark and instead, will on be incurred with a warning on the first violation while a technical on the second.
Moreover, the plan then goes beyond the upcoming conference with the PBA also set to welcome a new guest team for the Commissioner’s Cup. PBA commissioner Willie Marcial shared that the league is already close to coming to terms with Hong Kong Eastern.
