The PBA board assured that the Philippine national men’s basketball team’s preparations for the upcoming FIBA World Cup qualifiers will not be affected by the ongoing conflict among its members as they vowed to resolve the issue in a meeting this month.
The five PBA board members who still support PBA commissioner Chito Narvasa on Friday called for a ceasefire with the other seven members who do not endorse him anymore.
The PBA board will meet in its annual planning session on November 14 in the United States where they aim to find a solution to the issues surrounding Narvasa’s tenure.
“With the best interest of the league in mind, we have come to an agreement to reach out to the other members of the Board to resolve this impasse as a collegial body, not as individuals, to maintain the integrity of the PBA and protect the interest of fans nationwide,” the PBA’s minority bloc composed of San Miguel, Ginebra, Star, Kia and GlobalPort said in a statement.
They also reaffirmed their commitment to Gilas Pilipinas which in three weeks will play its first game in the six-window home-and-away World Cup qualifiers.
“All five teams composed of San Miguel Beer, Barangay Ginebra, Star Hotshots, Globalport and Kia Picanto will also continue to make available its players to the Philippine team that is preparing for the Fiba-Asia World Cup qualifier and other league functions. We believe this should not be adversely affected by the board members’ differences in opinion,” the statement said.
“We reiterate that we are doing this to protect the league we all love, the game of basketball and the millions of fans who continue to support us.
“We still believe we are capable of being better-as a group. We are still, after all, composed of people who uphold values and principles that made this league great through the years.”
On Thursday, members of the PBA board argued over Narvasa’s tenure as commissioner. Seven of them–TNT, NLEX, Meralco, Phoenix, Alaska, Rain or Shine and Blackwater–retracted their support due to “loss of confidence”.
Last week, he approved a controversial trade that allowed the powerhouse San Miguel squad to land the No.1 pick from Kia and select Filipino-German Christian Standhardinger in the PBA Rookie Draft.
But the remaining board members rallied behind Narvasa who said that he won’t step down unless a proper procedure is determined.
