MANY basketball promoters have tried and failed to create a community basketball league in the country the past years.
The most notable so far that has produced numbers of Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) stars was ABS-CBN backed Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA) back in the late 1990’s.
I was already the deputy sports editor of SunStar Cebu at that time and I still remember how the Cebu Gems mesmerized the local basketball fans.
However, in less than five years the MBA folded up as ABS-CBN pulled out from the league.
Last year, our boxing senator Manny Pacquiao started the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) with only six teams in their pre-season in September.
When the inaugural Anta Rajah Cup opened in January this year ten teams participated until April. It was a rousing success with the Batangas City Athletics winning the crown.
The first conference was so successful that league commissioner and former PBA superstar Kenneth Duremdes has accepted 16 more teams. From 10 teams to 26 teams in the second conference is very, very impressive.
The second conference will open on June 12 with the 26 teams divided into two divisions, the North and the South.
Teams in the Northern Division are the Bataan Risers, Batangas City Athletics, Bulacan Kuyas, Caloocan Supremos, Imus Bandera, Manila Stars, Muntinlupa Cagers, Navotas Clutch, Pampanga Lanterns, Parañaque Patriots, Quezon City Capitals, San Juan Knights, and Valensuela Classic.
For the Southern Division, teams joining are Bacoor Strikers, Basilan Shooters, Cebu City Sharks, Davao Occidental Tigers, GenSan Warriors, Laguna Heroes, Makati Skycrapers, Mandaluyong El Tigre, Marikina Shoemasters, Pasay Pirates, Rizal Ankle Breakers, and Zamboanga Vallentes.
ABS-CBN is once again the media partner of this league. It covered the first conference live in its Sports and Action Channel. I saw some of the matches and was impressed. The venues were full and the games were exciting.
Senator Paquiao and ABS-CBN must have learned from the failures of the MBA. Although the MBA was also a great success in its first season, hopefully, MPBL will not commit the same mistakes the MBA did that resulted to its demise.
According to the Wikipedia page of the league, MPBL will not actually play their matches nationwide. They have specific venues to play the games. They have identified 11 playing venues and all of them are in Luzon.
That is a wise idea as a home and away format would kill the league.
Imagine the costs for the teams to go to Basilan, Davao Occidental and Cebu to play their games. It would be a logistical headache for ABS-CBN to cover the games outside Luzon.
As Senator Pacquiao said during a press conference, the MPBL does not intend to compete with the PBA. That was the mistake of the MBA. It was created to compete against the PBA.
MPBL was created to give jobs to hundreds of basketball hopefuls and talented players who failed to land a contract in the PBA. MPBL will also give young players a chance to show off their talents and get noticed by scouts or managers to get shots in the PBA sweepstakes.
Teams also should have guidelines on players’ salary. The mistake of the MBA to give outrageous salaries to players should not happen or else the league would end up like the MBA.
(l.biantan@gmail.com)