Can the Cebu Gems be making its long-awaited comeback?
If everything lines up perfectly, that should be the case according to multi-titled head coach Marvin Caro.
In a talk with SunStar, Caro revealed that he has a backer in place that would bankroll the participation of a Cebu team in the National Basketball League, which is a regional amateur basketball league that was founded a few years ago as a means to discover talented but unheralded players.
Caro mentioned that he would function as the team’s head coach while former Cebu Gems stalwart and current Cebu City councilor, Dondon Hontiveros, would act as team consultant.
First on their list though, is to ask permission from the Cebuana Lhuillier company for the use of the Cebu Gems moniker, which rose to prominence during the heyday of the defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA).
“We’ll see how this goes. We’ll first see the interest of the Cebuanos in seeing the Cebu Gems play once again. From there, we’ll get the best possible players we can to form a competitive team,” said Caro, who is an assistant coach with Batangas in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League and the National University Bullpups in the UAAP.
The NBL was formed to showcase homegrown players, aged 18–29 years old, and give them an opportunity to show off their skills in the hope of making it to the professional and semi-professional leagues. Its fourth season is expected to unfurl next year. (JNP)