Barako’s PBA franchise to go on sale, says team exec

Barako Coffee, Photokina Marketing’s Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) franchise, is willing to sell its spot in Asia’s first play-for-pay league according to board representative Raffy Casiao.

"Is our franchise for sale, well, if one company would avail it for a reasonable price, why not," Casiao told GMANews.TV.

It’s been no secret in the league that Barako Coffee is financially challenged for several years now. And talks about its franchise sale have been swirling around even when the team keeps on winning championships.

The Masters has been feeling the economic pinch for quite some time now and has traded away marquee players one after another through the years. Among them include Kerby Raymundo, Willie Miller, Lordy Tugade, Junthy Valenzuela, Enrico Villanueva, Mick Pennisi, Cyrus Baguio, Larry Fonacier and Celino Cruz, all members of their champion squads from 2001 until 2006.

But Harbour Centre’s entry could turn things around for Barako in the coming PBA Fiesta Conference.

Barako Coffee made a request to the PBA board to allow Harbour Centre to be its partner. The request needs the PBA board’s approval as co-branding is only allowed for regular member teams to maximize marketing exposure of its other existing brands.

Although Barako and Harbour are different entities, they were allowed by the PBA board to become co-brands for the Fiesta Conference provided that Photokina Marketing would still call the shots for the team.

"It was Boss George Chua who approached Mikee Romero and asked him to become the team’s sponsor for the Fiesta Conference. We proposed it to the board and we got their approval provided that we comply with certain requirements," said Casiao.

But is Barako’s new partnership with Harbour a sign that the Masters are about to sell its franchise? Is Barako really for sale?

"Harbour Centre is just a sponsor for our team for the coming Fiesta Conference and I would like to clarify that we are still running the affairs of the basketball team and not the group of Mikee Romero," said Casiao.

Photokina company came as an expansion squad in 2000. The price of joining the PBA at that time was worth P63-million. Aside from this, the team was allowed to elevate members of their champion squad in the Philippine Basketball League (PBL).

Lordy Tugade, Davonn Harp, Jimwell Torion and Junthy Valenzuela were among the players elevated by the Photokina franchise when they entered the PBA. The squad also secured the rights on Allan Caidic, who opted to retire and accepted Barangay Ginebra’s coaching job.

Not one, but two teams for sale
Whether Barako Coffee will stay in the league at the end of the Fiesta Conference or find another company taking over its franchise remains to be seen. The PBA has signified intentions of expanding participating squads from 10 to 12 teams.

"Whether the timing is good or not remains to be seen," added Casiao on the league’s expansion plan.

While Barako Coffee has at least made it open to the public about its present situation, another squad has contemplated on putting its franchise on sale.

A top executive of the league, who requested anonymity, told GMANews.TV that another PBA team is now mulling the possibility of selling its franchise and one of the top companies in the land has expressed interest on acquiring it.

"That’s why this team wants to remain competitive because they want to keep the high value once it will be sold," said the source.. “This will give them a good reason to sell its franchise at a competitive price because they still have good materials on their squad."

Source: Rey Joble  | GMANews.TV

PBA tackles expansion, restrictions on trading

An ambitious expansion plan and the lifting of trade restrictions between Air21 and Talk N Text are some of the matters to be tackled by the board members of the Philippine Basketball Association today.

PBA chairman Lito Alvarez told Standard Today that he had asked commissioner Sonny Barrios to make an audio visual presentation of the league “for potential company applicants.”

Barrios said he had already prepared an AVP and will ask few more recommendations from the other board members.

“We had a ready AVP for the board,” said Barrios. “It was Chairman Lito’s idea. He wants a more professional and more corporate presentation for the interested companies seeking to join the PBA. What should be added in the AVP will be evaluated in the board meeting.”

Alvarez added that the league is looking to add two more franchises next season, which will up the number of participating squads to 12. But he explained that they have yet to identify the two teams qualified to join the country’s premier pro league, this despite unconfirmed reports of Meralco’s interest in entering the PBA.

“We have yet to identify them,” said Alvarez. “As far as Meralco’s participation, I guess the best way for it, if ever they’re really interested, is for them to play first either in the Liga Pilipinas or the Philippine Basketball League. If ever nagustuhan nila ‘yung value ng market of owning a basketball team, then that’s the time they should think entering the pro league.”

Also up for discussion is the trade restrictions imposed on Talk N Text and Air21.

Last season, Air21 decided to carry the name Burger King, one of the companies owned by the Lina Group of Companies. Burger King is a fast-food company jointly owned by Bert Lina, Lito Alvarez, Wilson Young and Manny V. Pangilinan and Ricky Vargas of Smart Communications, which owns Talk N Text.

Pangilinan and Vargas’ involvement with Burger King raised questions from the other board members if the Whopper and the Tropang Texters are sister teams. To avoid conflicting ideas, Alvarez volunteered to have trade restrictions imposed between Burger King and Talk N Text, which won’t be allowed to directly trade players.

Source: Rey Joble  | Manila Standard Today

Burger King hires 2-time dunk champ

A HIGH-FLYING import from the Latin American Basketball League is set to bolster Burger King’s campaign in the coming Philippine Basketball Association Fiesta Conference starting March 20.

LeRoy Hickerson, a slam-dunk champion in the Mexican League, is set to arrive March 10 to join a Whopper team seeking to bounce back from a mediocre campaign in the Philippine Cup. The Whopper were eliminated in the wildcard phase of the ongoing tournament by the Coca-Cola Tigers.

Burger King team manager and PBA chairman Lito Alvarez confirmed the news to Standard Today.

“He played in the Mexican League and James Penny was one among the former PBA players he went up against,” said Alvarez. “Penny’s team got eliminated while LeRoy’s team is still competing in the semifinals.”



Hickerson is a 6’5”, two-time slam-dunk champion in the Mexican LNBP All-Star Game in 2008 and 2009. He worked out with the Memphis Grizzlies last summer and was chosen last year as the Player of the Year, Guard of the Year and Import Player of the Year by Latinbasket.com.

In 41 games last year, Hickerson averaged 19.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.2 steals per game while playing for the Halcones UV Xalapa.

Hickerson will be one among the new faces expected to suit up in a tournament which will be composed mostly of returning reinforcements.

Jason Forte, younger brother of NBA player Jason Forte, is trying out a spot for the Coca-Cola Tigers, while Barangay Ginebra is eyeing an import with an interesting story—Awvee Storey.

Sta. Lucia, Rain or Shine and San Miguel Beer have decided to tap their old reliable reinforcements. The Realtors will bring back Anthony Johnson, the Elasto Painters will parade burly import Jai Lewis anew and the Beermen will count on Gabe Freeman again for their title retention bid.

Meanwhile, two PBA teams —Burger King and Coca-Cola—were invited to play in the His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Almaktoum Cup.

Source: Rey Joble  | Manila Standard Today

Smart Gilas import, Toroman trade barbs

Former Smart-Gilas import Jamal Sampson revealed that the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas-backed squad didn’t honor its obligation to him and failed to pay part of his salary.

Sampson, nephew of National Basketball Association legend Ralph Sampson, wrote to blogger Jaemark Tordecilla his predicament. The import told Tordecilla on his online blog firequinito.com linked to Twitter, a social networking medium, his frustration of not getting his remaining salary, even though he’s still under contract with the squad.

“Under my contract, I got the month of February off, so I’m back home, but still under contract with [the SBP],” the 6’11” Sampson told Tordecilla. “I’m still owed money from December, we are in February now, and I haven’t gotten it all.”

Asked to explain Smart-Gilas and SBP’s side, coach Rajko Toroman said it was Sampson who didn’t honor his commitment and not the other way around.

“He keeps on blaming the SBP for not honoring its commitment with him, but it was he who didn’t honor his commitment,” Toroman told Standard Today. “His commitment is for him to play for us, but he didn’t want to play when we were in Dubai. He told me he was injured, but I didn’t believe him. He was injured and will always be injured. He just doesn’t want to play.”

Sampson said he asked SBP and Smart-Gilas for his release before the start of the Dubai International tournament, but it didn’t allow him. He was forced to play instead despite his injury.

“I tried to play through the injury because I like the guys on the team. They expected me to go out and risk my knee, while I haven’t even been paid from the first month. It’s February right now, and I’m still owed money,” added Sampson, who was hired to replace CJ Giles, now strutting his wares with Lebanon’s Al Riyadi squad.

But Sampson had several more interesting revelations, not just his own, but also his former teammates, whose salaries, he said, are also reportedly delayed.

Source: Rey Joble  | Manila Standard Today

PBA: Gilas strong even sans pros

Two high-ranking officials of the Philippine Basketball Association expressed confidence that the Smart-Gilas national developmental team has a better chance of making it to the Olympics, even without reinforcements from the pro league.

PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios and PBA chairman Lito Alvarez shared the view that the young Gilas squad, bankrolled by businessman/sportsman Manny V. Pangilinan, would only need additional big men to become more formidable against the new powerhouse squads in the region.

“I think they just need an American big man, who can patrol the shaded lane and they’re ready to go,” Alvarez told Standard Today. “Hindi na nila kakailanganin ang PBA players because the system is already in place.”

Barrios agreed with Alvarez’s assessment.

“Baka naman kasi kapag kumuha pa sila sa amin, imbes na makabuti, mapasama pa,” said Barrios. “Kasi nga naman, their players had already sacrificed a lot, tapos kung kukuha pa sila sa amin, baka sumama pa loob nila. Baka makaapekto pa sa team chemistry nila.”

The two PBA executives gave their opinion following reports that Smart-Gilas coach Rajko Toroman signified his intention of tapping Kelly Williams of Sta. Lucia, Jared Dillinger of Talk N Text and Gabe Norwood of Rain or Shine.

“I’d like to believe na publicity lang ’yun because the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas has not furnished us a request. If ever they’re serious about it, then they should formalize their request,” said Alvarez.

Barrios believes that the Smart-Gilas’ strong third-place finish in the Dubai International basketball tournament could be the determining factor as to how the team’s program will go.

“Maybe ’yung request nila asking the PBA to beef up their squad was few months ago, nu’ng hindi pa sila sumasabak sa tournament sa Middle East. I think ‘yung line of thinking nila is iba na at this time. They may have realized na kaya naman pala nila even without the PBA’s help,” added Barrios.

Source: Rey Joble  | Manila Standard Today