THIS IS WHY THE PBA NEEDS TO LIFT THE THREE-YEAR BAN

Barely 24 hours after my take on Jamie Malonzo, news broke that the former DLSU and Ginebra forward has been released by the Kyoto Hannaryz of the Japan B.League. Many people believe he wasted his stint with the Gin Kings and that he is now paying for it.

I somewhat agree, but that is the life of an import.

For years, we have seen players like Tony Harris, Jamelle Cornley, and Billy Ray Bates try to follow the paths of Norman Black, Sean Chambers, and Justin Brownlee in the Philippines. Not everyone can become a Bobby Parks, a legend who made the Philippines his basketball home. There is a darker side to being an import. Talent and hard work are not always enough, because when a team loses, the import usually takes the blame. Sometimes, teams also realize that the player they got is not the player they wanted.

We have seen this many times before, especially with former NBA imports who looked good on paper but failed to deliver. Even the whole Asian imports experiment never really took off in the Philippines, because in truth, Filipino players are better. It is not only about skill but also about how the game is played and understood. In the PBA, the imports who succeed are those who fit into the system, build good chemistry with teammates, and come with a reasonable price tag.

Malonzo simply did not fit Kyoto’s system. With injuries affecting their lineup, the team likely wanted a different type of Asian import who could meet their needs more effectively. From the beginning, Malonzo seemed to struggle with their style of play, so his release feels like an amicable decision for both sides.

That said, I still find the PBA’s three-year ban unreasonable. As a fan, it frustrates me to see the league punish Filipino players for accepting better opportunities abroad. Why hurt their careers when they are only trying to secure financial stability? If the PBA wants to keep players from leaving, then they should address it by improving salary caps instead of limiting their freedom.

Look at Malonzo’s case. Ginebra’s core is aging, and most PBA players are now in their early 30s, which is supposed to be the prime of their careers. Draymond Green is already considered a veteran in the NBA, and he is almost the same age as Stephen Holt. So where does Malonzo go now that his Japan stint is over? If no international team signs him, does he settle for the MPBL? There is nothing wrong with that league, but Ginebra still owns his rights. If they still hold a grudge over his decision to play abroad, they could at least trade his rights to another team that would use him.

The PBA, more than anyone, should understand how difficult it is to be an import. The league has existed for half a century, and it has seen the struggles firsthand. Maybe it is time to raise the salary cap. Some teams may not be able to spend as much as others, but players deserve the freedom to decide where they want to play. Basketball is a five-player game, and the best players will always go to where the best opportunities are.

People often criticize farm teams, but in some ways, they serve a purpose. They help develop players who can later earn bigger contracts once they move to established teams. This is basically like when a good player gets scooped by either the New York Yankees or the Los Angeles Dodgers. This was also true in Malonzo’s journey, from NorthPort to Ginebra. He may have chased bigger dreams, but that should not be treated as a mistake. He believed he had a fallback, and there is nothing wrong with that.

This situation is similar to what happened with Juan Carlos Navarro and Jorge Garbajosa, who both returned to Spain after short NBA stints. It also mirrors the cases of Wang Zhizhi and Yi Jianlian, who went back to China to continue their careers after the NBA. Players go where they can play and where they feel they belong.

I truly hope the PBA reconsiders its decision. If the league truly wants to support Filipino basketball players, it should be a soft landing spot for them instead of the locked gate that keeps them out.