THOUGHTS | ASIAN PLAYERS AS PBA LOCALS

With the rise of the Metropolitan Basketball Association came the Fil-Am invasion.

This was when the PBA and the MBA competed for the best talent.

With the MBA offering PBA discards and benchwarmers more playing time, while also giving top collegiate players a chance to make an even bigger impact when they turned pro, the PBA had to step up its game to compete for the best talent. This wouldn't have been a problem if the MBA hadn't raided PBA lineups, luring the likes of Ato Agustin, Bong Ravena, Vince Hizon, Bonel Balingit, Peter Naron, Jojo Lim, Eugene Quilban, and Bong Alvarez to the rival league with the promise of becoming superstars and landing big-time contracts.

But the MBA didn't just dismantle PBA rosters. It also managed to snag some of the best college players, including Romel Adducul, Christian Calaguio, Ronald Magtulis, Dale Singson, Ralph Rivera, Eddie Laure, and others. On top of that, the league was able to attract Fil-Ams by offering more relaxed eligibility requirements. Among those who made the move were Alex Compton, Matt Mitchell, Jeffrey Flowers, Chris Clay, Dorian Pena, Cid White, Dean Labayen, and Rob Wainwright.

Basically, the PBA was no longer the undisputed top basketball league in the Philippines, and it wasn't about to share the spotlight with the upstart MBA without a fight.

So, apart from relaxing its player acquisition rules, the PBA also gave its teams their own share of Fil-Ams, allowing each team to directly recruit one player to help offset the loss of some of its stars.

However, this proved to be a double-edged sword, as the PBA was eventually plagued by Fil-Shams. We don't really know which players were truly fake Filipino Americans, but the likes of Sonny Alvarado, Al Segova, and Robert Parker entered the league as saviors and left unceremoniously as shams.

But here's the thing about the Fil-Am invasion. Yes, some of these players performed like imports, but others simply got lost in the spotlight.

So, what the hell am I saying here?

Well, over the past few years, the PBA has found itself in a bind once again, with some of the best amateurs choosing to play in Korea and Japan instead. On top of that, the league has been at odds with its fans over its current system. Some teams are simply better positioned than others, and unless those struggling franchises receive serious backing from major business conglomerates, we have serious doubts about the other teams' future.

Thus, the farm teams.

But here's the thing: the PBA has something in its hands right now that could change everything.

The Macau Giant Pandas are the third guest team to play in the Commissioner's Cup, as well as the only guest team to compete in the Governors' Cup.

With two consecutive PBA conferences under their belt, you'd think they'd have endeared themselves to the Philippine basketball community.

Well, they didn't.

In fact, their trashy gameplay and the way they handled their basketball operations left a bitter taste in the PBA's mouth. Things got so bad that even before Macau played its final game, Commissioner Willie Marcial had already decided that the team wouldn't be invited back to the PBA.

Personally, I think an outright ban would be more appropriate. But the fact that the Commish has already ruled out their return without officially giving them the ban suggests that he considers Macau's presence unworthy of another chance at redemption.

To put it gently, Macau isn't as par compared to the league's lowest of the low.

However, despite the team's mediocrity, there's still a silver lining. As a farewell gift after all the hell he endured, Kobey Lam exploded for 49 points in his final game. Over his last three games, the former Bay Area and Hong Kong Eastern star averaged 33 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 5.7 assists.

Lam is the only guest-team player to have appeared in three consecutive PBA seasons, although he missed the 2026 Commissioner's Cup.

So, here's my question: If Lam is willing to put in the time and effort to play in the PBA, could he be allowed to compete as an Asian local?

Hmmm...

I know the term Asian local sounds a bit odd, but we've already seen Filipino players move to Korea and Japan. And yes, the PBA stands for the Philippine Basketball Association, but Korea, Japan, and China also have their countries' names in their respective league names. Yet, they allow foreign players and Asian imports to compete throughout their playing calendars.

Maybe it's time for the PBA to consider allowing Asian players to compete across all three conferences.

Some might argue that we already have an All-Filipino conference, which is meant for pure Filipinos. However, it's technically called the Philippine Cup now. This means the league could simply adjust its rules to accommodate Asian players in the other conferences, or even reconsider the restrictions governing the Philippine Cup.

Look, there are players across Southeast Asia and other parts of Asia who would jump at the chance to play in the PBA. Players from Thailand, for instance, might appreciate the level of competition here, as well as the compensation that some of our own players seem to take for granted.

Unlike in the Philippines, basketball isn't the top sport in these countries. So, aside from how much players are appreciated, their monetary compensation is also different. This could also give struggling teams a chance to become more competitive.

After all, not every Asian player would want to join a championship contender only to spend most of his time warming the bench.

I mean, who wouldn't want to see Chanatip Jakrawan and his goofy taunting go up against Calvin Abueva?

And what about Freddy Ibrahim?

Sure, we could argue that these players would learn our style of basketball and bring those lessons back to their respective FIBA squads. But the same could be said of Jericho Cruz, who has experience playing international ball as a member of the Guam National Team.

And I know we've already experimented with Asian imports, including Lee Gwan Hee, Rodrigue Akl, Mohammad Jamshidi, Michael Madanly, and Sanchir Tungalag. This time, however, they'd be playing as locals.

That would mean going through the draft and following the same rules as every other PBA player under contract. They wouldn't be free to play in other tournaments without the league's permission, either.

I doubt Jenning Leung, Damian Chongqui, and Ramon Cao could have pulled off what they did when they abandoned Macau to join other teams if they had been playing under local contracts.

As for the players who might lose their spots, well, that's where the MPBL comes in as the country's other professional basketball league.

Personally, I'd like to see the MPBL feature more players who are ready to compete at a professional level, rather than some of the players currently in the league who are either too raw for televised games or, in the worst cases, vulnerable to game-fixing schemes.

One of the PBA's biggest problems is that it has remained in its own bubble for far too long, even as opportunities arise to improve Philippine basketball's international standing.

This could be our chance to experience what it's like to bring more international stars into Philippine basketball, not just as guest players who come and go, but as regular members of the league.

And in some ways, the PBA wouldn't necessarily be hurting other leagues by doing this. It could actually help Asian basketball grow, especially with ASEAN countries either on the rise or experiencing developmental roadblocks. Other Asian leagues, including those in Arab countries, could also benefit from greater opportunities for their players, particularly when circumstances at home make it difficult to sustain their competitions.

I guess, more than just bringing in guest teams, the influx of new challenges could be exactly what Philippine basketball needs to take things to the next level.