THE PBA Philippine Cup will serve as the swan song of the Terrafirma franchise which had been sold to maritime firm Starhorse Shipping Lines.
But it almost didn't.
Sources around the league told SPIN.ph the Dyip initially wanted the franchise buyer to take over the team starting immediately in the All-Filipino conference.
Starhorse management, however, rejected the idea and instead asked the Terrafirma to do the formal turnover during the offseason.
READ Starhorse quiz on Terrafirma sale: Who to keep, who to trade
And so Terrafirma will still have one final conference for PBA fans to see the former expansion franchise play its last season in the league after joining it, along with NLEX and Blackwater, 11 years ago.
With its final stint all set, the Dyip is hoping to exit the league with a bang, the same way it entered Asia's first pay-for-play loop by having boxing icon Manny Pacquiao as player and coach in 2014.
But that hope might be wishful thinking. The Dyip, like its team name, is chugging to extinction and is not expected to make a dent in its last hurrah considering that during its entire PBA existence, it managed to make the playoffs just twice.
In the current season, the team won one game each in the Governor's Cup and Commissioner's Cup.
Overall, it played a total of 259 games in 11 years, won 64 and lost 195 for a .247 average. - Gerry Ramos
Starhorse invades NCAA, too
AFTER the PBA and the MPBL, the NCAA looks like the next destination for the rampaging Starhorse group to drop its anchor.
SPIN.ph sources caught wind of the possibility that the maritime company, which recently bought the Terrafirma PBA franchise, is looking to take over the San Sebastian basketball program.
This comes after the school reportedly parted ways with its current benefactor Cocolife just weeks back.
The same insiders said Starhorse is looking to buy out current Golden Stags head coach Arvin Bonleon which would clear the way for its takeover of the Recto Ave.-based team.
Rob Labagala, who serves as an assistant coach in the Starhorse-backed Basilan Viva Portmasters in the MPBL, is being eyed to take the helm should the partnership get the green light.
This is another big step for Starhorse to make its presence felt in the local basketball scene and the firm is doing it both ways - pro and amateur.
It's paying more or less P200 million for the Terrafirma franchise, it has a team in the MPBL, and it's not batting an eyelash in taking over basketball operations at San Sebastian which could run into millions.
What's next? Supporting a team in the UAAP? - DL
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