THE PBA is committed to play in the Basketball Champions League (BCL) Asia, even though it will be skipping this year’s competition.
Commissioner Willie Marcial said he already spoke to Fiba secretary general Andreas Zagklis about missing the first edition of the rejigged BCL Asia, a precursor to the Fiba Asia Champions Cup, where champion teams from the continent will see action from June 9 to 15 in Dubai.
PBA will play in BCL Asia next year
Marcial, however, assured that the PBA will participate next year.
“Kasama naman tayo next year. Nagkausap na kami ni Mr. Andreas na ‘wag muna sumali ang PBA dito sa 2024. Pero sa 2025, sasali na tayo,” said Marcial.
The PBA skipped this year’s tournament despite the league's champion team being given direct qualification to the tournament.
Eight teams will battle in this year’s tournament with Group A composed of the China’s Liaoning Flying Leopards, Dubai’s Shabab Al Ahli, Malaysia’s NS Matrix Deers, and the Fiba West Asia Super League (WASL) champion Al Riyadi, and Group B comprised of Japan’s Hiroshima Dragonflies, WASL third-placer Shahrdary Gorgan of Iran, Korea’s KCC Egis, and Indonesia’s Pelita Jaya Basketball, reinforced by Justin Brownlee.
Al Ahli was granted the spot in lieu of a PBA representative.
The PBA will still be competing overseas a lot more as it will also be participating in the 2024-25 season of the East Asia Super League, a home-and-away league. Two slots were given to the PBA but it has not determined which team will be fielded.
Brownlee playing in BCL Asia
The BCL Asia tournament will see Gilas Pilipinas naturalized player and Barangay Ginebra import Brownlee playing for his current club team Pelita Jaya Basketball after emerging as champions in the qualification tournament.
With the PBA skipping the competition, Brownlee no longer faces the possibility of battling a Philippine team in the BCL Asia.
The Philippines had success in the Fiba Asia/Asian Basketball Confederation Champions Cup, the former name of the BCL Asia.
Swift-PABL captured the 1988 crown, while Andok’s, with the late Bobby Parks Sr. as import, and Hapee, with Tony Harris at the helm, won the crown in 1995 and 1996 respectively.
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