ALARMED by a run of D-League games marred by highly irregular substitutions, sudden collapses, and dubious results, the PBA Commissioner's Office sent out a stern memo that threatened lifetime bans on players, coaches, and teams.
The memo, signed by no less than PBA commissioner Willie Marcial, came just five days after Centro Escolar University defeated Nailtalk-Savio, 107-46, in a game that saw the latter score just two points in the first quarter - the lowest output in a period by any team in league history.
Marcial's strongly worded memo threatened to 'suspend or perpetually ban' any player, coach, or team found guilty of such practices as listed:
* Noticeable sub-par performance of a player or team.
* Failure of a coach or team to bench a player deliberately committing errors.
* Deliberately benching a player who is playing well.
At the same time, the league reiterated that it's against the rules for any member of a team to use a mobile phone during games and for non-team personnel to enter the team locker room before and after games.
Here's the memo:
The warning apparently fell on deaf ears.
Just three days later, Nailtalk-Savio withdrew from the D-League Foundation Cup after losing its first four games by an average of 26.5 points, none more humiliating than the 61-point defeat to the CEU Scorpions.
On August 19, Hyperwash's 144-138 win over McDavid set a number of league scoring records for most points combined, most points scored by a winning and losing team, and second biggest output by a player (48, by JR Cawaling).
It didn't end there.
On Aug. 26, Marinerong Pilipino defeated iWalk, 141-97, in a game that saw former pro Eloy Poligrates score 67 points, a new D-League record.
All those records didn't last as on September 2, BRT Sumisip-St. Clare defeated Black Mamba, 161-122, to reset the high mark for most points in a game (161) and a half (95 in second half), and tied the record for most points in a quarter (53 in fourth quarter).
In McDavid's first win of the season, 147-133, at the expense of Alberei, Jonathan Parreno scored 67 points to match Poligrates' barely week-old scoring record. Alberei's 133 also broke the D-League record for most points by a losing team.
To top it off, BRT Sumisip Basilan-St. Clare 180-117 win over Hyperwash last Sept. 16 rewrote the league records for most points in a game (180), half (108 in 2nd half), quarter (60 in 3rd quarter), and points combined (282) points.
In all, the league record for most points in a game was reset thrice and the scoring record set or tied twice during that span.
So what happened next?
The league vowed major reforms in future tournaments, including the careful screening of new franchises and their owners, a separate screening for new players, and a sizeable bond that would be required from participating ballclubs.
Will it solve the league's problems? Your guess is as good as ours.
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