There’s a lot to look forward to as the PBA unveils its 49th season with the return of the Governors’ Cup.
After a two-month break, the Philippine Basketball Association is back on August 18 for its 49th season. After a two-conference format in the previous season, the PBA will once again have a three-season format beginning with the Governors’ Cup.
Opening day at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum starts off on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. with the annual Leo Awards that recognize the previous season’s top individual performers, with June Mar Fajardo gunning for a mind-boggling eighth Most Valuable Player award. After that comes the opening ceremony at 5:00 p.m., followed by the lone game of the day featuring the Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots and the Meralco Bolts.
Unlike its previous iterations, this season’s Governors’ Cup is a little different, although the height limit is still six feet, six inches for imports. There are new rules, a new format, and, of course, new faces both local and foreign. Here’s all you need to know about the Season 49 Governors’ Cup.
What is the format?
As mentioned earlier, there will be a new format for the Governors’ Cup. The 12 teams will be divided into two groups, with teams in each group playing each other twice for a total of 10 games per team. The top four teams advance to the best-of-five crossover quarterfinals, with the top seed in Group A taking on the fourth seed in Group B and so on down the line.
The quarterfinal survivors advance to the best-of-seven semifinals, and the winners here advance to the best-of-seven finals. It will be a compact elimination round, with two games six days a week (Monday is the lone rest day) and the last playdate set on September 23.
The groupings were based on last season’s overall win-loss records. Group A will be composed of the Converge FiberXers, Terrafirma Dyip, NorthPort Batang Pier, TNT Tropang Giga, Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots, and Meralco Bolts. Group B will have the Blackwater Bossing, Phoenix Fuelmasters, NLEX Road Warriors, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, and San Miguel Beermen.
This new format has advantages and disadvantages if you’re a fan. On the one hand, you get to see Barangay Ginebra vs. San Miguel Beer twice. On the other hand, unless they meet in the quarterfinals, you won’t get to see Manila Clasico or a Justin Brownlee-Allen Durham reunion.
What are the new rules?
According to deputy commissioner Eric Castro, four new rules will be implemented this season.
The first is the removal of the over-the-backboard violation. Castro explained that this is to move the PBA’s rules closer to those of FIBA’s. This means players can now shoot from behind and over the backboard ala-Larry Bird.
“So, kung magtatanong po kayo kung pwede na mag-shoot ang player sa likod ng board, pwede na po,” Casto said.
The second is the restriction of the official suspension of play whenever a player is injured.
“If you notice, a lot of our players when they go down, minsan po matagal po bago bumangon,” Castro said. “So, right now we’re going to give 15 seconds leeway for those players na down on the floor.”
The third is relaxing the rules a little bit on coaches crossing their respective hash marks. Previously a coach who crosses the hash mark will automatically get whistled for a technical foul.
“Ngayon, napag-isipan po natin, mabigyan ng kaunting leeway ang mga coaches,” Castro said.
“So, once they cross the hashmark, we’ll just give them a warning.”
The last one, of course, is the controversial four-point shot. There were mixed reactions from some head coaches when it was first announced, as well as from some of the league’s elite shooters.
But as vice-chairman of Alfrancis Chua explained, all the governors were on board when the shot was first proposed during the league’s planning session in Japan. Besides, Chua pointed out, taking the shot is not a requirement for the teams.
“When we decided, all of us, the governors, walang humindi,” Chua said. “So meaning lahat kami gusto namin yung four-point shot.
“So now, siyempre iba-ibang opinion, ang dami nagsabi, ganito, baka ganyan, bakit hindi sa amin sinabi.
“It’s only a line. Di huwag niyong gamitin. Linya lang yun eh. Hindi naman sinabi, o, sa isang quarter, kailangan tumira ka ng tatlong ganyan.
“If you want to use it, use it. Pero subukan mo, sa actual game, down by three, ewan ko kung hindi nila gamitin ‘yun. Gagamitin yan, eh. Imagine, you’re down by three, pwede ka pa manalo. So yun sa amin, as a governor, kasama si commissioner, hindi naman kami mag-i-imbento para pumangit yung liga eh. Yung sa amin ginagawa namin ito para gumanda ang liga, magkaroon ng entertainment.”
Who are the imports?
As is the case for any import-flavored conference, there is a mix of new and old faces.
Among the first-timers, the one who stands out is the Hotshots’ Glenn Robinson III, a seven-year NBA veteran and former NBA slam dunk champion. Other newcomers with NBA experience include the Blackwater Bossing’s Ricky Ledo, the NLEX Road Warriors’ Myke Henry, and the San Miguel Beermen’s Jordan Adams. The other new faces are the Phoenix Fuel Masters’ Jayveous McKinnis and the Converge FiberXers’ Scotty Hopson.
The Terrafirma Dyip are now scrambling to find a new import after their original pick, Brandon Edwards, tore his ACL during a tune-up game on Tuesday, according to team governor Bobby Rosales.
As for the returnees, Brownlee and Durham are joined by the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters’ Aaron Fuller and the TNT Tropang Giga’s Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.
Anything for the fans?
To commemorate the league’s 49th season, the board has agreed to sell all tickets from upper box and above to only 49 pesos on a first come, first served basis. For opening day, ALL tickets will be priced at 49 pesos.
“During opening day, we normally have a lot of fans who come and attend,” says chairman Ricky Vargas. “But this time, we’re going to open it to people who will remember that 49 pesos.”
For sure, this move will be mocked by the league’s critics who will take this as another sign of the league’s weak live gate attendance. Be that as it may, it’s good that the PBA is at least doing something to address it and at the same time celebrate 49 years of existence.
What happens after the Governors’ Cup?
The league will take a break after the Governors’ Cup to give way to Gilas Pilipinas’ two home games in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 qualifiers on November 21 and 24. After that, it’s on to the Commissioner’s Cup, which will allow teams to sign one import of unlimited height, and will most likely feature a guest team in Hong Kong Eastern.
Vargas said that Chua and Commissioner Willie Marcial are hammering out the details of the guest team’s participation.
“We’re almost there, I think,” he explained. “I can say 90% that we will have a guest team. Hong Kong Eastern. They are a very competitive team and I’m told a stronger pa than the previous team. So, we are also preparing our teams to be able to compete.
The league will then gradually build up towards its 50th anniversary to be celebrated on April 9, 2025, during the season-ending Philippine Cup. One of the highlights of the celebration will be the revealing of the PBA’s 10 additions to its 40 greatest players list to form a new 50 Greatest PBA Players. Commissioner Willie Marcial said that Deputy Commissioner Castro has been appointed to head up a committee that will choose the 10 players.
“The journey of the 50th anniversary begins today on the 49th and planning has been very good with our partners in media,” Vargas said. “We saw a pitch from different marketing companies and soon we will launch what the 50th anniversary will be.”
Banner image from PBA Images.