THE PBA caravan is ready to roll five days before the 2017 PBA All-Star Week, a super special edition of the annual mid-season spectacle as it serves as a virtual extension of the 42nd PBA anniversary celebration.
The league brought cheers to the fans with a special twinbill and lots of prizes raffled off at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City on April 9.
The PBA anniversary bash continues as the league stages a three-leg PBA All-Star event in Cagayan de Oro, Lucena and Cebu.
Bringing these All-Star festivities sponsored by HMR Trading, Mueller, Peak, Crystal Clear, Anako, Davco, Smart and Petron outside of Metro Manila is the PBA’s way to let the fans in the provinces see the best and the brightest play against each other, according to PBA commissioner Chito Narvasa.
“This will be fun. I encourage the fans to come and watch the PBA All-Star Games. This is one way of saying thank you to all our followers for their support through the years,” Narvasa said.
For this season, it’s also part of the league’s support to Gilas Pilipinas in its buildup for the SEABA Championship slated May 12-18 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Three PBA All-Star teams have been formed to slug it out with Gilas in Cagayan de Oro on April 26, in Lucena on April 28 and in Cebu on April 30.
The league’s aerial artists, three-point shooters and skills performers show their stuffs in the All-Star Skills Competitions that usher in the Gilas vs the PBA Luzon stars match at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena.
Terrence Romeo and Rey Guevarra will be the men to watch as they try to extend their reigns as the three-point shootout king and dunking champ versus a slew of tough challengers.
Romeo will also fly to Cagayan de Oro to be with the Gilas team that plays the PBA Mindanao selection then suit up for PBA the Visayas All-Star on April 30.
Troy Rosario, Mac Belo, Jio Jalalon, Mark Barroca, Scottie Thompson, PJ Simon, Rafi Reavis, Cyrus Baguio, Moala Tautuaa, Sonny Thoss, Carlo Lastimosa, Glenn Khobuntin and Baser Amer compose the Mindanao All Stars that test the mettle of the Gilas side made up of Romeo, LA Revilla, Mike Tolomia, RR Pogoy, Matthew Wright, Kevin Ferrer, Carl Bryan Cruz, Alfonso Gotladera, Bradwyn Guinto and June Mar Fajardo.
In Lucena, Wright, Guinto, Cruz, Ferrer, Tolomia, Arnold Van Opstal, Ed Daquiaog, Almond Vosotros, Jonathan Grey, Raymond Almazan, Norbert Torres and Allein Maliksi don the Gilas jersey going up against Luzon stars Japeth Aguilar, Calvin Abueva, Alex Cabagnot, LA Tenorio, Marcio Lassiter, Stanley Pringle, Jayson Castro, Jay Washington, Paul Lee, Mark Caguioa, Arwind Santos and Ranidel de Ocampo.
In Cebu, Castro, Jalalon, Belo, Aguilar, Rosario, Abueva, Revilla, Pogoy, Maliksi, Pessumal and Almazan make the Gilas team facing Visayan stars Fajardo, Romeo, Joe Devance, Jeff Chan, James Yap, Chris Ross, Chris Ellis, Aldrech Ramos, Dondon Hontiveros, Ronald Tubid, Asi Taulava and Jericho Cruz.