The Philippine Basketball Association is not worried of the exodus of young Filipino players signing contracts to play for professional leagues in other countries.
Commissioner Willie Marcial said this after three-time champion Anyang-Korean Ginseng Corporation recently signed up Gilas Pilipinas national men’s team standout Rhenz Abando for a two-year stint in the Korean Basketball League.
“Hindi ako nababahala. Kung ano ang maganda, kung ano ang makakatulong sa kanilang kinabukasan, okay lang,” said Marcial on the weekly program, “Power and Play,”
Abando, who is skipping his final year with Letran in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, however, can still sign for a PBA team in the future.
The PBA has rules in place for players, who play abroad if they seek contracts in the pro league when they return home.
“Sa collegiate, sa college at sa universities, wala na sila. Pero in the long run, sa PBA ay makakapaglaro pa rin sila,” added Marcial.
Marcial explained that players like Abando have a three-year grace period to join clubs in the PBA. And for those who have previously been drafted, they have a two-year timetable to be able to rejoin and sign up with a club. If not, they will have to wait for three years before hooking up with a PBA squad.
Abando is the sixth Filipino player tapped to play for clubs in the KBL.
The others who have signed up with KBL club teams include former Far Eastern University standout RJ Abarrientos, who is now with Ulsan Hyundai Mobis and Ateneo’s SJ Belangel, who joined Daegu KOGAS Pegasus.
Also playing in the KBL are Justin Gutang of the College of St. Benilde Blazers, who was signed up by Changwon LG and Fil-American Ethan Alvano (FilAm Select), who is now with Wonju DB.
Other young Gilas standout, on the other hand, have joined Japan’s B.League, such as Justine Baltazar (Hiroshima Dragonflies), Bobby Ray Parks (Nagoya Diamond Dolphins), Ravena brothers Kiefer (Shiga) and Thirdy (Sanen Neophoenix), Dwight Ramos (Hokkaido), Will Navarro (Samsung), Kobe Paras (Niigata), Javi Gomez de Liano (Ibaraki), Matthew Aquino (Shinsu), Juan Gomez de Liano (Earthfriends) and Kenmark Carino (Aomori).
Top University of the Philippines scorer Ricci Rivero has also skipped the PBA rookie draft and joined a club team in Taiwan.