HUMINGI ng paumanhin si PLDT chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan matapos na hindi matuloy ang laro ng Gilas Pilipinas laban sa mga NBA players sa dalawang araw na “Last Home Stand All-Star Charity event” sa Smart Araneta Coliseum sa Cubao, Quezon City.
Ang back-to-back na exhibition games ay magsisilbi sanang paghahanda ng Gilas sa pagsabak nito sa FIBA World Cup sa susunod na buwan.
Subalit huli na nang inanunsiyo ng East-West Private LLC, ang promoter ng naturang event, na ang mga National Basketball Association (NBA) players ay hindi puwedeng maglaro ng 5-on-5 basketball.
Sinabi naman ng NBA sa inilabas na pahayag nito kahapon na “under the terms of the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, players are allowed to participate in offseason basketball games or exhibitions when requirements for those events are met, including ensuring that appropriate safeguards be in place, and the promoter seeks the proper exemptions from the NBA and the player’s team.”
Dinagdag pa ng NBA na “the promoter of this proposed event, East-West Private LLC, was informed of this process several months ago but did not take the required steps. Filipinos are among the most passionate basketball fans in the world and we are committed to bringing them more access to our game and supporting the ongoing Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) rehabilitation efforts.”
“We wish to apologize to our Filipino basketball fans for the sudden and disappointing turn of events,” sabi naman ni Pangilinan, ang pangulo ng Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP).
“We ourselves are extremely disappointed by this unexpected development. All we wanted was to give our Filipino basketball fans a real treat while at the same time, through this charity event, help our countrymen who are still recovering from Supertyphoon Yolanda and more recently, Typhoon Glenda,” dagdag pa ni Pangilinan.
Ang mga NBA players, na irerepresenta sana ang Team Fibr All-Stars, ay pinangunahan ng mga NBA All-Stars na sina James Harden at Damian Lillard at Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard.
Noong 2011, nakapaglaro ng dalawang exhibition games sa Big Dome ang mga NBA superstars na sina Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose at Kobe Bryant at iba pang NBA players.
Ang pinagkaiba naman nito ay may lockout noon sa NBA kaya hindi na kinailangang magpaalam ng mga organizers sa nasabing liga.
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