El Presidente. The Big J. The Captain. The Triggerman. The Skywalker. Aerial Voyager. The Tower of Power. The Flying A. Dynamite. The Rock. The Spark. Major Pain. The Mighty Mouse.
We don't even have to say their real names and yet you still know all of these PBA legends.
The way the PBA christened its superstars back in the day with cool nicknames added more glamor, pizzazz, and entertainment to the league. It was a way to market the marquee guys and make them more appealing to fans.
For Barangay Ginebra San Miguel veteran Jared Dillinger, the PBA needs to revert to that to garner more interest. When asked about ways to improve the league, he said the current superstars must be made more visible.
"Build up these players and market the crap out of them. I'm noticing, now, I don't know any monikers of any current, new, generational-type guys. They're (PBA) not building up these star players like how they used to. Everyone had a nickname back then," said Dillinger, who was nicknamed The Daredevil, in an episode of ClutchPoints Phillipines' Coast to Coast.
Dillinger's co-host, former PBA star Sol Mercado, known then as Sol Train, could only agree. He also stressed that there needs to be definitive faces of the PBA, something that the league had plenty of when they were coming up.
"We had the Asi Taulavas, James Yaps, Mark Caguioas, Jimmy Alapags. Mr. President, Sol Train, The Daredevil, we had faces (of the league), bro! We had actual stars," said Mercado. Let's be real, the PBA is losing its stars to these other leagues because it's not up to par."
"They (PBA) got stars but I don't think they market them that well," added Dillinger.
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Their other co-host, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters veteran Gabe Norwood, didn't totally agree with Mercado that the PBA is losing its stars to other leagues. Although he echoed the suggestion that the league should build up its top guys.
"Some of these guys never even played in the PBA, so we didn't lose them. How can you say the league lost a player when he never played in the league?" argued Norwood.
When Mercado asked him to name the current faces of the PBA, Mr. President rattled off June Mar Fajardo, Jamie Malonzo, and Scottie Thompson. But he also made sure to mention one guy who he feels doesn't get enough love from the league.
"I feel like Chris Newsome is one of the best players in the league but he's not (being) pushed (by the PBA) like that," said Norwood.
The 10-time All-Star, however, did acknowledge that the PBA is making an effort to market its players, citing the Media Day held before the start of the season.
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While the PBA remains the top basketball league in the country, arguably even in the entire Asia, it sure is in dire need of improvements to regain its luster.
"It goes back to building personalities, that's it. Just build up these players. Market them, brand them, so people can see them, relate to them, and want to be them," said Dillinger.