The PBA, Asia’s oldest play-for-pay league, is eager to engage with neighboring countries like Japan's B.LEAGUE to keep the level of basketball high.
The PBA is slated to schedule games against Japan’s B.LEAGUE as it unfurls various activities for the league’s 50th anniversary this year.
As the oldest professional basketball league in the region, the PBA is determined to keep its reputation as the best in Asia, which, according to PBA Chairman Ricky Vargas, can only be possible if the PBA opens its doors to other neighboring leagues.
Speaking to media during the launch of the PBA’s 50th anniversary logo, Vargas said that through collaboration with the SBP, the league is set to play games against Japanese clubs — a handful of which also feature Filipino imports.
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“Today, we have leagues in Japan, we have leagues in Korea, we have leagues in Taipei, and all these leagues, our Commissioner, has started a collaboration with them to be able to bring the best of Asia in basketball, and in order for us to stay the best, we have to lead Asia not only in basketball but in organizing Asia,” said Vargas.
“When you talk about collaboration, you have to play with Asia and the PBA has played with Asia. The PBA is in EASL… But we are going to have games with the B.LEAGUE of Japan and SBP is now also very much involved in Taiwan. So with the SBP and the PBA, we will stay the best in Asia.”
Not much details were shared in the press conference, but for Vargas, he believes that it will be added premium for the PBA cagers who will be working hard to prove that being the oldest also means being the best.
The B.LEAGUE as its own brand is still in its relative infancy, considering the PBA’s age, with the Japanese league only being founded in its current iteration 2016.
Still, many ballers have seen it as a viable option moving forward — including the likes of Dwight Ramos, Kai Sotto, AJ Edu, and former PBA players Ray Parks Jr., Kiefer Ravena, and Matthew Wright.
For Vargas, though, the PBA can walk the talk in terms of proving that they still have what it takes to trump their closest regional rivals.
“We have to excel. We cannot be the best if we do not excel. We excel in Gilas, we have the best person to handle Gilas, Alfrancis [Chua], and we put that together and we have the best league that will support Gilas because it has the best players, that I think,” said Vargas.
“If we do all of that, we will remain the best in Asia, but not only the best in Asia, maybe just maybe, we will be recognized even in the world,” he added.