MUCH ADO ABOUT THE FILIPINO HOOPSTER EXODUS

Why has the transfer of Filipino basketball players to professional leagues in other Asian countries become a big issue, and what is being done to bring back harmony within the Philippine basketball community?

For the past two years, marquee Filipino hoopsters have inked deals with professional basketball leagues in Asia, particularly Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. What started as individual signings has become an exodus, and a major concern for the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). In 2020, Universities Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) standout and presumptive PBA draft top pick Thirdy Ravena signed with the Japanese B.League team San-en NeoPhoenix, becoming the first Filipino to join the league through its Asian Player Quota System. This system allows B.League teams to hire Asian basukettobōru (basketball) players as imports in addition to imports from outside Asia. Since then, other Filipino collegiate and PBA players have signed up with B.League teams, as well as teams in the Korean Basketball League (KBL) and Taiwan’s T1 League and P.League+.

DOING A THIRDY

PBA players soon followed suit, accepting offers from various B.League clubs. These include Thirdy’s older brother Kiefer (Shiga Lakes), Greg Slaughter (Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka), Bobby Ray Parks, Jr. (Nagoya Diamond Dolphins), Roosevelt Adams (Kagawa Five Arrows), Matthew Wright (Kyoto Hannaryz), Jay Washington (Ryukyu Golden Kings), and Greg Slaughter (Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka).

With Thirdy’s success, other UAAP standouts also decided to take their act to Japan. Kobe Paras (Niigata Albirex BB), Dwight Ramos (Toyama Grouses), and brothers Juan (Earthfriends Tokyo Z) and Javi Gomez de Liaño or GDL (Ibaraki Robots) either forewent their UAAP playing eligibility or skipped the PBA draft to play in the Land of the Rising Sun.

The KBL has also had its share of recruits from different Philippine basketball leagues. Notable among these are UAAP stars Rhon Jay “RJ” Abarrientos (Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus) and Samjosef “SJ” Belangel (Daegu KOGAS Pegasus), who both opted to forego their remaining playing years for their respective schools. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) standout Rhenz Abando (Anyang KGC) soon followed suit.

Taiwan’s T1 League and P. League+ teams have also strengthened their rosters with Jason Brickman (Kaohsiung Aquas) and Ricci Rivero (Taoyuan Pilots). Brickman last played in the Asian Basketball League, while Rivero previously strutted his wares at the UAAP.

THE CRUX OF THE MATTER

While the hiring of Filipino basketball players by teams in other countries is nothing new, the matter became a full-blown issue in 2022. The Will Navarro case particularly created the biggest buzz. Navarro had inked a deal with the Seoul Samsung Thunders months before the start of FIBA 2022. The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) didn’t allow him to transfer because he is “contractually obligated” with Gilas Pilipinas and the PBA’s NorthPort Batang Pier.

The issue generated contrasting reactions from many stakeholders. Some players expressed dismay over the SBP decision, considering it detrimental to the welfare of Filipino basketball players.

Kai Sotto of the Australian National Basketball League’s (NBL) Adelaide 36ers, tweeted: “I’m sorry but this is crazy. THIS HAS TO STOP. You got players who’ve been working hard and dreaming to play basketball at the highest level they can reach and we got our own people stopping us from achieving greatness.” Sotto is presently regarded as the Philippines’ best bet for having a full-blooded Filipino player in the NBA.

Slaughter also weighed in on the issue. “TOTAL BS and crab mentality at its highest. @pbaconnect slammed the door on me and my family DAYS BEFORE my daughter was born. I played seven years and publicly made myself available to the NT. Respect the true ethics of the game of basketball and FAIR COMPETITION,” he tweeted.

SBP and PBA officials, on the other hand, maintained their position that the player exodus is detrimental to their respective leagues, even as UAAP officials see the situation in a completely different light. SBP Executive Director Sonny Barrios bared that the player exodus has become a major concern for the organization. Given that the players who have transferred to the B.League and KBL have either been or are being eyed to be part of Gilas, Barrios views their being based overseas as a hindrance to forming a competitive national team.

PBA Chairman Ricky Vargas also reiterated the value of respect when it comes to foreign leagues recruiting Filipino players. “If we continue this way of engaging Philippine players without prior clearance from our league, it may sadly blemish our friendship,” he said. He lamented the lack of coordination with regard to player negotiations as well as the involvement of unlicensed agents in what has been described as “player poaching.” Meanwhile, UAAP top brass see the circumstance as “an opportunity to grow.” UAAP executive director Rebo Saguisag noted that the B.League and other foreign leagues are just additional options for players to choose from should they wish to turn professional. He stressed that the league has actually been losing players to other collegiate leagues (players with playing years left) as well as the PBA (players at or near the end of their playing eligibility). To allow UAAP players to move to foreign leagues, Saguisag asserted, is to give them the opportunity to succeed in the field and to give their families a more comfortable life. As for those players left in the country, such should serve as motivation to step up and fill the void left by players who have chosen to play overseas.

For his part, UAAP President Fr. Aldrin Suan pointed out that even if some players take their act abroad, there will still be enough players to sustain the various leagues in the country. He pointed out two things related to the opportunity to play professional basketball in the country: first, it is very limited while the supply of basketball players is overwhelming, and second, offers coming from outside the country should be viewed as opportunities worth grabbing. In the face of the poaching issue, B.League Chairman Shinji Shimada emphasized that Japan abides by international rules when sourcing out Filipino cagers.

MAKING THE MOST OF OVERSEAS OPPORTUNITIES

“There’s really nothing wrong if you dream big,” says Javi Gomez de Liaño (GDL). With one more playing year with the UP Maroons and teams expressing interest to select him in the 2021 PBA Draft, Javi GDL’s basketball career in the local pro league looked promising. Instead, he joined the Ibaraki Robots in the B.League for an “opportunity of a lifetime.” Ibaraki signed Javi 12 days after his brother, Juan GDL, turned pro in Japan by joining Earthfriends Tokyo Z. Like his elder brother, Juan GDL was also considered a blue chip recruit by PBA teams eyeing to draft him.

Earthfriends didn’t renew Juan GDL’s contract, but that didn’t stop him from pursuing his passion. He moved on to the Thai Superleague, as part of an all-Filipino team, then returned to the Philippines to play in the PBA D-League. After that, he went to Europe to play for Lithuania’s BC Wolves in the Lietuvos Krepšinio Lyga, becoming the first male Filipino athlete to play in the league. Juan GDL loves playing in the Philippines because his family and friends are here, but he considers playing abroad as a good experience. “Being on your own, you grow more,” he says. As for his overseas stints, he hopes that such will serve to “inspire and pave the way” for other Filipino basketball players who want to play professionally overseas.

Earthfriends didn’t renew Juan GDL’s contract, but that didn’t stop him from pursuing his passion. He moved on to the Thai Superleague, as part of an all-Filipino team, then returned to the Philippines to play in the PBA D-League. After that, he went to Europe to play for Lithuania’s BC Wolves in the Lietuvos Krepšinio Lyga, becoming the first male Filipino athlete to play in the league. Juan GDL loves playing in the Philippines because his family and friends are here, but he considers playing abroad as a good experience. “Being on your own, you grow more,” he says. As for his overseas stints, he hopes that such will serve to “inspire and pave the way” for other Filipino basketball players who want to play professionally overseas.

Aside from the monetary gains, Filipino hoopsters playing abroad also receive international-level coaching, get the chance to travel overseas, and experience different cultures, too. For younger ones, playing in Asian leagues also gives them a chance to showcase their talent, hoping to open further opportunities to play in bigger leagues in Europe and the United States.

Coupled with the above, the lack of local opportunities for Filipino basketball players pushes them to accept or seek offers from abroad.

THE PBA CHOOSES TO ADAPT

Even as Marcial sought closer coordination among the PBA, B.League, KBL, and other leagues, the PBA honcho also spearheaded the review of existing PBA policies. The PBA later on announced changes to its contracts as well as rules regarding rookie eligibility and salary cap for the top three drafted players.

The changes, Marcial said, are meant for the PBA—Asia’s oldest professional basketball league—to “keep up with the changes happening around the world.” For his part, PBA Deputy Commissioner Eric Castro said that by adapting, the PBA becomes the employer of choice for Filipino cagers “even if the leagues in our neighboring Asian countries are growing.”

PBA and B.League officials also found time to formally discuss the issues surrounding the two leagues, keeping hopes of closer cooperation alive. In one such meeting, Vargas and Marcial presented to their Japanese counterparts a six-point document revolving around respecting players’ existing contracts with teams and the commitment of players to suit up for the Philippine national team.

“As good neighbors, the path of cooperation is always the best way to settle our differences,” Vargas said.

The PBA, B.League, KBL, and P.League’s participation in the East Asian Super League has also opened more doors for cooperation among Asian basketball stakeholders. As Filipino hoopsters are expected to continue trying their luck in other Asian countries, stakeholders see greater cooperation among professional leagues across the region as clearly important. Bilateral talks and participation in multi-league tournaments are expected to bode well, not just for Philippine basketball but for Asian basketball in general.