SBP sends team to Asian Games after all

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, under heavy public pressure, will send a team to the Asian Games after all, a source told the Inquirer Sunday.

The SBP and the PBA are expected to make the announcement official at 6pm, before Game 5 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals between San Miguel Beer and Barangay Ginebra.

Rain or Shine will form the nucleus of the squad, as originally planned.

It is unclear if the PBA will lend more players than it had originally agreed to in order to beef up the Elasto Painters, who can also tap reinforcements from the Gilas cadet program.

If the original setup remains, NLEX coach Yeng Guiao will handle the team.

Rain or Shine had originally been tapped to represent the country in the Asian Games, but SBP pulled that plan at the last moment fearing it could not come up with a competitive squad.

But with pressure mounting on the SBP to reconsider, the country’s national federation for the sport gave in.