NBA fiasco: Never again, please

A response from the PBA media bureau on last week’s mind-boggling NBA-Gilas fiasco was short but not sweet.

“They did not bother to talk about it here in the office,” said the PBA media deskman whose identity will remain a secret for the moment.

Not that the PBA had nothing to do with the fiasco.

The idea was to seek a statement from PBA commissioner Chito Salud on how the PBA felt or was affected by the incredible basketball boo-boo.

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It could not be verified whether or not Salud attended the ill-fated NBA exhibition at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Was Mr. Salud informed in advance that there would be none of the promised tune-up game between Gilas Pilipinas and an NBA selection?

Of course, if Salud would ever issue a statement, it should be to wish there would never be a repeat of the shameful misdeal.

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A call to a sports office directly under the Manny V. Pangilinan (MVP) group of companies yielded a similar negative result.

“I don’t know, Sir. I don’t have the heart to ask around, everybody is in a foul mood, mainit ang ulo,” said the reply.

The idea was to know how the MVP management group felt or reacted to the unforgivable dirty foul committed on Philippine basketball.

Of course, Mr. Pangilinan himself readily owned up to the fault, a move that was well received and applauded.

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But not everybody was happy.

There were those who could not fathom how a premier, highly respected management group became a laughing stock due to a gruesome oversight.

“The culprit should not escape unpunished,” repeated one grizzled sports fan. “Imagine, there was no NBA sanction for a game between Gilas and an NBA selection, and yet you gleefully promoted it as such to the whole country?”

Meanwhile, it was confirmed yesterday that the three schoolboys from Don Bosco Mandaluyong who paid P23,000 each to attend the ill-fated NBA show had gotten their refund.

But there remained some uneasiness.

Reason: When one person in authority announced that tickets would be refunded, he also tried to play hero by saying he wished others would no longer ask to be repaid.

Did he bother to clear his closing statement with MVP?

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(THANK YOU, PCSO: Civic leader Nandy Charvet of Mandaluyong City reports that the Philippine Charity Sweepstake Office has readily responded to an appeal sounded out in this column for a worker with a life-threatening heart ailment. “Dr. Larry Cedro called up Alicia Vera and promised that PCSO will issue a guarantee letter for Jay Vera on Monday. Cedro is the head of the Charity Assistance Department of the PCSO.” Our deep gratitude to other anonymous donors who responded to the call. May the Good Lord reward you all for your kindness.)