LOS ANGELES—The PBA board of governors left this city for Las Vegas on Tuesday morning with nothing resolved, keeping the start of the 43rd Season hanging.
The four nights originally allotted to pencil the path the league will take for the coming season was instead spent on sightseeing and shopping sprees as the board, with four members skipping the trip—including the league chair, never convened.
The board remains divided as one group wants the ouster of Chito Narvasa while the other giving full backing to the commissioner.
Amid the conflict, Kia Picanto board member Bobby Rosales and Phoenix Petroleum’s Raymond Zorilla managed to strike a deal involving disgruntled Picanto star point guard LA Revilla.
Rosales is with the pro-Narvasa group while Zorilla, a no-show here, belongs to the seven-team bloc that wants a new commissioner.
Kia shipped out Revilla for rookie Jason Grimaldo and Phoenix’s second round pick in 2018.
“There’s no use making things difficult for him (Revilla),” Rosales said. “And besides, he already apologized for the things he said.”
Revilla incurred the ire of Kia management after a controversial tweet last Oct. 27 hinting that the Picanto lied about the real reason behind trading top rookie pick Christian Standhardinger to San Miguel Beer.
The next season opens on Dec. 17 and with the Narvasa issue still unresolved, Rosales made light of the impasse.
“That’s still subject to the approval of the commissioner, guys,” Rosales said with a laugh.