PBA dreams big

The PBA wants to draw another mammoth crowd on Jan. 13 at Philippine Arena in Bulacan, like this Ginebra-Meralco Governors’
Cup Finals match in October 2017 that listed a record 54,086 fans in attendance. —TRISTAN TAMAYO/INQUIRER.net

The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) will be deep in thought within the next few days as it determines an opponent for Barangay Ginebra that could more or less guarantee box-office success when the league takes the lid off of its 44th season on Jan. 13.

To be held at the 55,000-seater Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan, it is a no-brainer that the league would want all those seats occupied, with PBA commissioner Willie Marcial, according to sources, sure to tap the Gin Kings to play.

The Leo Awards, where the past season’s best individual performers will be feted, will also be held that day.

June Mar Fajardo of defending champion San Miguel Beer will shoot for a fifth straight Most Valuable Player trophy and improve his all-time record many think will never be broken.

San Miguel won the Philippine Cup during the four years that Fajardo was MVP.

A total of 54,086 fans watched Game 7 of the Governors’ Cup title series between the Kings and the Meralco Bolts in October 2017, and though the PBA is not looking at even coming close to that, booking Ginebra for an opening day game is the most feasible idea in the cavernous venue.

So far, only the noontime show Eat Bulaga, on Oct. 24, 2015, has managed to fill the Philippine Arena and lured a bigger audience than the Ginebra-Meralco Finals duel.

With Magnolia coming off a championship days before Christmas and needing to rest, the reigning Governors’ Cup champion will not see action until at least the third week of the elimination round of the Philippine Cup.

It will be just the second time that the PBA will open at Philippine Arena after the first one in 2014 when boxing icon Manny Pacquiao joined Kia against Blackwater and Ginebra played Talk ‘N Text in front of 52,612 fans.

As always, the traditional parade of teams and their muses will be one of the highlights of the affair, as well as well-thought of production numbers.

The preseason press conference will be held on Jan. 8 at Conrad Hotel in Pasay, before the league’s first-ever Media Day at Solaire Resort and Casino two days later starting 1 p.m.