Landmark rules instituted as PBA adjusts to the times

Hoping to keep the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) a rosy destination for local basketball players, Asia’s pioneering professional league on Friday instituted landmark changes to its policies.

PBA commissioner Willie Marcial, through a virtual press briefing held from the league’s offices in Libis, said the PBA has applied rules revisions on live and expired contracts and rookie eligibility on Friday. These changes will be formally disseminated to teams by Monday.

“[Basketball] is evolving. Before, there was no three-point shot, there were no penalties. The sport is evolving, so we have to adjust accordingly,” the league chief said.

“So, we’re trying our best to determine what’s fitting for the times,” he added.

Kiefer Ravena and Bobby Ray Parks Jr. will be the first to experience these changes.

Ravena, who signed with B.League’s club Shiga Lakestars last June, can suit up for the Japanese team under two conditions: Only after the NLEX Road Warriors’ campaign in the Philippine Cup, and just for one full year.

It will be different, however, for Parks Jr., whose clearance preceded Ravena’s which was announced in the earlier portion of the press briefing.

TNT’s former two-way star, who is now 28, can play in the Land of the Rising Sun, but his rights will remain with the Tropang Giga and will have to serve a sit-out period of five years, according to the amended league rules.

“We reviewed the possible scenarios with respect to the migration of players to other leagues, we have to affirm the principle that the sanctity of the contract should be respected,” said legal counsel Melvin Mendoza.

The sit-out period is a measure that the PBA put in place in situations where teams and players are unable to agree on a deal, giving teams a layer of protection from possible deserters.

That should prompt players with live contracts to veer away from ditching PBA teams as five years is a stretch too long, especially in a sport where performances heavily depend on age.

The league also made drastic changes relating to newcomers. Aside from ditching the rookie salary cap, the PBA has also decided to put on hold for five years prospects who decide not to enter the Rookie Draft.

The PBA also put an age limit for Filipino-foreign players looking to enter the Draft. The league, moving forward, will now only entertain players no older than 30 years old.