PBA to meet with 4 commish hopefuls

The four candidates contesting the post of game commissioner/chief operating officer will face the PBA board of governors Thursday as the body decides on who sits as the next boss of Asia’s first play-for-pay league.

Former coach and lawyer Chito Narvasa, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas finance officer Jay Adalem, ex-PBA star Vince Hizon and current operations chief Rickie Santos will be interviewed separately by the board at the league’s offices in Libis, Quezon City.

The board, according to chair Patrick Gregorio of PLDT, will announce its choice of commissioner  by May 15, which by then will be the early part of the Governors’ Cup eliminations.

“After the interview, the board will discuss the next step taking into consideration our self-imposed May 15 deadline,” Gregorio said. “I just don’t know if we will be able to choose the next commissioner after [today’s] meeting.

“It would all depend on [their respective] presentations,” Gregorio continued. “If there’s a runaway choice, then we might name the new commissioner right away.”

Chito Salud, the outgoing commissioner, who will be the first-ever president and CEO of the league starting next season, had interviewed each candidate prior to today’s meeting.

The search for the new commissioner started when Salud said that he was stepping down almost two months ago.

The board hired a headhunting firm, Global Executive Solutions, to come up with an initial list of candidates before the board pruned it down to six that initially did not include Narvasa.

Narvasa’s name came up after the board kept Santos, Hizon and Adalem in the list of candidates  while dropping Danny Seigle, Charlie Cuna and former NBA Asia-Pacific executive Mark Fischer.

Fischer, according to Gregorio, was deemed “overqualified” for the post, while Cuna begged off.

Meanwhile, PJ Ramos, the Puerto Rican who endeared himself to fans with his manner of play while helping newcomer KIA to four wins in the Commissioner’s Cup, will not be able to return for the season-ending Governors’ Cup.

Ramos was not given a clearance by his ballclub in his native Puerto Rico.

In a related development, Barangay Ginebra ditched original import pick Orien Greene, who has been unimpressive in his first week of practice.

Orlando Johnson, who played for the Indiana Pacers in the NBA, has been signed as his replacement.